By Holly Sosa
Our rescue dog, Merry, is a gorgeous heeler/pitbull mix. We adopted her a few years back and she is the best dog I’ve ever had. I’ll tell anyone who listens about how she’s a once-in-a-lifetime pet. She’s gentle and sweet, never needed to be potty trained, and loves her humans fiercely. We’ve been so blessed to have her in our family and love on her.
One of Merry’s more humorous personality traits is that she much prefers to rest and sleep on blankets or pillows. In fact, when either Jacob or myself aren’t in our bed, Merry is quite content to fill the other person’s space and pillow, resting her head on it as if she herself were a human and in need of an actual mattress bed.
Merry is clearly trying to tell me something, so I created this simple DIY dog bed for her that sits at the foot of our bed for her optimum comfort. Sure, I could have just gone to the store and bought one, but what kind of DIY-er would I be if I didn’t make one myself?
SUPPLIES
- one yard fleece (patterned)
- one yard fleece (coordinating color)
- fabric scissors
- filling/stuffing
To start, you’ll lay out your fleece with the pattern on bottom and the color coordinated fleece on top.
Go around each edge and at every inch, cut a three inch slit.
Secure the patterned fabric to the solid color by tying both ends together in a double knot.
Pause for a moment to notice dog waiting patiently for her bed.
Do this around each edge of the fabric, securing as you go, until you’ve gotten halfway through the last edge, leaving it open.
Stuff the bed with filling or stuffing. You can use old pillows or purchase quilt stuffing like I did.
After the bed is completely stuffed, secure the last few pieces of fabric together with the same knots.
Merry’s new bed proudly sits at the end of our bed, welcoming it’s new habitant with comfy plaid fleece. Our family member deserves the best care we can provide for her, so having her own place to sleep is only natural. After all, she gives us all the unconditional love she can, we can offer the same to her in return. This DIY dog bed is a clear winner over my bed…
When it comes to caring for Merry, we try our bed to do right by her, which includes feeding her quality dog food like Rachel Ray’s Nutrish recipes. Merry enjoys Rachel Ray’s Zero Grain Beef with Bison, which contains real bison, raised on U.S. farms and contains zero grains, fillers, and glutens.
In 2007, with help from pet nutrition experts, Rachael Ray created Nutrish ultra-premium food and treats for dogs. In 2014, they grew the brand into the world of cat food. Whether intended for dogs or cats, Nutrish recipes are made with simple natural ingredients and do not contain meat or poultry by-product meal or fillers. Real meat is the #1 ingredient and all recipes were inspired by Rachael’s kitchen.
Even more impressive than their formula or position, Rachael’s personal proceeds go to Rachael’s Rescue, a charity created to help shelter pets in need. Merry is a rescue dog, so this is something close to my heart. To date they have donated over $9M. This money has gone toward food, medical supplies and treatments for these unfortunate animals. Unlike their competitors, they pride themselves on bringing pet specialty quality food to the masses. They are the first premium brand that is only available in grocery/mass retailers like Target, Walmart and Amazon. Contributing to the brand’s success is the approachability, accessibility and connection to Rachael Ray, who brings on-trend humanization of pet food and represents the charitable Rachael’s Rescue component.
For more information on Nutrish, be sure to visit their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
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