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September 2, 2014 By Brandy 31 Comments

Home » Craft Tutorials

Crib Mattress Dog Bed With DIY Cover

Filed Under: Craft Tutorials, Sewing Tagged With: Home Decor Sewing

A crib mattress dog bed works perfectly indoors or outdoors! It provides support to sleep on, it’s waterproof, it’s nice and sturdy plus it isn’t plush or easy to rip or chew. A washable cover and a cozy spot for any furry friend.

dog standing on crib mattress dog bed

Aww, look at Toby. Almost a year old and such a sweet little guy. Toby loves to sleep on soft things: pillows, blankets, towels, the clean clothes pile. You get the drift. If I was a dog, I would rather sleep on things like that too. He has a nice soft bed in his kennel that he sleeps on at night, but I decided to get something for him to use downstairs and outside. After all, I like to make things, even toys and a brand new dog bed for my pet.

How to Make a Crib Mattress Dog Bed

If you don’t have a toddler mattress that your little one has outgrown, Facebook marketplace is a great place to find one for a deal. That’s the nice thing about crib mattresses. They are waterproof so it is easier to find one in great condition vs. a regular mattress which would be Eww. I found mine at my neighbor’s yard sale.

The best part? When your DIY dog bed gets dirty, just take the crib sheet off, toss it into the washing machine, and wash it!

Here is a quick tutorial for a homemade crib sheet if you don’t already have some on hand. I made it out of fleece so that it would be soft and cozy. Crib sheets are so simple to make.

It really does make the perfect dog bed for your fur baby. Easy comfort for indoor or outdoor use.

To make a crib mattress dog bed cover you will need:

  • 1 crib mattress
  • 2 yards fabric (fleece, cotton canvas, flannel)
  • 3 yards of 1″ fold-over elastic

fleece cut for dog bed cover

Cut a rectangle in the following dimensions: 45″ x 67″.

Then cut an 8″ square out of each corner.

fleece being sewn with sewing machine

Bring the corner sections together and sew in place. Repeat for the other 3 corners.

1" wide white elastic

Fold over elastic is what makes this project quick. No hemming, casings, etc. Sandwich it over your fabric edges and begin to stitch.

elastic folded over fleece edge

STRETCH the elastic as you go, pulling hard. This will make it stretchy and bounce back when finished. Overlap the elastic when you get back to your starting point and backstitch to finish the seam.

fleece crib mattress cover

dog standing on mattress

His bed is a nice little space of his own—the best dog bed.

dog laying on crib mattress dog bed

We love Toby. He’s been a member of our family since he was a puppy and we don’t know what we would do without him! I even enjoy making things for him.

dog sitting on crib mattress bed

Can you wash a crib mattress dog bed?

Yes! Crib mattresses are waterproof so you can wipe them down to get rid of the dirt. The outer cover is also machine washable and much easier to wash than a traditional dog bed.

How durable is a crib mattress dog bed?

This is the most durable bed that Toby has had. That being said, a dog can chew up just about anything if he wants to. Even if that happens, you are still out less money than you would be for a fancier dog bed.

Can you use a crib mattress doggie bed outside?

Yes. The baby mattress itself holds up great to weather, but the sheet isn’t waterproof and will need to be in a covered area to stay dry.

If you love your dog as much as we do then you may want to check out these posts:

dog sitting on no sew homemade dog bed

DIY Travel Dog Bed

dog ice cream treats in muffin pan

Homemade Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream for Dogs

33 Things to Make For Your Dog Using Household Items from BarkPost

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About Brandy

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com without any additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandra says

    March 1, 2019 at 5:19 am

    Wow. I am always on the lookout for super easy makes nd you just saved me a lot of time. Will post pic when finished. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      March 1, 2019 at 9:21 am

      Awesome! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Barbara Chapman ~ French Ethereal says

    May 18, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    Hi Brandy! I found your post linked over on Wonderful Wednesday, and had to stop by. Already pinned one photo because, well, your pup is very cute! 🙂 Actually, I really like this idea as I’m noodling making my dog a dog sheet for summer for his dog bed. When I get it posted, if you don’t mind I’ll link your post in to share with others. This is a great repurpose of an old crib mattress, too!

    Have a lovely weekend,
    Barb 🙂

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      May 18, 2018 at 4:16 pm

      Of course! I can’t wait to see it! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Molly says

    May 18, 2018 at 9:04 am

    What a handsome doggo, reminds me of the one I had

    Mollyx

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      May 18, 2018 at 11:12 am

      Thank you! He’s pretty great!

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    December 22, 2016 at 9:23 am

    This looks great! I was wondering – because of the elastic is the dog able to pull it off from pawing with claws and such? Thanks for sharing this I think I’m gonna give it a try!

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      December 22, 2016 at 10:51 am

      Hi Sarah! We haven’t had issues with that. Maybe because he is sitting on the bed, putting his weight on it, so it stays on even if he is moving around. I’d give it a shot anyways! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Judy says

    November 27, 2016 at 10:46 am

    Hello Brandy – Hope your Thanksgiving Holiday was a great one. – I noticed you posted this 2 yrs ago and you have a lab. I was wondering how the mattress held up? I was thinking about one for my boxer, 80 lbs and was curious if the mattress would flatten due to the weight? I’m looking into getting a memory foam mattress. thank you

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      November 27, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      Hi Judy! We still have our mattress! He used it indoors for a couple of years, but we recently put it outside in his covered enclosure when we bought him a new bed to go in the house. Both the cover and the mattress are still in perfect condition. He is 65 lbs. so not much smaller than your pup so I think it would work out just fine! We used a cheap mattress that was second hand, a memory foam one would be much cozier, I’m sure!

