Dog Kennel Made From an Old End Table

Cindy
by Cindy
3 Materials
$10
2 Days
Medium
This is a fairly easy little project that kept me busy this weekend. Our daughter wanted a kennel for her mini dachshund, Baxter, but it needed to serve double duty. This end table will do just fine. It came from her Grandma's house so there is a little sentimental value.
First it needed a good cleaning.  It was in great condition otherwise.  A little on the ugly side but we're going to give it a new life.
It's definitely a little dated but re-purposing it is better than getting rid of it.
Removed the hardware and the lattice panel from each door.  I spray painted the hardware.
Used a jig saw to cut away part of the door behind the lattice to let in light. I'm not great with the jigsaw but it is on the inside and not seen. Put hardware back on the doors.
Not at all proud of my jigsaw work but it will only be seen by Baxter. He'll be sleeping anyway!
Plenty of light!
So that I didn't have to do any sanding, I made chalk paint out of some paint samples from Menards and painted the trim around the top and bottom.  The colors of paint are Deep Marine and Mariana Blue.  After the paint dried I distressed it slightly and then applied a coat of Kona stain.
Next was the "scary" part.  The "no turning back now" part.  I cut a rectangle out of each side of the table to let in light.  I covered these rectangles with.......wait for it......Gutter Guard.  That's right!  That stuff you attach to the gutters on your house to keep leaves from plugging them.  It comes in small panels, is super cheap and cuts with scissors. I used Gorilla Glue to attach the Gutter Guard and added a small screw to each corner for added stability.
The Gutter Guard panels let in plenty of light and look pretty good. Especially if you don't know that it's supposed to go on the gutters!
And here it is.  It's a dog kennel/end table/TV table/bedside table.  Hope Baxter likes his new room!
All done.
Welcome to your new kennel Baxter.
Resources for this project:
FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Furniture & Craft Paint in Assorted Colors (8 Ounce), 34151 Sheepskin
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 4 questions
  • Shannon Shannon on Jan 21, 2018

    is it just magnets that keep it shut?

  • Del4045045 Del4045045 on Jan 22, 2018

    Good job! Can your dog get easily in and out? I am asking because of the doors.

  • Sandy Sandy on Mar 01, 2018

    Isn't it a little hot with just those little metal type screens for air?

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 22 comments
  • Donna Powell Donna Powell on Feb 13, 2018

    Great project! I have larger dogs so I can't use an end table for their kennel but definitely looking for inspiration on how to hide a larger kennel. Thanks for sharing.

    • Lolita Lolita on Jun 30, 2020

      This is a wonderful project by Cindy! Building a dog house yourself is one of the smartest investments you’ll ever make.


      Not only will you have a far more attractive place for your dog to stay, you can feel proud in the knowledge that you built your best friends home with your own two hands. Click here to check out some insulated dog house plans that are cheap.


      I highly recommend these. They helped me put up a dog house in my garden rather quickly — and they're insulated too!

  • Tracy Tracy on Feb 13, 2018

    sorry, I cannot support this dark boxes are not enjoyable for dogs looks almost cruel. nice storage space though.

    • Cindy Cindy on Feb 13, 2018
      You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Baxter disagrees.
Next