Dogs, just like humans, like a warm and cosy bed.  Making a good dog bed isn’t a daunting task. If your dog is accompanying you on a camping trip, you just need a sleeping bag and some old foam to prepare a makeshift bed for your furry friend. You can also visit a store selling used goods to purchase the stuff required for making a makeshift bed.

Things you’d be needing

A closed-cell foam pad

A quilt or a used sleeping bag

A thread

Two pairs of grommets along with an installation kit

Four pieces of shock cords measuring 6 inches each with melted ends

Four pieces of dowel

Pins

Small washers and large washers (four each)

Some other things you’d be needing

Chalk

A hammer

A lighter

A sewing machine

Fabric scissors

How to go About the Job

1.Cut the Foam Pad

You can cut the foam pad for your furry friend to lie on it. Use a screwdriver or a pen and make a hole in each of the corners. The distance of the hole from the edges should be approximately one inch.

  1. Mark the Length of the Sleeping Bag

You need to ensure that the sleeping bag is zipped closed. The foam needs to be placed on top of the bag. You need to align one edge with the bag’s top front (where it reaches to the neck). Also, make sure that all corners remain in the bag. Take a chalk and create a curved line measuring 4 inches below the pad’s edge.

  1. Cutting the Sleeping Bag to Size

Begin for the non-zipper side and keep cutting along the lining made using a chalk. First, you can try cutting one side and see if it is matching the other side. Cut straight through when the zipper is reached.

  1. The Raw Edges are to be Sewn Together

The bag can be turned inside out. If your bag features insulation that is made using synthetic materials, the insulation back can be trimmed using scissors. This would provide you with room for the edges to be sewn together. You can use a machine to sew the edges together. Make it a point to sew over the zipper’s end. Also, extra thread needs to be trimmed.

  1. Grommets Need to Be Added

First, your sleeping bag is to be turned upside down. After that, the pad would go on top. Put markings where the holes made in the pad meet your sleeping bag. The pad needs to be kept aside and the bag needs to be unzipped. Grommets would be installed in each of the marks using a grommet tool. The grommets would go in the bottom layer of the sleeping bag. Make it a point to work on a firm surface that doesn’t dent while installing grommets.

  1. Attachment Toggles Need to Be Added

The shock cord and the dowel pieces need to be assembled. You can use old and discarded pieces of the tent pole.  Cut these into pieces measuring 1.25 in. Make the shock cord run through the centre of the tent pole pieces. Use a smaller washer on the free ends of the shock cord with a toggle. After you’ve done this, thread it through the hole made in the foam pad.

  1. The Sleeping Bag and The Foam Pad Need to be Stitched Together

The sleeping bag needs to be placed on top of the pad. Then, the toggles need to be threaded through the grommets.  Rotate them to make them lie flat. The shock cord needs to be pulled down so that the foam pad and the sleeping bag are comfortable. Tie an overhand knot with the cord’s free ends. The excess cord needs to be trimmed.

  1. Time to go Backpacking

When you go camping, the bag and the pad can be packed individually. The foam pad can be used by you in case you want something to sit on.  This makeshift bed would ensure that your furry friend is comfortable and can have a good night’s sleep.