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14 DIY Dog Crate Cover Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)

Written by: Misty Layne

Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by Misty Layne

14 DIY Dog Crate Cover Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)

Dog crates are a necessity for many dog owners, but they aren’t very pretty to look at. So why not cover it up? Crate covers are an excellent way to make your pet’s crate blend in better with your décor. Unfortunately, they can cost a ton if you purchase them.

Instead of buying one, though, you can make one yourself! It’s much easier than you would think to make your own crate cover, and there are lots of cool cover designs out there. From simple fabric covers to covers that double as tables, you’ll find a plan on this list that matches your crafty skills enough so you can save money by making a crate cover and jazz up your pup’s crate!

divider-dog paw

The 14 DIY Dog Crate Cover Plans

1. Stylish Crate Cover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Linda Merrill
Materials: 3 yards pre-quilted double-sided fabric, double bias tape, thread
Tools: Measuring tape, scissors, sewing machine (optional)
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Though the process of making this crate cover seems to be a bit of a longer one, overall, it’s not hard to complete. Once you have your fabric and tape, you’ll need to measure out the size of your crate to see how long each piece needs to be (the woman who made this one has a hand-drawn pattern to help out). Then, you bind the edges of the fabric pieces using the tape (or you can sew it if you prefer) and include some longer pieces on the edges so you can tie the crate cover back.

It’s a stylish cover, and this woman’s Dachshund seemed to approve!


2. Dog Crate Cover Makeover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Snazzy Little Things
Materials: 2 tension rods, 4 pre-built table legs, five 1 x 4” boards, curtains
Tools: Screwdriver, screws, Kreg jig, hammer nails
Difficulty Level: Easy

Don’t want to deal with Ikea furniture and would rather build a table crate covered with curtains yourself? Then this is the plan for you! It’s relatively easy to accomplish, too, since you’ll be using pre-built table legs and a Kreg jig to splice the wood together for the top part. Any skill level should work for this crate cover.

There’s also a tutorial on how to stain wood if you want to pretty your table crate cover up further!


3. Dog Kennel Cover w/Antique Door

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Happily Ever After ETC
Materials: Antique door, ¾” to ½” piece of plywood, 5 8-foot-long 1×3’s, 2 8-foot-long 2×2’s, 3 cans spray paint, spackle/putty, brown paper, painters tape
Tools: Kreg jig, clamp, 1” long pocket screws, power drill, countersinking drill bit, 2” screws, 2 sawhorses or worktables, miter saw, circular saw, sanding sponge
Difficulty Level: Difficult

We’ll tell you right off that this plan requires serious handyman skills, as well as time. But, if you want a crate cover that’s fancier than just a fabric one, this will be a great fit. After all your materials have been gathered, you’ll cut your boards down to size (dependent upon dog crate size). Then, you’ll drill pocket holes and attach the boards with your pocket screws. Next up is attaching legs and covering the top of your design with your antique door. Finally, you can paint your new kennel cover (leaving the antique door unpainted) in any color you like.

Voila! You now have a fancy spot for your pup’s dog crate to go.


4. Dog Crate Cover & Fuzzy Dog Crate Pad

Materials: Fabric, ribbon (optional), thread, double fold bias tape, polyfill
Tools: Sewing machine, iron, self-healing cutting mat, rotary fabric cutter, measuring tape, scissors, yardstick, straight pins, fabric clips, heat & bond
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Work better when you have a visual to go by? This YouTube video shows you step-by-step how to make a super cute dog crate cover and fuzzy dog crate pad! Though the video is only about 7 minutes long, making the crate cover will take a bit longer than that (but not a ton of time). To begin, you’ll need to measure your furry friend’s crate and cut out pieces of fabric accordingly. The next step of folding in the sides can be done via sewing or with tape and iron if your sewing skills aren’t great. When that’s done, you can add the bias tape and piece it all together (then make the crate pad, too, if you’re up for it).

The finished product looks wonderful!


5. No-Sew Dog Crate Cover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: The Pinspire Done
Materials: Twin sheet set, ribbon (optional)
Tools: Needle & thread (optional), scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy

If you’re looking for a budget, super-easy dog crate cover for a smaller crate, this is the plan for you. Provided you use sheets that you have lying around the home or cheaply bought ones, this cover will hardly cost a thing. Plus, it’s so simple to make. All that’s required is to fold the fitted twin sheet in half, then fit that around your dog’s crate. You can be finished at that point, but if you want to spruce things up a bit, you can use ribbon to make decorative “tie-backs” for the sides of the cover or to create a pretty bow you can sew on.

That is all it takes for this crate cover!


6. Double Dog Crate Furniture

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Frugal Designs and Thrifty Finds
Materials: ¾” wood, ½” thick plywood, wood stain (optional), minwax polycrylic finish (optional)
Tools: Wood screws, drill, saw, hammer, nails
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Have more than one dog crate? Then take a look at this cool double crate cover that functions as a table! It will take a little while to put together, but it shouldn’t be too terribly hard (so long as you can saw some wood, then put it together). As always, you’ll need to measure your dog crates—both crates placed side by side—so you know how long your wood should be. You’ll cut your plywood into several planks to create the top part of this (you can stain and finish if you want something that looks a bit more polished), while the ¾” wood will be used for the legs and braces. This plan gives you step-by-step instructions on constructing the frame, along with hand-drawn diagrams to help you visualize it.

Once this is finished, you’ll not only have a crate cover but an awesome table too!


