Upcycling an old drawer into a dog or cat bed

You’ll need:

• An old drawer;
• Coarse sandpaper;
• Saw Paint (we’ve used chalk paint);
• New handles;
• Furniture wax;
• A cushion for your pet to lie on.

Find an old drawer - you might have an old chest of drawers that’s feeling out of place or has seen better days - and remove the existing handles.

Make it safe for you and your pet by taking some coarse sandpaper and rubbing down all of the edges to make sure there are no splinters.

Next you’ll need to cut a little access hatch to make it easier for your pet to get into the bed.

The trick here is not to make it too wide or deep otherwise the sides will have no support. Measure between the handles on the inside of the drawer to get a centre line.

From this line you can then mark out lines an equal distance apart to give you your cutting lines. Use whatever you have to hand to draw the lines - as long as you are safe to do so the straight edge of the saw works well. Then simply use the saw and cut.

Now to customise your pet bed to match your home. Use a chalk paint which is quick-drying making it easier to apply to coats and dries to a lovely matt finish.

Work around the drawer and remember to paint the back because it will be seen, unlike when it’s inside a chest of drawers.

Pop some new handles in place to give the old drawer a brand new look. The finishing touches are to take some sandpaper and just lightly rub the edges again to release the colour of the original wood through.

Finish off with some furniture wax in all of the areas that you would find natural wear and tear. It builds up a patina or level of colour on colour.

All that’s left is to find a comfy cushion for your pet to lie on. You could stuff a rustic sack to give the bed an overall trendy look - it’s up to you!