$3.48 DIY Cat Bed for Home and Travel - Washable!

As the most important members of our household, Jasmine and Moe get a lot of special treatment. Once a week, Brad prepares poached chicken for their dining pleasure, which Jasmine flat out refuses to eat if he forgets the bay leaves. They sleep in our bed every night; they enjoy a constant barrage of kisses and compliments. These rescued street kitties have really gotten used to a pampered way of life.

The prince and princess would never tolerate being left out of a family activity, so we always bring them along with us on our weekend ski trips up north. This involves a two-hour drive, which they've learned to use as a mobile nap time.

Since our little sweeties were logging so many miles, I decided to improve their travel experience by turning their carriers into super-duper, comfy-cozy dens of plushness. I wanted them each to have their own bed that they could take with them anywhere so they would always feel comfortable. Our kitties like to snuggle into blankets so I designed the bed to have a partially attached top blanket. If your cat doesn't like being covered, you can skip the top blanket and make a straight pillow case.

This bed fits nicely into a carrier for travel, and also functions as a bed that they use full-time in the house! It's really easy to make and it's washable, but the best part is that you can make this bed for $3.48! Scroll down for a tutorial.

Do you think they like it?

$3.48 DIY Cat Bed for Home and Travel
Materials needed (makes one bed):

Ikea KRAKRIS 51"x63" fleece throw $1.99
Ikea GOSA SLAN stomach sleeper pillow $1.49
sewing machine and thread
measuring tape
scissors
seam ripper

1.  Use a seam ripper to remove the tag from the blanket

2. Use scissors to cut the tags off the pillow

3. Fold the blanket in half, the long way, and lay out on a flat surface

4. Measure 25 inches from the top of the blanket. Starting at the bottom of the blanket, cut along the fold all the way up to the 25 inch mark, leaving the rest uncut

5. Fold up the top panel of what you just cut, so it is out of the way, leaving the bottom panel exposed. The top panel is going to stay long because it ends up being the "blanket"
6. Measure 10 inches from the top of the cut you just made, on the bottom panel. Cut off the excess, leaving only the 10 inches intact

7. Measure 20 inches across, and cut off the excess all the way down the length of the material, so the whole thing is 20 inches wide. Do not cut down the side with the fold. Cut down the side where the two edges meet.

8. Reverse fold the blanket so it's inside out with both the cut panels hanging down

9.  Sew across the top where the two thicknesses meet, making a seam all the way across the top

10.  From just below the cut, fold the longer panel back up and IN BETWEEN the other 2 thicknesses of fabric, toward the seam you just sewed. The flap is longer so there will be excess – it won’t match up to the seam you just sewed. Move the excess aside so it doesn’t get caught up in the seam you are about to make.

11.  Starting at the fold, sew a seam along edge of the 3 thicknesses of fabric, perpendicular to the first seam you made, until the two seams meet

12.  DO NOT sew the other side where the blanket is folded

13. Turn the whole thing right-side-in.

14. Insert the pillow and fold the excess 10 inches of  fabric over the end of the pillow, tucking it inside the pillow case

15. Place your kitty on top of the pillow and tuck him in!