DIY DOG KENNEL TABLE TOP
by
Jenni Ingram
4 Materials
$50
2 Hours
Easy
We just upgraded my one-year-old puppy's kennel into a beast of a kennel. I saw a picture of a kennel turned into a table, and I thought - aha! Let's build something to make this sucker not so ugly.
Here is the before .... this BEAST! (I'm not sure why there are pillows and blankets on top...) But it keeps him from chewing on toys, knocking over trash cans or stealing food off the kitchen counter. Real life here with a puppy.
My full blog post has all the exact measurements and a complete supply list for this dog kennel upgrade . First I glued two laminate project panels together.
I nailed 1x3's to the sides and let it dry. I had to cut a little piece of the front 1x3 for the door to swing open (more info on my full blog post)
Then I sanded down the top and edges so they were all smooth.
I added a gorgeous espresso stain to give it lovely color and depth. My full blog post has details on exactly how to get this look using my go-to water-based stain.
To give the kennel a little more "den" like effect, and give it a little more farm house charm, I added some burlap curtains. I thought about cute hooks, tension rods or something like that, and then I just decided to staple the fabric to the underside of the wood. I figure it's easy enough to take off if I ever need to.
At first I thought about building a table around it, but I want to be able to collapse and move the kennel when necessary so I settled on a removable top with nice farmhouse vintage wood and cute burlap "curtains".
And just like that the kennel isn't quite so ugly anymore, and we have a happy puppy. It's nice to have a spot in the corner for a lamp and some plants by the window, and it's doing double duty and hiding a kennel!
This is a good reminder that we need our houses to work for us, but not to be afraid to make even the most mundane things a little prettier with a project or two.
For more creative and practical DIY projects, subscribe to my Roots & Wings Furniture blog here.
Thank you!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 74 comments
-
I would’ve done something with it too. I like that the curtain can be opened for the dog to still see the fam. and be down for its own nice quieter spot and to hide it some that it’s a kennel. I like it, good job!
-
Great project! I am also looking to hide a large kennel and this is a great idea.
-
Thank you!! My dog loves it!!
-
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Have you thought og glueing velcro around the top edge? Then you could pleat/ruffle any kind of fabric onto the other piece of velcro and remove/change/wash at will. Make sure you use the rough loop part on the wood and not the fabric.
Does the dog shake the kennel when he's in there to where he would knock the lamp or other objects off?
H, Jenni. I really like this. I have 2 of the same cages. Two questions: Because of things always being put on top of our cages, the tops have very slightly bowed. Will the weight of the topper do that, too, or does it balance out over the square footage? Secondly, I don't own a jigsaw, so was thinking maybe using a 1x2 instead of a 1x3 on the door side would work???