7. Dog Kennel Hutch Cover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Home Talk
Materials: Fabric, thread
Tools: Measuring tape, chalk, scissors/shears, sewing machine
Difficulty Level: Easy

If you can use a sewing machine, this hutch cover should be a breeze (and if not, grab a friend who knows how to sew!). The design for this one is simple—you only need to cut five pieces of fabric that will fit your dog’s crate (so be sure to measure). Once you have those, it’s time to break out the sewing machine to hem the fabric, sew it all together, and add in some ties so the front flap of this can be rolled up. And that’s it!

This hutch cover really is easy as pie; plus, it’s super cute!


8. Snazzy No Sew Dog Crate Cover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Good Buy Belle
Materials: 1 curtain (84’), straight pins, safety pins, ribbon
Tools: Fabric scissors, thermal heat bond stitching, iron
Difficulty Level: Easy

Another great plan for the non-sewers among us is this snazzy crate cover. Even better than the fact that it doesn’t involve sewing is how utterly simple it is. You’ll need to drape the curtain over your pet’s crate, then cut away excess material. After that, you’ll be hemming the edges of the fabric (with the thermal heat bond instead of via sewing). Finally, you can use ribbon to make some little tie-backs to hold the front flap up (though this is optional, of course).

We can’t imagine this crate cover will take long to make at all.


9. Dog Crate Table Topper

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: DIY Danielle
Materials: Wood, SafeCoat, old-fashioned milk paint
Tools: Nails, hammer, paintbrush, sander, sandpaper
Difficulty Level: Easy

Dog crate covers that double as tabletops are a popular trend, and this table topper is a bit simpler to create than the others on this list. There are only seven steps to complete—measuring your pup’s crate (and adding 2” to the measurement), cutting the wood, creating a base, cutting plywood for the top and hammering it on, sanding rough edges, then painting!

Overall, the estimated cost for this one is less than twenty bucks, and it only takes about an hour to make. It’s pretty win-win for you and your dog!


10. Dog Crate Cover Without Sewing

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Top Dog Tips
Materials: Fabric
Tools: Measuring tape, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy

This cute doggy crate cover doesn’t require sewing, nor does it require the use of sheets or curtains. Instead, you’ll need to find fabric of your choice (but one that’s easy to tie off). Before doing that, though, you’ll measure the sides and top of your pup’s crate to figure out how long your fabric should be (you’ll need three pieces of fabric total). Then, you’ll wrap each piece around the crate according to the instructions and cut a bunch of fringe along the edges. With that fringe, you’ll tie the pieces together, eliminating the need for sewing or thermal heat bonding!

Pretty nifty, right?


11. Dog Crate Topper

Materials: Wood, screws
Tools: Measuring tape, saw, drill, wood glue, sandpaper
Difficulty Level: Moderate

If you’re in a smaller home or apartment and want to save space, you can have your dog’s crate double as a side table with this easy crate topper. Plus, this wooden topper comes with the benefit of video instructions if you’re a more visual learner. This wooden crate topper is on the easier side, but you will need to utilize a saw and drill to put it together. Unlike others on this list, this one doesn’t involve making a base to go around the sides of your pet’s crate; it’s only a tabletop.

Once you’ve measured your crate and wood and cut the wood to size, you’ll need to screw the pieces together with a drill. Once it’s built, painting or decoration is up to you, so go hog wild!


12. Cute & Cozy Dog Crate Cover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Budget 101
Materials: Fabric of any kind
Tools: Measuring tape, needle and thread or sewing machine, pins, scissors, fabric glue (optional)
Difficulty Level: Easy

This cute & cozy dog crate cover is another that has the roll-up flap in the front. It does require some sewing, but it’s still relatively easy to create. As always, you’ll need to measure your four-legged friend’s crate to figure out how long your fabric will be. Once you’ve done that, you can cut four pieces of fabric, place them on the crate and pin them where they should be connected, then sew or glue it all together. The plan only calls for the sewing of the front panel that will be rolled up, so whether you want to sew the rest is up to you!

This one shouldn’t take long at all, and your dog will love their new jazzed-up space!


13. Utility Dog Crate Cover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Mary Martha Mama
Materials: Fabric of any kind, thread
Tools: Measuring tape, sewing machine, pins, scissors, iron
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Unlike many other crate covers on this list, this cover doesn’t involve a front flap that rolls up. Instead, it provides a window for your dog to look out of (and the cover itself resembles a fitted sheet). This plan definitely involves some sewing, but it doesn’t look like it will take terribly long to put together.

After you’ve measured your pet’s crate and cut your fabric according to those measurements, you can sew it into a single, fitted sheet-like piece with Mary Martha Mama’s directions. It looks like creating the window will be the most challenging part of the whole thing (though the plan does mention you can leave it out if you want).

Though this one is rather plain, it’s a moderately easy way to cover up your dog’s crate!


14. Ikea Dog Crate Cover

DIY Dog Crate Cover
Image By: Ikea Hackers
Materials: Gulliver changing table, Matilda sheer curtains, tension rod
Tools: Screwdriver, screws
Difficulty Level: Easy

If you’re a fan of Ikea, you’ll love this Ikea hack for smaller dog crates! All you need is a Gulliver changing table that you’ve put together (but leave the middle shelf out so your dog’s crate will fit in it), a tension rod to add to the front side, and the Matilda sheer curtains to hang on the tension rod. That’s all you have to do to have this crate cover that doubles as a bedside table!

And if you’d prefer something other than Ikea furniture, this hack is easily tweaked with the furniture of your choice.

divider-dog paw

Conclusion

Don’t shell out a lot of money for a fancy crate cover; instead, make one yourself! Making a cover for your dog’s crate is much simpler than you think, and there are several ways you can create one. Whether you want to go the uber-easy route of making a fabric cover or test your handyman skills with a cover that doubles as a table, you’ll find a plan to suit your needs on this list.

Related Read:


Featured Image Credit: David Becker, Unsplash

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