When I first adopted Mr. Darcy, I was convinced he was going to be a country gentleman, an aristocrat, a distinguished individual straight from the pages of Pride and Prejudice… He has since proved to be a bit more of a squirrel than I expected, but he’s a lively dog who always raises my spirits.
Because I was planning to raise an aristocratic dog, I’ve made sure to decorate his supplies like the country gentleman that he will one day be. For this pet bed DIY, I decided to decorate his bedding so that it was shabby chic and adorable. With shades of cornflower blue, this shabby chic dog bed is perfect for a little chap to lie down in.
Supplies:
- Wood crate
- Book pages (repurposed from an old dictionary)
- Tacky glue
- White acrylic craft paint
- Shabby chic mini frame
- Wood letters
- Cornflower blue acrylic craft paint
- Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
- Coordinating fabric
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer, Matte
Instructions:
Water down Tacky glue so that it will easily spread. Rip book pages into different sized squares, then glue down book pages and collage the entire outside surface of the crate. Brush a thin layer of the watered down glue over the top of the book pages as well, to provide a slight seal for the next step.
Whitewash the crate with watered down white acrylic craft paint. If it is too opaque, wipe away quickly with a paper towel.
Paint mini frame with cornflower blue paint and let dry completely. Paint wood letters with blue paint as well.
Whitewash both mini frame and wood letters with watered down white paint. For the mini frame, allow the whitewash to pool up in the creases and crevices of the frame for a truly shabby chic look.
Adhere frame to the wood crate with strong adhesive, and attach letters to the inside of the frame.
Because Mr. Darcy was going through a chewing phase (and still is), I sealed the entire frame. I poured Mod Podge Dimensional Magic into the frame, completely covering all the letters so that he couldn’t chew them loose and choke on anything. It took two layers of Dimensional Magic to create a nice domed look.
For the inside of the pet bed, I cut two pieces of fabric 1″ bigger than the dimensions of the box, then stitched them together, and stuffed it with fiberfill. This fit nicely inside the box.
Unfortunately, Mr. Darcy was a little too excited to get a good photo with his new bed. This was the best image I managed to take:
Then he was very interested in something behind the pet bed:
And there was this lovely photo as he went back to his playthings in the other room:
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