Repurposed Crib Dog Crate
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I am excited to share my Repurposed Crib Dog Crate. It is December! I can’t believe how fast time flies, and it just keeps getting faster. Either I am having fun or just getting old!
If you follow me at MyLove2Create you may remember when I introduced you to our new puppy Sunny. Well that was back in July and she has grown…A LOT!
Repurposed Crib Dog Crate
Dog crates can be expensive, like almost $200 dollars expensive, at least for the extra large size. Poor Sunny was so cramped in her old crate and with it being Christmas time I couldn’t afford to buy a new one. So my only option was to build it, I knew just what I needed…
An Old Crib
A Crib! This crib was solid wood and great quality, perfect. Thank you Craig’s list free section!
Determine crate size needed
The first thing I needed to do was determine my crate size. I looked online at extra large crates to see how big they were, and let me tell you they are HUGE! Seriously. I went for the smallest XL option, because it had to be able to fit through the doorways in my house.
The final dimensions of the repurposed crib dog crate is 27 inches wide, 46 1/2 inches long, and 33 inches tall. The crib ends above were cut to 27 inches wide. I cut one crib top off (top left) and then measured where to cut the second (top right).
I got rid of the long side boards as well, they made it too wide to fit through the doors.
Use Side Rails
Once the ends were cut to size I was able to figure out how to make the sides. I placed a crib rail over the end piece and added boards until I had what I wanted. I was using the cut end to know how tall to make the sides, since they need to be the same height. The top white board (a 1×3) came with the crib, and then I used 1×2’s for the side and bottom. Luckily I had these in my stash.
I cut down the crib rails and my 1×2’s and 1×3’s to make the sides. I laid it out on the lawn and was so proud of my self until I realized what I had done.
Hello?!! Can you guess what I did wrong? Ok…
I forgot to measure with my crib end and I cut my side 1×2’s too short, see the gap. Ugh! This is why you have to be very careful when you are winging it. I thought I would have to got to the store, but I barely had enough 1×2’s to re cut.
Frame Crib Ends
This is what I was supposed to do in the first place, I am using the crib end to make sure my cuts are the right height. Lesson learned. Until I forget and do it again, which I am sure I will. 🙂
Much better.
Drill Pocket Holes
Next up? Pocket holes!! I know when I am drilling pocket holes it is almost time to build and I get excited. My Kreg Jig was used to drill all the frame pieces. I also added pocket holes on the long pieces for attaching my top and bottom boards.
Need more details on using a Kreg Jig? See my article How to use a Kreg Jig Pocket Hole System
Then I drilled some in the crib ends and the crib rails. I love my Kreg Jig , it totally makes me happy.
I only drilled pocket holes in the back crib rail. The front rail will be on hinges so it didn’t need them, but it did need to be cut in half. I measured and used my miter saw to do the job.
Using my Kreg Right Angle clamp to help me out, I attached the frames with gorilla wood glue and 1and 1/4 inch pocket hole screws.
I have done this so many times and rarely have my wood split, but this time I had several splits. I’m pretty sure these furring strips were the reason, they were scraps and weren’t in the best condition. I had to do some gluing, clamping, and waiting…not fun.
Here I am adding the crib rails. The photo on the left is the back piece, and the right photo is the front with the gate. I added hinges on all four ends, so both sides open.
Attach sides of crib dog crate
Next, I attached my sides to the ends, again using the right angle clamps. Not sure how I used to build without these!
I also had some wood splits here too, but in the crib wood, more gluing and clamping. I always check my settings when I drill pocket holes, so I know that isn’t the reason. Hmmm maybe the cold weather? Who knows… thank goodness I could fix it.
Plywood for bottom of crib dog crate
My father in law gave me some free plywood that his neighbor was throwing out and I used my biggest piece for the bottom of the crate. I set the crate on top and traced my cut lines.
After I cut it with my circular saw I brought it in to see how it fit. I just popped it on the top. I guess if I didn’t want a bottom for the crate I could have been done…
Fashion the top of the crate
Since I didn’t have any wood big enough for the top of the crate, I had to improvise. I’m sure some of you recognized my barn wood top.
I know, I know, you are probably sick of it! It’s been used it in several of my contributor posts, My rustic industrial kid chairs, my repurposed cabinet doors into a desk, and my cubby shelf makeover. I can’t help it… becauseI love it! (plus I have it and it was free)
Anyway, I used it for this crate too. I made sure to cut my pieces to the same size as my plywood bottom. I had to cut one piece in half to make it fit (middle photo).
