Cozy Up Your Dog's Crate With a Crate Cover + Fuzzy Mattress!

It's our first winter with Roadie, and we've discovered that this pup LOVES to be warm and cozy. That's understandable since dogs are den animals. We've had a towel over his crate since we got him, but that was just killing the vibe of the room. We wanted to make a stylist crate cover that matched the decor, while still offering him the cozy feeling and privacy of his own space. And, since he LOVES fuzzy blankets, we decided to make a matching fuzzy crate pad.

Supplies

(Amazon links = Affiliate links)

Fabric for crate cover (we used approximately 2 yards)
Fabric for crate pad
Ribbon (optional)
Sewing machine - https://amzn.to/3r7pFYo
Iron/Mini Press - https://amzn.to/2MiBNHA
Thread - https://amzn.to/3cxOmJM
Self-healing cutting mat - https://amzn.to/3rf4LHc
Rotary fabric cutter - https://amzn.to/3rcbvVZ
Measuring tape - https://amzn.to/3oL09a8
Fabric shears/scissors - https://amzn.to/3rdtr2w
Yard stick - https://amzn.to/36ABDSy
Double fold bias tape - https://amzn.to/3tkvyDu
Poly fill for crate pad - https://amzn.to/3cv6WC2
Straight pins - https://amzn.to/3cxXCgS
Fabric clips - https://amzn.to/36xisJE
Heat & Bond - https://amzn.to/3cwjWYn

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Step 1: Cut Your Fabric for the Crate Cover

We'll start off this project by making the crate cover. You'll want to pick a fabric that is thick enough to block out most of the light but still breathable. We chose an outdoor fabric for its durability. If you select a fabric with a pattern, keep in mind that it will be important to line up the pattern, making the project a tad more complicated.

Gather the following materials: fabric, measuring tape, yard stick, fabric scissors, rotary cutter, self-healing cutting mat

Follow these steps:

1. Measure your crate - top, sides, front and back.

2. Lay your fabric out on a large surface.

3. Using the yard stick and either fabric scissors or a rotary cutter, cut your fabric to size

Tip: Be sure to leave your preferred seam allowance.

Notes on cutting the fabric:

- Because we were using a pattern that wasn't actually printed straight on the fabric, we decided to use one long piece to cover both sides and the top. We had just enough fabric (it was 58" wide, including the selvage, which we planned to cover with bias tape). This worked out really well for us.

- The seam allowance you leave will depend on your preference when sewing and how you plan to finish your edges. We left an extra 3/4" on each side, as we wanted the finished cover to be slightly larger than the crate, and we were planning to use 7/8" double fold bias tape to finish the edges.

- Our measurements were as follows: Long piece to cover both sides and top: 58" x 27" Front and back panels (you need 2 total): 20" x 20.25"

- If you use a rotary cutter, be sure to have a self-healing cutting mat underneath your fabric to protect your surface. If you are working with a pattern, it may be helpful to create your top/sides piece first, lay it on the crate, and hold your fabric for the front and back panels up to the crate to ensure pattern alignment.

Step 2: Sew the Crate Cover

Once your fabric is cut, it's time to sew your crate cover! We decided to go with bias tape to finish the edges, though we also created a fold/hem underneath those to provide some extra structure to the overall form.

Gather the following materials: heat bond, iron/mini press, double fold bias tape, fabric clips/pins, sewing machine, matching thread, ribbon

Follow these steps:

1. Fold in the edges of your fabric according to your seam allowance and size of your bias tape. Our bias tape was 7/8", so that's what we went with.

2. Use Heat & Bond and an iron or mini press to secure folds around all edges of your fabric panels.

3. Using fabric clips or pins, secure the bias tape around the outside edges of your fabric.

4. Top stitch the bias tape with a sewing machine.

Note: We sewed the bias tape around the long sides of each panel first, and then added it to the bottom of each panel, created nice little folds on the ends to have a beautiful finished edge. For specifics on how we did the fold, see 3:16 in the video.

5. Lay your long piece across the crate and pin the front panel in place.

6. Cut two equal lengths of ribbon for ties, if desired.

7. Top stitch the front panel in place, ensuring that you stitch the ribbon into the seam, approximately 3" from each edge.

8. Repeat process for back panel.

Step 3: ​Sew Fuzzy Crate Pad

Woo hoo! Now you have a crate cover and can make your crate pad. This is SUPER easy if you're not using zippers. We chose a fuzzy fabric since Roadie LOVES the fuzzy blanket we keep on the couch.

Gather the following materials: fabric, sewing machine, fabric pins/clips, cotton/poly fill, scissors, measuring tape

Follow these steps:

1. Measure the bottom of your crate, or a previous crate pad you've used.

2. Cut fabric slightly larger than needed, according to your preferred seam allowance.

3. Place the right/pretty sides of your fabric facing each other and clip or pin together.

4. Sew all the way around your fabric, leaving a 3"-4" hole.

5. Turn fabric right side out.

6. Stuff filling inside until you reach your desired fluffiness.

7. Top stitch the hole closed.

Step 4: Enjoy!

That's it! Now it's time to test it out and see how much your pup loves his or her new space.

In the meantime, if you liked this project, please head over to JustMightDIY.com for other tips, DIY stories and more. And if you’re interested in checking out more of our tutorials, check out our Instructables profile or head over to our YouTube channel.