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By Brittany Goldwyn | Live Creatively

DIY & Home Decor

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Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder

April 12, 2016 by Brittany Goldwyn

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Hey everyone!

I’ve really been on a kick with projects for my cats (did you see my DIY cat tree using real tree branches?!), and I have another to add to that list today: a raised feeder for their food bowls! I’m starting to wonder if the babies are really appreciating all the hard work I put into things for them…

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

I wanted my feeder to be simple and sleek, so I started nosing around the Internet for some inspiration. Here are some of my favorites: Pawfect Pets, Pet Fusion, Vivipet, and KMG Designs.

For my feeder, I used a piece of scrap oak. It isn’t as fancy as my inspiration pics, but it was a ton cheaper…as in, it was free! I already had the wood and all other supplies I needed.

Here’s what I used:

(Affiliate links below. Read more here!)

  • A piece of wood big enough for the bowls.
  • A hole saw with an attachment size that matches the bowl diameter.
  • Two bowls with lips on the top—this is necessary because it will allow the bowls to sit in the holes without falling through!
  • Legs. I chose to use two pieces that we cut off of the bigger piece when we cut it down to size.
  • Stain and finish. I used Minwax Wood Finish in Espresso and Minwax Polyurethane in Semi-Gloss.
  • Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive
  • Assorted sandpaper—I used 150 and 220 grit

And here’s how I did it!

(Remember to wear a mask and eye protection while sanding and working with wood, and wear an appropriate mask while working with paints, stains, and finishes. Follow the directions and warnings from your particular brand. Do not use any tools without proper training, precautions, and supervision from a professional. Read my full disclaimer here.)

Step 1: First I prepped the main piece of wood. I used a piece of oak from the wood scrap pile. I needed a piece that was big enough to hold the diameter of the bowls. Since my two bowls are roughly 4 inches in diameter, we cut out piece down to 16″ x 5.5″. Once it was cut to size, we measured and marked where we needed to drill the bowl holes.

Step 2: Next we drilled the holes. We clamped our piece in place because sawing the hole saw through oak was a b! My dad actually did this part because he is experienced (he is a licensed contractor), and I do not work well with the hole saw. Our roughly 4-inch bowls fit perfectly into the holes made by a 4-inch hole saw. The lip on the bowls kept them from falling through.

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

Step 3: For the legs, we wanted something that we could make using the scraps we created when we cut the main piece down to size. I cut a longer scrap piece in half and was lucky that it created legs exactly the length I needed!

Before I started this project, I’d experimenting with different heights by putting their food bowls up on something. I found that girlie wouldn’t really touch the food if it were higher than 2 inches off the ground, so I kept my legs very short.

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

Step 4: Polish and stain. I used 150-grit sandpaper to clean up the main piece and two legs, rounding the edges and buffing away rougher spots. Then I used 220 grit to polish the entire piece.

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

When I was happy with how smooth it was, I wiped all three pieces down and stained them using Minwax Wood Finish in Espresso.

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

Step 5: Glue and finish. When the stain had dried, I positioned the legs and glued them on using Gorilla Glue. Disclaimer! I think I kind of hate Gorilla Glue for projects like this and would suggest using Liquid Nails instead, but I didn’t have any on hand. I just hate how Gorilla Glue expands so unpredictably as it dries. I ended up having to clean up the edges around the glued area as the glue expanded.

Here’s my very advanced setup for applying pressure while the glue dries:

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

When the glue was dry enough, I gave the pieces two coats of Minwax Polyurethane in Semi-Gloss, sanding lightly with 220-grit sandpaper between the first and second coats.

Here are two closeups of the finished feeder:

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

And here it is completely finished with their bowls in place…perfect fit. 🙂

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

King Henry giving it a test run for dinner.

Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!Make a Sleek Raised Pet Feeder | Full tutorial and material list included!

Like this? PIN IT! 

Learn how to make this sleek pet feeder for your babies!

One any given day, I could be linking up at these link parties. Make sure to check them out for a wide variety of DIY ideas!

Like this? Then check out these related posts!

Build an Easy Bathtub Tray
The Cat Tree: An Update
Make a Cat Condo: Remodel!
Leftover Pine DIY Hairpin Leg Console Table
Make a Cat Tree Using Real Branches

Filed Under: DIY, DIY Home Tagged With: pets, scrap wood

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This blog's content is for entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice. By reading this blog and attempting to re-create any content shared on it, you assume all responsibility for any injuries or damages incurred. Read my full disclaimer here.

Comments

  1. the cape on the corner says

    October 31, 2016 at

    i really like this, and wish i could use this. unfortunately, my one cat is a super fast eater so i put her food in a ball that you can close and open to make her take her time, and my other cat’s bowl is constantly going back and forth into the fridge so that the other one doesn’t get her food when she’s done. yeesh. how i envy not only the sleek feeder, but the ease of life that must be. lol.
    enjoy!
    b

    • Brittany Goldwyn says

      October 31, 2016 at

      Ha! I hear you though…one of our cats is kind of a bully (the one pictured), so we have to monitor them. Generally they are pretty good eaters, but sometimes he hogs the food and we have to separate them. Brats.

  2. Grandmas House DIY says

    November 1, 2016 at

    I love how this turned out! So classy! our To grandma’s house we go link party starts over at our place tomorrow morning, would love to see you there!

    • Brittany Goldwyn says

      November 1, 2016 at

      Thank you!!

  3. Antonella | White House Crafts says

    November 2, 2016 at

    Love this idea! I would have to make 3 though, haha. So cute, and the stain colour is nice too. I hope you’ll stop by to share it at The Crafty Corner link party. 🙂

    • Brittany Goldwyn says

      November 2, 2016 at

      Thank you Antonella! You could always make a long one with a bunch of holes for bowls 🙂

  4. Sharon@BlueWillowHouse says

    November 4, 2016 at

    Great tutorial! My pup would love a raised pet feeder. Thank you so much for sharing at Snickerdoodle.

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Hi! I'm Brittany. This is a hobby blog where I share what I'm up to around our townhouse and garden. I'm a creative who loves DIY, simple decor, plants, bargains, a good furniture flip, naps, and our kitties, Henry and Blanche.

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