Szuka, our 100 pound Komondor, spends quite a bit of time at my parents' place and I feel guilty about admitting this, but she's been eating and drinking out of plastic food containers there for years. They were purchased new for storing her food, so they're food safe, but they slide around on the floor and as a result she makes a huge mess. When
method challenged me to tackle any messy DIY project I wanted, I knew just what I wanted to make! I decided that with my Mom's budget-friendly
pink, gold & grey kitchen makeover nearly complete (photos soon!), it was high time I made my Szuka-Sweetie a raised dog bowl stand to use there.
I don't know who is more jazzed: my Mom or Szuka! Want to make your own DIY dog bowl stand? It's deceptively easy, although you'll need a few tools. (Some lumber yards, however, will make cuts like this for you for a small fee, as long as you provide the exact measurements).
Supplies:
**We already chatted with our vet as to whether a raised bowl stand was a healthy choice for Szuka when we made her turquoise dog bowl stand for home. I recommend chatting with your pup's vet about whether this is the right choice and, if so, what height would be ideal.
As luck would have it, I stumbled across this odd little handmade table at the thrift store for $13 and I scooped it up right away because it had hairpin legs that were just perfect:
I removed the legs, which seem handmade, and gave them a blast of gold spray paint to match my
Mom's DIY brushed brass hardware:
Then Hubby and I decided on the size of plywood top we would create. I wanted to cut it a bit wider but my parents have the
tiniest kitchen, so we chose more practical dimensions - basically as narrow as possible. We laid out the bowls and legs and played around with placement until it seemed right and then we marked the length, width and placement of the hairpin legs with pencil. We cut out the circles before cutting the plywood rectangle shape.
To make the circle cut outs for the bowls, we traced the outside and then measured the lip, which we drew as well:
With everything measured (twice!) and traced, it was time to start cutting. Using a drill and a 1/2" spade bit (large enough to make a hole that the jigsaw blade could fit through), we drilled a hole in each circle:
Then, using those holes as a starting point, we used a jigsaw to carefully cut out the two inner circles we measured earlier, double checking to make sure the bowls fit properly (just in case!):
With the circles cut out, we used a circular saw (we don't have a table saw) to cut out the rectangular shape. It was easier to cut the circles when the plywood was still a huge sheet, but you can switch these steps if you prefer.
With the plywood piece completely cut out, we applied edge banding - which is really easy and gives basic plywood a much more finished look.
With pre-glued edge banding, it's as simple as applying heat with an iron and then using
an edge band trimmer - or a sharp knife - to trim the excess edges.
Then I gave the whole top a quick sand with 220 grit sandpaper before giving it a a few thin coats of cheery pale pink primer and spray paint in one. Spraying, as opposed to brushing, on the paint let the grain shine through, which is a look Mom liked. (Szuka is likely ambivalent).
When the paint was dry, we simply screwed on the hairpin legs and
DONE!
This is such a simple project, but it will make everyone's life a little happier! Szuka's thinking: t
his is strange...it's not turquoise.
Unfortunately, even with the cute new bowl stand, sometimes Szuka is still a little bit of a messy eater. Just a little, and it's sort of on purpose. Her type of dog food was recently discontinued so we started mixing in new stuff to make the transition easier on her tummy. Turns out she likes the new stuff a lot better, so she's picked up this weird, kibble sorting habit: even when there's only one type of kibble in the bowl, half of it is carefully placed on the floor.
To clean up the greasy residue left by her food, Mom and I use
method all-purpose spray cleaner - we've both purchased
method products for years (my current favorite is the
daily granite cleaner, which I use regularly on
my new quartzite counters to keep them gleaming).
We both love that
method can boast NO animal testing and NO animal bi-products, which any animal lover can appreciate. The
method line is people-friendly too, with biodegradable products, plus recycled and recyclable materials. As an added bonus, it's non-toxic - so we feel comfortable using it to spot clean around where Szuka eats. Sorry,
sorts.
Now to finish the rest of that kitchen...
This post and DIY project were sponsored by method but, as always, all thoughts, opinions, and liberal use of turquoise backdrops are my own.
There you go: some of my favorite modern and stylish raised dog bowl feeders, plus some DIY ideas! If you happened to score (or make!) a really cool dog bowl stand I'd love for you to share a link in the comments.