For my gate I needed a way to make it so the doors didn’t swing in or out. I put a piece of wood on the bottom with a screw and washer (left) so I could turn it up to help keep the doors closed. I also put a stopper on the top inside to keep the doors from swinging inside the crate (right).
Time to paint
Then I painted it white.
While the paint was drying I glued and used bar clamps on a couple of my top boards that needed some TLC. Oh the joy of working with reclaimed wood. It is totally worth it. 🙂
Secure plywood bottom with pocket hole screws
Here I am attaching my plywood bottom piece with the pocket holes I had previously drilled. I painted the edges of the plywood but not the middle.
Peel and stick tiles line bottom of dog crate
I could have just painted the crate floor with floor and porch paint like I did to my sister’s Closet/Laundry room makeover subfloor Here. But, A friend of mine said they had lined the bottom of her puppy’s crate with peel and stick vinyl to cover the wood. It not only protects the wood, but makes a quick clean up if there was an accident. I knew Sunny wouldn’t have an accident, but wanted to have the nice surface for easy cleaning.
I got these at Home Depot for 99 cents each. There were some that were cheaper, but I wanted the thicker vinyl so I splurged. 🙂 Nine dollars total wasn’t too bad. I simply placed them in the crate on the plywood, super easy!
Attach wheels to diy crib dog crate
At the last minute I decided to add casters. I have had a stash of them hiding in my garage for almost 2 years. I found them on the curb in my city’s spring clean up, sa-weet! They just needed a good scrubbing before I attached them to the bottom of my crate.
They look much better! And it is so easy to move the crate where I need it, I am glad I added them. See the Graco symbol? I couldn’t get the dang thing off! Because of that, I ended up just nailing the top wood pieces on.
Sand & Seal barn wood top
I sanded them and sealed them with 3 coats of poly, no need for staining on this old wood. I also nailed support boards on the underside to attach them together like I did on the boards in this project. Can you blame me for loving this wood? Plus for now, this crate will be in my room, so I wanted it to be pretty.
Details of Repurposed Crib Dog Crate
Here are some shots of how we get Sunny in and out. I spent less than fifteen dollars for the hinges and this bolt thing. So I guess my total for this crate was just under $25 dollars. I am actually loving the bottom piece of wood that I just turn, it would have been fine to have one on the top too, that would have saved me 5 or 6 bucks.
And a close up of the nice marble vinyl floor! It is super smooth I am really glad I put it in, even if I can’t lay it totally straight, lol! I filled in the small cracks with spackle, an easy fix. 🙂
large dog in crib dog crate
Sunny LOVES it! She can stretch out, stand and…
Sit! So much better than that tiny ugly wire crate. (Sorry no before, should have thought of that)
I just have to make a nice pad for her, but an old comforter works for now. Here it is in my room, I was excited to do some decorating for Christmas on the top! The top would also be a great place to put a TV or hutch…oh, and don’t mind the walls, over 4 years since we moved in and I still haven’t painted them. I was planning on doing it after my Master Closet Makeover, which is my favorite project to date, but it kind of wore me out. So I took a break, and never got back to doing my room! Such is life.
So what do you think? We love it, and my kids had fun locking each other inside, this thing is a beast. I guess you have to have a beast crate if you have a beast dog. I personally think it kind of looks like those old circus cars from the old days…lol!
If you like this repurposed furniture project using an old crib, I would love it if you came to visit me at my blog, MyLove2Create! I have lot of fun ideas and tutorials on my Project page. I hope to see you there!
Hugs!
Mindi
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see more of Mindi’s posts on MRL here
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I just love this project! Absolutely stunning!! I just had a quick question before I attempt to recreate it, how thick did the bottom piece need to be so that you don’t risk it sagging or snapping? And was curious if over the years if you’ve had any trouble with either? Thank you 😊
Hi Brooke! I am so glad you like it! You will need a piece of 3/4” thick plywood for the bottom piece, anything less wouldn’t be sturdy enough. It has been almost 4 years since I built this crate for Sunny, and it is still as solid as the day I built it! Sunny loves it, it is her safe place, and she sleeps in it every night. I would love to see your crate when you finish, good luck! Thanks!
Hello! I came across your post a year ago and promptly found a crib about to be taken to the dump – score! Life happened and I didn’t get to the crib before the winter arrived and then we got a second dog. I have been thinking about making two and then saw a double dog crate. So I am merging the two! Using the reclaimed wood from the crib with a little extra to make a double doggie crate. Wish me luck!!
