How I Made A Dog Crate Table For My Dachshund From An Old Piece Of Furniture

Since my new house is so small, I wanted every little spot to look good and have usable space.

The plastic dog kennel I had just did not fit in.  So I went on the hunt for something nicer.

I knew there were furniture type kennels (like these dog crate tables), but I did not realize how expensive they were!

With that, I started looking at my own pieces of furniture to see what I could modify to make my own dog crate table.

Here’s how I built a dog crate table for my miniature dachshund, Lucy…

 

I Modified An Existing Piece Of Furniture

I had a pine end table in storage.

• It was the perfect size.
• It had a drawer to keep all of Lucy’s treats in.
• And it would still serve as an end table in my little  9’4″ x 13′ 6″ living room.

 

First, I Adapted The Rear Panel

I started by completely cutting out the back panel of my end table.

Considering there is a drawer, I put a piece of wood on each side of the cabinet to keep the drawer from sliding too far back.

I had some plastic lattice leftover from a former deck project, so I just cut it down to size with a hack saw and screwed it on to the back.

Worth noting…

This end table rests against the wall, so there is no threat of Lucy putting her little head through the lattice holes.  I would not have used this lattice if the dog crate table  was going to be out from the wall and there would be a chance she could get herself stuck.

I do think it is a good idea to have plenty of ventilation inside a dog crate table though.  They make lattice with smaller holes, so if I ever need to modify that, it will be an easy fix.

Before and after photos of the back side:

 

Then, I Made The Font Doors

I cut out the 2 front doors with a jig saw — not perfectly, mind you.  I had to do some hand trimming and a little sanding.

Then, I measured the space that I needed to cover and went shopping.

After doing a little research on the Internet, I knew that decorative metal sheets that were
perforated would be too expensive for this project.  So I headed to Old Time Pottery with my measurements.

I wanted decorative iron on the doors and not something that made it look like a dog prison.

I found a folding magazine rack at Old Time Pottery for $7.99!  The 2 sides were the perfect simple design and just needed minimal cutting.  With that, I took some heavy wire snips, cut out the size I needed, and screwed that to the inside door panels.

Because the cut metal did not have a clean edge, I just put little pieces of trim around it to keep that from being exposed and to keep Lucy from poking her cute self with that.

Before and after photos of the front doors:

 

Lucy’s Home Sweet Home

Considering that I already had the end table, leftover lattice, leftover trim from my little house building project, and the screws, all I spent was about $20.

I have to admit, I may change the wood.  She has chewed on it some.  After rubbing a little vinegar on it, she has stopped that though.  Think she was just getting used to the new space.

I messed up the first magazine rack and had to go buy another one.  There’s trial and error with every project.  I didn’t have the right wire cutters the first time around.

Before and after photos of the finished product:

 

Measurements For This DIY Dog Crate Table

End Table

• 24″ tall
• 25″ wide
• 16-1/2″ deep

Doors

• actual opening that looks like a window now is 4 1/2″ x 8″ on each side

Interior

• 17″ x 18″ x 17″ on the inside