farmhouse-style dog bed cover

by | Nov 4, 2016 | All Things Home, Decorating, Sewing, Tutorials | 27 comments

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Earlier this week, I took some time to design and make a dog bed cover for a freelance project.  I’ve been doing a lot of desk work lately and not a lot of making, so it was nice to get on the floor, cut & stitch, and see flat fabric take some shape.

I used an old tablecloth and some mattress ticking, both from my stash, to make the cover that fit over a standard size inexpensive dog bed.  I come up with some of my favorite projects when I’m just winging it as I go and that was definitely the case with this one!

This one was simple, but I think it looks a bit fancier because of the two different fabrics and the addition of the ties.  It really is just an oversize pillowcase, though!

Sebastian plopped on it right away, but he kept facing the wrong direction, walking over to nuzzle me, sauntering over to Kriste to check out what she was up to, playing with his bone.

We finally gave up and worked on other things.

I looked over a few minutes later and lo and behold…

The man makes up his own mind.

The tutorial for the dog bed cover will be available on HGTV.com at some point.  I’m not sure when, but I’ll share the link when it’s live.

Today, I worked on a couple of other freelance tutorials and a fun winter tablescape I’ll be sharing on the blog next week…

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    27 Comments

    1. Susie

      I love seeing Sebastian with you at your shop. So many times people get pets and leave them by themselves all day or outside tied up or fenced in and that is the last place they want or should be. Who says dog beds can’t be pretty and practical!

    2. Debbie

      Great idea thanks for sharing..exactly what I need for “the artful dodger”

    3. pamela

      Marian,
      I just LOVE your blog (life 🙂 ) ,, no matter how you format your blog or what project your are undertaking the creative fire inside you pours forth,,
      You are an inspiration to me..
      Blessings,
      Pam

    4. Anita

      Bless you for giving this little guy a wonderful forever home–I bet the people you adopted him from are over the moon with what you’re doing with him.

    5. Sue

      Could that Sebastian get any cuter??? I love this dog bed and he is the perfect dog to show it off. Will be anxiously awaiting the tutorial 🙂

    6. Laurie

      Sebastian is so photogenic! Love him!

    7. Donna Doble-Brown

      He and you girls warmed my heart today! That dog bed is ADORABLE! Not surprising . . . Hehe

    8. Jean

      When is Sebastian going to get painted??

    9. Julie

      Precious Sebastian! He’s a keeper. Love the dog bed…may have to do this for my kitty! 🙂

    10. Jane

      Sebastian is so cute…love the dog bed.

      Now can you just come up with a slip cover for my little fur babies house?

      I have her small crate that she came home in on the floor in our bedroom(the crate door is off)b/c she loves to sleep in it at night. It’s not pretty, but she loves it!

      • Elizabeth

        I’d like that, too!

      • Joanne B.

        Ladies! A cover for your dog’s crate would be E-A-S-Y! It’s just rectangles of fabric the size of the sides and top of the crate- allow for a seam allowance and hem the floor edges. Use Marian’s trick of pinning the fabric with the right sides in and then sew the seams together. With the crate door already off you could even sew a flap that you could flip down to cover the opening and your dog could just push to get in or out of!

    11. Barbara H.

      That last picture of Sebastian sleeping is beautiful. The dog bed cover is pretty darn good, too.

    12. Jelena

      Oh, such a good little model that Sebastian! My Irish Setter lass would have torn off those ties (or chewed them up) in no time flat!

    13. Elizabeth

      Beautiful job on the dog bed. It looks comfy, and it fits in perfectly with your blue-and-white vintage vibe.

      Dog beds take up a lot of real estate on the floor, so it makes sense to invest time and effort into coordinating them with the existing design elements.

      Cute story about Sebastian being a temperamental photographer’s model. What a sweet picture at the end. I wouldn’t be surprised if he felt special when he uses the bed, because he knows you made it for him.

    14. Jeannie

      This has been one of my favorite posts….Thank you

      I love to see a dog living the good life. These critters certainly fill a hole in our hearts and they

      deserve and comfy place to sleep.

      This is a project I’m going to try.

    15. Cheryl

      Beautiful dog, beautiful bed!
      My Sophie would love it!
      Thanks for sharing..

    16. Kate

      Oooh! That “porcupine” (or is it a hedgehog?) in the last photo! I need one!

    17. Naomi S.

      That Sebastian! Does he know that he is a celebrity? Does he know that practically all of us who read your blog are in love with him? What a love he is! The dog bed is pretty cool, too. I’ve been wanting to get a dog bed for my Labradoodle, Tavi but it seems like all the nice ones I see in the stores are quite expensive for my budget. Yours sounds like a great alternative. I’m sure I have some fabric in my stash that would work. Altho’ I really love the ticking and grain sack look.

      I think I must missed one or more posts. I didn’t know that you were doing HGTV now! Good for you!

    18. Gabrielle

      Sebastian looks like he is one happy, loved dog. The photo of him sleeping on his bed is beautiful .

    19. Debbie V.

      Love this post and love the dog bed cover! Looking forward to your post on how to make this as I need one for my own furbabies!

    20. Denette

      I have been following you for a long time, but I enjoy your posts even more with the addition of Sebastian. I like seeing him as a focus and when there is a glimpse of him in the background. I like to see how you have incorporated unglamorous dog things into your home and business. I like even more that he was a rescue…I think he was a rescue anyway.

    21. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!)

      Marian, you did such a great job of Sebastian’s cover for his bed! He looks like he is pretty happy with it! Such a nice dog you have. So glad you have given Sebastian such a wonderful, loving home! He will definitely continue to warm your family’s hearts!

    22. Sherry

      Sebastian is beautiful and I love him and I really enjoy seeing him in your photos! He adds so much! And I love how you take him with you to the shop! Love you Marion!

    23. ALICE A. CRAWFORD

      What Dennette said and I concur and couldn’t have said it better!
      Denette says:
      11/4 2016 at 8:32 pm
      I have been following you for a long time, but I enjoy your posts even more with the addition of Sebastian. I like seeing him as a focus and when there is a glimpse of him in the background. I like to see how you have incorporated unglamorous dog things into your home and business. I like even more that he was a rescue…I think he was a rescue anyway.

    24. Kristin Kvarme

      Would you be willing to share the pattern for this? It looks simple but it’s maybe a little easier to wrap my head around the design with a basic pattern-for example how far in the flap is (the striped material) and in what order to sew the pieces together so it works out correctly? I know you said you were going to post a tutorial but maybe a simple pattern or description to get me started? I am making one for a Christmas gift.

      Thanks!

    25. Mary

      Has the tutorial been made available yet?

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