My daughter got a new puppy, which means we no longer have any “pretties” below knee level. In addition to the collection of new toys, one of the things on her supply list was a set of fun Rae Dunn dog bowls. After finding these she decided that a dog bowl stand would be a great addition. Rather than ordering one we decided to build our own DIY Raised Dog Bowl Stand.

Whelp, let’s see how this goes.

Since Lowe’s [HERE] is a pet friendly store it seemed like a good place to buy our supplies, puppy in tow.

Below are the supplies we used.

Supplies

1 – 1x6x10 board [HERE]

1 – 1x2x8 board [HERE]

4 Wooden Legs [HERE]

Wood Glue [HERE]

Straight Leg Plates-optional [HERE]

Wood Clamps

Stain – classic black

Sandpaper

Foam Brushes

Polyurethane (satin finish)

Dog Bowls

Before going to Lowe’s we pre-measured out bowls to determine the length and width we would need. Based on our measurements we opted to go with a 10 inch wide board cut to 22 inches. While we were at Lowe’s took advantage of the free cutting and had them cut the board to size.

With the board already at the size we needed I took the 1×2 and cut 2 pieces to 22 inches for the sides.

For the remaining sides I measured and marked each piece to line up with the edges of the sides.

Once we had everything cut, I used fine grit sandpaper to lightly smooth out the edges and any imperfections on each piece.

Now, let’s glue this baby. I started by glueing and clamping the sides, putting wood clamps on each end. I left the clamps on overnight to ensure everything stayed tight and snug.

After the long sides were dry we repeated the process for the short sides.

While these were drying I stained the legs black.

I usually prefer to use the rag and wipe method for stain, but to ensure we got good even coverage in all the curves and crevices we used a foam brush.

Now to let them dry and decide if we need another coat.

Before we added the legs I hit each of the frame pieces with the nail gun. The more puppy proof we can make this the better. She will be a beast!

To help protect the wood from scratches, water, and drool we applied a coat of polyurethane and let that dry overnight.

When we were at the Lowe’s the gentleman who helped us cut the lumber suggested we purchase these leg plates. I was skeptical at first, but considering how much wear and tear this stand was going to take I decided it might be worth the extra $10.

After screwing these on I think they will actually be very helpful to keep the legs tight. Good call Lowe’s!

TA-DAH…..

There are so many different versions that you could make with this template. If you prefer, you could stain or whitewash the entire stand or just the legs, paint the dog’s name on the bottom of the tray, or add a piece of trim in the middle of the tray to prevent the bowls from sliding around.  Another idea is to line the tray with wallpaper and seal it with a coat of poly or use a mesh liner on the bottom to help the bowls stay in place.

We made ours with a little wiggle room on each side, but you could definitely shorten the length and width depending on the size of your bowls or preference. You could use a host of different things to build the base to the height you need for the breed of your dog. A chunky piece of wood cut to size, repurposed legs from an old table, couch, etc, or if you prefer a more rustic look you could even use chunky tree limbs. That’s the best part of DIY projects, there aren’t any style rules. You can do what you want to make them yours!

As always, your support means so much to me, I am extremely grateful that you are here!  Thank you for stopping by today and always!