How to Make a Dog Ottoman and Slipcover

Doesn’t man’s best friend deserve his own ottoman? It doesn’t take much work, so come on — throw him a bone.

Following are plans for both an ottoman and a slipcover for it:

Dog Ottoman

Materials and Tools:

plywood
bun feet
long screws
drill
circular saw
polyurethane foam
batting
canvas
staple gun
spray adhesive
stain
rags

Steps:

1. Cut the top, bottom and four side pieces of the ottoman to the desired dimensions using a circular saw. Drill pilot holes with a countersink bit, and then use wood glue and screws to secure the pieces together to form a box.
2. Spray the box top with adhesive and place the foam over it to hold it in position. Wrap the entire box with polyester batting so that even the sides are soft and free of sharp corners, and then staple it in place. Staple the canvas taut over the batting, making sure to create nice corners.
3. Stain the bun feet as desired and let dry. Secure a bracket in each bottom corner, and then screw the feet into position.

Dog-Proof Ottoman Covers

Materials and Tools:

fabric
measuring tape
rotary cutter
measuring guide
scissors
sewing machine
thread

Steps:

1. The slipcover is made using two pieces of fabric with a long center seam. Measure the ottoman from the floor at the center of one short side to the floor on the opposite side, and then cut two fabric panels (be sure to add extra for a hem and seam allowances).
2. Pin and sew the two pieces together to form a large rectangle. With the wrong side up, cut half the excess off one of the seam allowances and then fold the other whole side in half and iron it in place (the cut portion will be hidden within the fold). Pin the fold in place on the right side of the fabric, and then sew one line of stitching with the right side up to hold the fold down.
3. To figure the necessary width, measure from the floor at the center of one long side to the other, and then divide that number by 2. With wrong sides together, fold the fabric in half at the seam. Measure out from the seam to this second number in several places and make marks. Cut along the marks using a rotary cutter and measuring guide.
4. For the corner seams, lay the fabric wrong side up over the ottoman so it’s even all the way around and the seam is centered. Pull the excess corner fabric out with your hands, and then pin along the corner edges. Stitch along the pin lines, and then trim the excess fabric.
5. Iron a 1 1/2-inch hem around the bottom of the slipcover and stitch it in place. Slip the cover over the ottoman and straighten as necessary.