How to make your own dog feeder
Are you ready to move from bowls on the floor to a one-of-a-kind pet feeding area? These homemade feeder ideas will help you find the right materials for your home and show you how to create a feeding space as unique as your dog.
Contents
Materials for the feeder
In addition to the feed itself, a functional feeding place has three main components:
- Dog bowls.
- Food storage container.
- Mat.
You can buy all of these things (and spend a lot of money on items that will match your apartment) or you can make some of them yourself. With the help of ordinary materials, you can organize a dog feeding corner with your own hands that will not empty your wallet. Start by looking at your local flea market for plain stainless steel or white ceramic containers. Also, look out for yoga mats, vinyl letter stickers, measuring cups, large popcorn tins or metal canisters, but make sure your finds are suitable for food storage! Once you find everything you need, get ready to turn on the fantasy.
Appearance and feel
At this stage, you should consider decorating your pet’s bowls. You can use permanent markers to give your white ceramic bowls a more interesting look. Leave them for two hours after you paint, and then hold for another two hours in the oven at 107 degrees Celsius so that the drawing is well fixed. Avoid writing on the inside of the bowl. Let them stand for another day, then wash them before use. If you are using stainless steel bowls, you can decorate them with vinyl letters: you can wash them by hand for a long time until the stickers wear off.
Make your own rug
The next part of the project is what will appear first in your new dog feeding area. Yoga mats, old or new, have the perfect softness and grip for placing food and water bowls on them. Luckily, they come in a variety of styles, colors, and designs, and many are the perfect size and strength to boot. Do you know what is the best? You can cut them into dog bone shapes or carve them into other unique shapes to cover your floor and protect it from food and water (you know, dogs are not the neatest eaters).
If you’re looking for an original place to put your dog’s bowls, you might like the Pet Feeder Tray from Thrifty Decor Chick. This durable dish holds moisture well, and you can make it any size and height—perfect for puppies, large breed dogs, or multiple dogs eating in one place.
Stylish Feed Storage Ideas
Dog food and treats should only be stored in their original packaging or in clean metal containers. Experts have found that plastic or rubber containers change the taste and smell of food. Keep this in mind and look for old popcorn tins or metal cans that can be repainted on the outside and used to store food and treats near the pet’s feeding area. But don’t store them where your dog can get to food. You can spray paint the outside of the jars with colors that match your interior or use fun patterns like dog tracks or your dog’s name, but never paint the inside that comes in contact with the food.
Another option is to paint the outside of a metal can or jar with chalkboard paint and then write on the surface with different colors of crayons. You can label the containers this way so you don’t forget which bowl is which food when you refill it. For inspiration, you can browse picture sites for ideas for decorating your new dog food container.
Final touches
Once you’re done, it’s time to put all the pieces together into a dog feeding area that’s both fun and functional. As you can see, you don’t need to spend a lot of time and money to equip a feeder that your pet will enjoy for years to come and that you can happily show off.
