Turning a Footstool into a Pet Bed

Upholstered footstools are easily transformed into cushy pet beds.

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Filed under: How To

A pair of matching beds for Fido and Fluffy.

Materials and Tools:

table saw
miter saw
sanding block
clean rags
pin-nail gun and pin nails
finish-nail gun and finish nails
poplar wood
2-1/2" decorative railing
120-grit sandpaper
stain (ours was Olympic brand, oil-based stain in Deep Ebony)
wood glue
epoxy glue
padded footstool

Steps:

1. With a table saw, cut the poplar into three 1" x 3/4" strips.

2. With the miter saw, cut the strips to the desired length (fitting the dimensions of the outer perimeter of the dog bed) with two of the pieces having only one mitered edge and the back piece having two mitered edges.

3. Cut the decorative railing to the same length also mitering the ends just as you did with the poplar strips.

4. Lightly sand the ends of all the pieces. Wipe away the dust then stain the wood. Let dry completely.

5. Use wood glue and a pin-nail gun to adhere the poplar strips together forming a basic three-sided frame for the railing to rest on.

6. Slip the frame around the top of the footstool and attach it to the stool using a finish-nail gun.

7. Again, with wood glue and the pin-nail gun, attach the railing to the poplar frame in the same three-sided fashion.

8. Using a small piece of the scrap railing, cut end caps for the front of the railing, lightly sand and attach with epoxy glue. Wipe away any excess glue with a clean rag and then apply a dab of stain to the ends.