      Reply
  6. Anne says

    March 8, 2016 at 12:26 pm

    Adorable! did you make it waterproof? of did i miss that mention? i want to make one but not for my dog but my child… my husband needs one too. lol but i just got him a cover from http://www.protectabed.com/content/mattress_protectors.asp. do you think i can waterproof it? and still have it able to go in the wash?

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      March 8, 2016 at 1:36 pm

      Hi Anne! I did not waterproof ours. Since the crib mattress is waterproof already, I didn’t worry about that and just made the fleece cover. I’m not sure how to go about waterproofing it, but that would be a great idea! 🙂

      Reply
      • Pam Wolff says

        December 10, 2017 at 2:56 pm

        I haven’t made the sheet yet but we have a 4 inch king size bed cushion and we are going to cut it up and I plan to cover each bed with a shower curtain liner and then it can be covered with the sheet. I will be donating them to the kennel that boards our border collie. And yes she’ll have one at home.?

        Reply
        • Brandy says

          December 11, 2017 at 5:52 am

          What a wonderful idea!

          Reply
  7. Rachel says

    January 22, 2016 at 2:57 am

    Hi,

    I just wanted to say how I loved this tutorial – so simple to follow, thanks.

    In fact, I thought you might like to know that I liked it so much I included it in a recent post about the best DIY dog beds on my website here: http://smallfluffydogbreeds.com/diy-dog-bed-ideas/

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      January 22, 2016 at 8:45 am

      Oh, thank you! And thank you for sharing it on your site! What a great post!

      Reply
  8. Maria J says

    January 11, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    Great tip! Brandy, now I can make my dog mattress covers myself. My dog mattress has lot of dust on it and it is not easy to clean

    Reply
  9. Pea Green says

    August 29, 2015 at 6:11 am

    Hurrah! I use these for my furbabies and people think it is weird – and I think THEY are weird. My babies love them but I cheat and buy fitted sheets from the goodwill stores so that I can whip them off and wash as needed. My babies have their own sofa too. Basically, they sleep wherever they want. We rescued them both so we figure we have to make up for their previous rotten lives. Your boy is so gorgeous. Thank you for the great tutorial – I can’t believe how uncomplicated you made it. I might get brave and try it. ^_^

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      August 29, 2015 at 6:26 pm

      Hi Pea! I know, right?! Such an easy solution. Our boy loves his bed and it’s the only one he hasn’t chewed. Your sweet pups are so lucky to have you! It is so heartbreaking so see animals suffering, thank you for adopting them!

      Reply
  10. the cape on the corner says

    April 6, 2015 at 8:31 am

    great idea, and i love the fabric you chose.
    b

    Reply
  11. Susan says

    January 16, 2015 at 8:02 am

    Such a great idea, especially for our older beagle who battles incontinence. I can make extra covers for the times she has accidents. Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      January 16, 2015 at 8:43 am

      You are so very welcome. Our lab absolutely loves his mattress. We keep it in the front room and it is his own little space to nap on during the day!

      Reply
    • megan says

      July 24, 2015 at 9:58 pm

      You can also buy reusable hospital “chucks” they hold 1800cc of fluid which is a lot. We put it in the puppy crates incase they have an accident. U can get them on amazon. Just slip it under the sheet so it won’t move. Works wonderfully

      Reply
  12. Jan says

    September 15, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    What type of fabric would you recommend?

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      September 15, 2014 at 9:32 pm

      Hi Jan! I used fleece since my dog is always finding soft blankets to try to lay on. He has a fleece blanket he loves and keeps in his crate with him at night. Flannel or a sturdy cotton would work too.

      Reply
  13. Holly says

    September 5, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    Toby is so handsome! I have a little black lab who is about a year and a half and she loves laying on everything soft, too. She would love this!

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      September 5, 2014 at 1:36 pm

      Thank you, Holly! We just adore him. Such a wonderful breed 🙂

      Reply
  14. Brenda says

    September 3, 2014 at 6:36 am

    Great idea Brandy! I never even gave a crib mattress a thought. A little big for our dog, but I really love this idea because it is waterproof and smell proof. lol

    Reply
  15. Janine says

    September 2, 2014 at 7:49 am

    That is interesting and a very good idea to use the waterproof. I also used a crib mattress and made two ‘beds’ for our dog but I made them like a big pillow case and that way I can turn it over and use the other side and not fussing with elastic.

    Reply
    • Brandy says

      September 2, 2014 at 8:21 am

      That’s a GREAT idea! Completely encased and I be that was a simple project too!

      Reply
    • Diane in Carmichael says

      June 16, 2015 at 4:46 pm

      I like the pillowcase idea, I bought a comforter at a thrift store ($4) and, not being a skilled seamstress, the elastic concerns me.

      Reply

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