So we figured out that a pool noodle can be more than just a floating device, it also makes an awesome headrest. And by we, I mean the “royal we” aka Princess Lulu Belle, my daughter’s little sausage dog cross.
How can anyone say no to those eyes? Whenever we’re out at the pool you’ll find Lulu resting that head of hers on a pool noodle or our astroturf doormat. Wet or dry, she doesn’t care. And since our other pet puppy Zia ate her old bed, it seemed like a good idea to make her a new one with a pool noodle-ish twist :D
Okay, before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
What you need to make a pool noodle bed
- Shiplap (tongue and groove)
- 18 corner brackets
- Saw, drill, and screws
- Spray paint
- 1 Pool noodle
How to make the bed
Measure your fur baby princess and cut the shiplap/tongue and groove to size. We cut ours as follows:
- 6 pieces 50 cm (19 6/8″) long (Long Side)
- 6 pieces 38 cm (14 7/8″) long (Short Side)
- 5 pieces 40 cm (15 7/8″) long (Bottom)
Join the three long side pieces (50 cm) together and three short side pieces (38 cm) to form the outer frame of the bed. Shiplap is so easy to work with. It has a groove cut into one edge and a tongue on the other edge. To join one board to the other all you do is add a little glue and slide the tongue into the groove. It’s that easy.
Once the sides were done we used brackets to attach the sides together to form a crate. The 40 cm bottom pieces we cut earlier were added to the bottom. We left gaps between the pieces to make the bed easier to clean.
Spray the bed frame a yummy blue or a color of your choice.
And add your fur baby’s name with a Sharpie. Place a big, puffy pillow inside for extra padding and comfort.
If your fur baby is anything like ours they’ll jump right in to test it out. Our Lulu seems to like the bed :-)
But we weren’t done yet.
Customizing the bed for Lulu
To make sure everyone knows this is a bed is meant for royalty we transferred a beautiful crown graphic from the Graphics Fairy to the sides. And since Lulu Belle loves her pool noodle headrests so much, we made a small slit lengthwise in the pool noodle and squished them onto the shorter sides.
If your fur baby is in the habit of chewing pool noodles then you might want to cover the pool noodle with a non-destructive fabric first. That spongey pool noodley stuff is not puppy safe. Lulu stopped chewing objects many moons ago.
Now our only problem is that someone else in the family thinks they’re a princess.
Merlin has taken over the bed he ain’t going nowhere. Unless we make him a bed of his own ;-)
Oh well, it was one of the easiest projects we’ve made. I guess we’ll just have to make Merlin one too.
If you like the idea of using a pool noodle to make a comfy bed for your fur baby, don’t forget to pin for later.
Oh BTW, if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you ;-)
And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.
And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-15 / Source Amazon Affiliates
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