Hi Mindi, I absoultly LOVE the dog house. I was just wonderimng what type of dog is in the pictures? We have just bought a puppy that looks just like yours.
Thanks
Thank you Diana! I am so glad you like the crate!! Sunny is a Rhodesian ridgeback, but she looks very similar to a Vizsla, same coloring but bigger and with ridge. 🙂
Hi Mindi!
This is brilliant and so very creative.
However, for me I think a wooden box will not be convenient for scratchy pets as they will be prone to breakdown.
Thanks.
Hey James, Thank you! You are so right, if your pet is scratchy or chews on things a wooden crate wouldn’t be the best option. My dog Sunny has never had a problem with this, so I guess I am lucky! She sleeps in this same crate still and loves it!
Oh my goodness I’m so excited we still have my kids crib and my husbands crib…. I can’t wait for these to be made!!
Hi! I love this repurpose! Did you use white spray paint on the crib or regular latex paint? Making one right now!
Seriously obsessing over this dog crate. SO creative and chic! It’s like a little doggy palace. thank you for sharing!
Hi. My mom and I found this and decided to build a medium sized crate for a dog for a fundraiser. We got everything together that we needed and got started measuring and cutting and laughing and talking and….well, we got to putting the 2 ends on the sides. Well, the ends totally did not match up and after fighting with it to figure out how to fix it, we left it for my dad to finish. Though it did not work as well as we had hoped, it was an awesome time for a mom and daughter to have a great time doing something totally new and different. We just passed it off to my dad yesterday, so not sure how it is going at this point. He has until Thanksgiving weekend to finish it up, if he can fix it. Sometimes things work out and sometimes, not so much. 🙂 Thank you for posting this.
I loved reading your story Tisha! It’s something I could my daughter and I doing together. I recently heard a podcast that mentioned “it’s the things that go wrong that make life memorable–the things we can laugh about later”. I’m so happy you found Mindi’s repurposed crib dog crate.
I hope it goes well for your dad.
gail
I’ve been looking for something to use for a movable island for my kitchen. I think this idea would work great! It would add so many cup board ideas.
Wow. What an ingenious idea. I love it. I have a big dog also (she’s still a puppy) but she will be outgrowing her large crate soon. I’m going to have to make me one just like yours. Thanks for the detailed instructions. I love the rollers. You can move it from room to room so much easier if you want her close to you. Yours looks like a nice piece of furniture. I just have to find me a free crib.
This is gorgeous, and a very creative re-use of an old crib. But I have some safety concerns about the design. First, the curved openings in the corners where the crib ends meet the rails look big enough for a curious dog to stick a paw through them. My luck with inventive dogs always runs bad, and I envision that paw getting caught, causing the dog to panic and injure a leg. Second, some dogs are crate chewers, and could gnaw themselves out of a crate like this in no time. At the moment I can’t think of a way around the chewing issue, other than to know your dog really well before putting them in a crate like this. But the corner opening problem could be fixed by cutting off the curved edges of the ends before assembly, or by not using a crib with that curved accent on the ends. 🙂
As for a pad for inside the crate—will a crib mattress still fit in there? If so, get a used one and cover it with an old comforter. Our dogs used crib mattresses as dog beds for years and loved them!
Thank you so much Kathy! I can see your concern with the opening, and you are right it would be an easy fix. Luckily Sunny has had no problem with it. 🙂 To address the chewing, I was concerned about that while I was building. I had a plan in my mind if Sunny thought she should try and “Eat” her crate, luckily she hasn’t even tried. I know some dogs would, and so you have to be aware that this crate will not work for all dogs. I had planned to add hardware cloth on the inside of the rails if she attempted chewing, but I didn’t have to worry about it, thank goodness. I made some laundry bin drawers with hardware cloth and you can see those here: http://www.mylove2create.com/2014/02/final-touches-master-closet-makeover.html It would be the same concept, except bigger. It might solve the chewing problem for some dogs, but probably not all. 🙂 That is a great idea with a crib mattress, I could cut one down to fit!
Gail, this crate is high end furniture quality. This could easily sell for $300 – $400 in some places. It works great for your needs and it is beautiful besides. My only concern is the castors are not the locking kind and I wonder if it wiggles around if Sunny stands up and moves around in the crate? Do you have a way to chalk it so it won’t roll away with her in it? (not that it would roll too far, but maybe locking it would give her a bit more stability). A great job especially for building it on the fly and without a plan.