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Do It Yourself

How to Make a DIY Cat Bed

Our animals are family to us, they are our fur children, and we treat them as such. So today we will be showing you, “How to make a DIY Cat Bed”.

Yes, a cat bed. Cat’s, I believe are highly underrated, we tend to give our dogs all the glory, fabulous creatures that they are, but today we will be making nice with the Cat😉

Let’s begin by saying that, “Cat people are more open-minded than dog people. Cat lovers generally score higher on things such as open-mindedness, imaginativeness, creativity, adventurousness, and holding unconventional beliefs. 

Dog owners, much like dogs, will pretty much believe anything you tell them. (The cat is loving this!) Since I bore easily; I love to get creative, doesn’t mean I am always very good at it, but I give it a swing anyway. I think the best place to start would be, where does your cat like to sleep? We will need to colour coordinate, so that the cat bed/tepee matches the décor. I am sightly OCD and even if I was not, we would still need the décor to balance, cannot have your home looking like a “Smartie Box”!

Either way, it is going to look absolutely, adorable! So, let’s get started, we can finish this today!

Tools and Materials Required:

Fabric: Two Meters will do

Jute String: A Roll – Jute twine is a natural vegetable fibre twine primarily used in the arts and crafts industry, excellent for a variety of crafts, packaging and wrapping as well.

  • Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
  • Small Hand Saw (optional)
  • Thick Wooden Sticks: x 4 same length for Hight (Dowl Rods)
  • Thin Wooden Stick: x 1 long for support (Dowl Rod)

Build it Hermanus DIY

You can find all these items at your local Hermanus Build it or buy online at www.buildit-store.co.za shop now for free delivery in the greater Overstrand Area!

The 4-x thick wooden sticks will stand to make the frame of your DIY Cat Bed Teepee. We did not cut them down in length.  

We left them the in the original height and it worked perfect for us. If your sticks are too long, you can shorten them to the desired height.Once you gather your four posts together at the top to make a triangle of sorts, you must hold the sticks into place and use the jute string to secure it, using a winding motion.

When wrapping the post with the jute string it is easier to secure if you wrap between each post. Wrap once around the first stick, then loop around the next and just keep wrapping.  Do this about three times before wrapping the outside of the sticks to hold together, this is the best way to secure each post to the one next to it.

*Do not wrap the jute around the individual posts too much or it will cause thickness between the sticks. Just a couple of times to secure it.

Build it Hermanus DIY

To make the top of your teepee look authentic, wrap the jute around, using your hot glue gun to secure each piece in place. The bottom of the posts will try to come together so you may need two people to old them apart, for this part.

The bottom of the posts should form a rectangle, so there is plenty of room for your cat’s blanket to go inside the teepee.  We measured roughly 1200mm around the bottom, this is how I knew we only needed two meters of fabric in length to wrap around.

Even after adding the jute around the top of your teepee the bottom may still try to come together.  This is not unusual.  To secure your teepee in place use the smaller stick you purchased to place support bars between the outer posts.

We used a small handheld saw to cut the smaller stick into pieces and hot glue to secure in place.  On the sides we placed the support bar towards the top and on the back, we placed one across the bottom.

Now that your teepee frame is complete, it is time to add the fabric. This is the hard but fun part and can be slightly difficult for one person to do alone. Start in the back, trust me on this one! If you start on one side and try to work your way around the fabric will gather and twist. 

It will not lay on straight, and the pattern of your fabric will look untidy.

If you start in the middle of your fabric, on the back of your teepee and wrap each side towards the front, it will lay much smoother. As you lay the fabric on the top back of your teepee, directly under the jute string, use your hot glue to secure the fabric into place.

You will find that you have quite a lot of fabric left once you have pulled it forward, just cut it off once you have secured it in place, tuck, and hot glue around each post as you go.

It’s like tucking in a sheet on the corner of your bed, all sides should be nice and smooth.

Voila! Your Masterpiece is complete!

Here Are Some Fun Facts:

Pet.webmd.com found that some common ideas about pet lovers may be true. You may also be a lot more like your furry friend than you ever realized.

The Typical Cat Person

Do you prefer to spend time on your own? Always game to try new things. Then you could be a cat person. The survey found that cat owners were more likely to be curious, unconventional in thinking and actions, and more prone to worry than dog people.

 

Personality Trait: Open

Are you open to trying new things? Cat people were 11% more likely to be open, according to the survey. Open people tend to be:

  • Curious
  • Creative
  • Artistic
  • Non-traditional thinkers

Personality Trait: Neurotic

If you get stressed out easily, you may be a cat person. Cat people were 12% more neurotic than dog people. Neurotic people are:

  • Easily stressed
  • Anxious
  • Worriers

Kitty Upside: Independent

Cats are famously low maintenance. They don’t need to be bathed or taken for walks. They can be left on their own for hours at a time. Even though cats like to do their own thing, they still need plenty of love and attention. Devote some time each day to playing with your cat, grooming them, or just giving them some TLC.

 

Kitty Downside: Can Be Standoffish

Some cats love to socialize, but others prefer to stay hidden, especially when new people visit. In fact, your friends may not even realize you have a cat! Cats who weren’t around people enough as kittens may be skittish. Even the friendliest cat will jump off your lap and sashay off when they have had enough of your attention.

 

Kitty Upside: Cozy Companion

When it comes to cuddling, cats take the prize. And most cat owners will tell you the sound of a purring cat is deeply soothing. In fact, when researchers looked closely, they found stress levels and blood pressure dropped slightly in people who snuggled up to a purring kitty.

 

Please send us a photo of your completed creation, we would love to see it, you can upload your images in the comments section!

Remember to plan your next DIY project with Build it Hermanus, get the job done right, first time. Follow us on social media, to stay up to date with our latest sizzling specials and promotional offers!

 

Shop online www.buildit-store.co.za or visit us instore at Build it Hermanus, your local building materials partner, helping you make home building simple! Build it Online store offers Free local delivery, supplying the Overstrand area with building materials, do-it-yourself home improvement tools, and expert advice.

 

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