DIY: a dog house for Djinn Djinn

I first saw THIS beautiful little Nantucket colonial-inspired dog house a few months ago floating around the web but had immediate sticker shock when I saw the price. I started brainstorming and with a little help from Pinterest, I became inspired to try to make a similar dog house with my own two hands. My dad also enjoys projects like this so I enlisted his help and in a matter of two days, we had completed the perfect little home for my rat terrier chihuahua Djinn Djinn. Below, is a picture of the dog house I loved so much but not enough to spend over $300 on!

I knew right away I didn't want a house made of wood because Djinn Djinn is an indoor dog and wood is just not really practical for inside (too heavy to move, might damage floors, etc...). I came across an empty cardboard toilet box (who knew a toilet box would be the ideal size for a dog house!?) and set to work creating a "masterpiece". I literally just used materials I had around the house and didn't need to buy a thing. Bonus: using the empty toilet box proved to be ideal because it has little built in handles which makes it super easy to move the dog house around when needed.

What I used:

Cardboard boxes of different sizes

Glue gun

Acrylic paint/Interior wall paint

Shelf liner paper with back adhesive (for the interior wallpaper)

Scraps of white cardboard (for window trimming)

If you're thinking of making a house for your pet, I'd encourage you to be creative and just make whatever shape of house you think your dog might like best (usually dogs like to be able to stand/or stretch out lying down so make sure it's nice and roomy and appropriate for the size of your dog). I originally intended to make one similar to the colonial dog house but it turned out more like one of those pretty little houses by the water in Amsterdam.

I measured everything as well as I could though not perfectly. I get a bit impatient trying to measure- it seems like the ruler always moves! I knew that Djinn Djinn wouldn't mind if a few of his windows were a little off. ;)

I definitely felt more rewarded after I completed this little project. Not only did I save a ton of money, I also got to customize it just the way I thought Djinn Djinn would be most comfortable. It was also super fun to make. I have plans to add a little chimney, as well.

Have you ever made a house for your pet?