Skip to Content

A DIY Pet Bed Tutorial: Love Bunks

Want to build pet bunk beds? We made these for our cat and dog and love the results!

Check out our updated post with FREE PDF woodworking plans here!

We love both our cat, Bear, and dog, CiCi, and love that they love each other so much. However, sometimes the togetherness can be a bit much. Exhibit A: Bear has taken a liking to going to sleep in CiCi’s bed. CiCi tends to stay on the couch with the humans until bedtime, and then, when she goes to her bed, it’s already occupied. This leads to her either looking sad and pouting, or squashing in next to her sister.

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

To remedy this issue but still allow them maximum togetherness, we decided to build cat & dog bunk beds – AKA love bunks. This might seem a bit crazy, but Bear really loves being up high and this was a great way to give her a raised bed in our master bedroom.

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Here’s how we made it.

Want to build a bed for a human too? Check out our modern platform bed!

Pet Bunk Beds

Sean picked up the wood at Lowe’s (see breakdown on lengths below). While we are DIYers to that max, Lowe’s will cut your wood for you for free to your exact specifications, so if you’re just doing simple straight cuts to make boards a certain length, sometimes it’s just much easier and quicker to have the pros do it for you. Sean had made a sketch of his vision for the love bunks and knew exactly what lengths they needed to be cut to, so that was easy.

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Once at home, he used our electric sander to smooth out all the surfaces. The pine boards were already pretty smooth, but it’s good to give any wood at least a quick sand, especially if you’re going to stain it.

Then, Sean simply followed his design, using 2 1/2″ wood screws to put together the edges of each bunk, and then securing the edges to the base of the bunk.

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Then, he used 3 1/2″ wood screws to screw in the posts to the bottom bunk, going through the bottom, and then to the top bunk, going through the top.

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Then all we had to do was stain and seal it!

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

I decided to make a simple cushion to line each bunk. I cut squares of a foam mattress pad (left over from reupholstering this bench) about 1 inch smaller length and width than the size of each bunk. I cut grey fleece (left over from these narwhal pet costumes) with 2 inches overhang around the square of foam (so add 4 inches to each length and width, 2 identical pieces for each cushion). I copied the “no sew fleece blanket” method I learned in Girl Scouts 2 decades ago and cut slits around the sides and tied simple square knots. It took about an hour to make both but was free since I used leftover materials that I had on hand.

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

The love bunks live in our bedroom now and perfectly fit in a small nook. Bear loves the chance to be up high, and CiCi is okay with it too – though she loves it the most when she has her bed under there as well.

Pet Bed Love Bunks - Charleston Crafted

Cost Breakdown:

  • Two 1″x3″x72″ pine boards- $6.87 each
  • 2″x2″x8′ furring strip- $1.95
  • 23″x48″ pine particle board – $11.08
  • Stain – had on hand, $10.07 (used less than 1/8 can)
  • Screws – had on hand, $6.63 (used 28)
  • Foam pad – had on hand, $22 (used less than half)
  • Fleece – had on hand, $5 (used under 1 yard)

Total cost to us: $26.77

Total cost with nothing on hand: $70.47

Check out tons of ideas for DIY projects for your cat!

 Charleston Crafted Logo heart
 Charleston Crafted Logo facebook
 Charleston Crafted Logo insta
 Charleston Crafted Logo pinterest
 Charleston Crafted Logo twitter

Pet Bed – Free Woodworking Plan.com

Wednesday 29th of January 2020

[…] building plan.This is the perfect pet bed solution if you have more than one pet. Build a set of bunk pet beds using the free instructions available at the […]

Diana Rambles

Friday 1st of April 2016

I just love this. I found you via SoFab ad.

Kelly

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

What a fun idea. Kind of like a cat condo and dog bed in one. #client

Comments are closed.