There are an infinite number of commercial dog beds on the market today. These range from the very simple to the extremely extravagant. There is one thing that all these dog beds have in common: they are very expensive.
We all want to pamper our dogs, after all, they are often just like our children. The truth of the matter is that our dogs are not that impressed by luxurious beds. They just want a comfortable place to snuggle up. Spending a small fortune on a bed for our dogs really doesn’t impress them at all.
There is an inexpensive way to make your own dog bed. You will even find that your dog likes it much better than those expensive commercial beds. It’s called a bed of corn husks and it’s a very easy DIY project.
To make your own corn husk dog beds, you will need some material and a good supply of dried corn husks. A sewing machine is also highly recommended, unless you really enjoy sore fingers.
The amount of material you will need will depend on the size of dog bed you need. I usually estimate a length of about 3 times the length of the dog and about 4 times the width of the dog’s back. The material you use is entirely a matter of personal preference. I suggest a heavy fleece as it is durable and soft. You may even want to wear denim for very large dogs.
Once you’ve cut the material to the proper length, you’ll want to fold it in half. It should now be about 1 1/2 times the length of your dog, as well as about 4 times the width of your dog’s back. You will now want to sew two of the open sides together, leaving one open side to fill with the dried corn husks.
You want to excess your new dog bed with the dried corn husks. They will compress and flatten, so you’ll want as much as you can fit on the bed. Once you’ve adequately padded the bed with dry corn husks, you’ll sew up the remaining side.
That’s it and dogs love these beds. I think part of its appeal to dogs is the smell and feel of dried corn husks. In any case, your dog will love his new bed, and best of all, it won’t cost you a small fortune.
Most farmers will be happy to let you take as many corn husks as you like during harvest time, giving you plenty of corn husk filler for free. Material for your dog’s bed can be purchased inexpensively at any fabric store, even stocked at WalMart. Look for clearance or clearance fabrics to save even more.
When you make your own dog bed out of dried corn husks, your dog will be happy and so will your wallet.