Industrial Style

Try:

• Dark gray or black paint
• Metal legs
• Black hardware
• Neutral cushion

This works particularly well in modern interiors.

Natural Wood Bed

Skip the paint altogether.

Sand the drawer, repair it, apply an appropriate wood finish, add wooden legs, and place a simple neutral cushion inside.

This lets the original character of the furniture remain visible.

Don’t Have an Old Dresser?

That’s okay.

You can often find unwanted drawers through:

• Secondhand furniture shops
• Furniture reuse centers
• Online local listings
• Friends and family
• Garage sales
• Furniture being discarded during renovations

You don’t even need the entire dresser.

Sometimes people give away individual drawers after disposing of the main furniture.

And because the drawer is already essentially a wooden box, it can save considerable construction time compared with building the entire structure yourself.

Other Things You Can Make From Old Drawers

Don’t stop at pet beds.

Old drawers can also become:

• Wall shelves
• Under-bed storage
• Planter boxes
• Display shelves
• Side tables
• Bathroom organizers
• Entryway organizers
• Book storage
• Toy storage

Old House Journal, for example, has highlighted vintage dresser drawers being transformed into pet beds and other useful furniture projects.

So the next time you see an old dresser headed for the trash, look at the drawers before throwing them away.

A Few Important Safety Tips

Because this project is intended for an animal, safety should come before appearance.

Avoid drawers with serious mold, rot, severe structural damage, or unknown chemical contamination.

Remove or secure any protruding nails, staples, screws, or hardware.

Sand every exposed edge.

Don’t use a drawer that’s too small for the animal.

Don’t make an entrance so large that it compromises the drawer’s structural strength.

Make sure the legs are securely attached.

Use appropriate hardware for the thickness and material of the drawer.

Allow paints, stains, adhesives, and protective finishes to cure completely according to their product instructions before your pet uses the bed.

And regularly inspect the finished bed. If a leg becomes loose or the wood begins to crack, repair it immediately.

The Best Part: You’re Not Just Making a Pet Bed

You’re taking something that was headed for the trash and turning it into something useful, personal, and attractive.

A dresser drawer that once held socks, shirts, or blankets can become the place where your dog sleeps every afternoon.

A forgotten piece of furniture can become a cozy cat bed.

And instead of buying a generic pet bed that looks exactly like thousands of others, you can create something that matches your home and reflects your pet’s personality.

All it takes is an old drawer, four legs, a little hardware, some paint, and a comfortable cushion.

So before you throw away that old dresser, pull out the drawers and take another look.

You may already have the beginnings of an adorable custom pet bed sitting right in front of you.