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Do you want to make a DIY dog food station to store all of your dog supplies and food in one organized place? In this post, I’ll show you how we made our own dog food cabinet!
We just finished building this dog food station and it is so nice to have everything tucked away and organized! I’ll show you how we made ours, so you can make one, too!
I love how it looks like a piece of furniture, but it is so practical and useful.
Update: Over two years later, and I still love this dog food station so much! It has worked out so well to store all of our dog food, treats, toys, and keep everything out of sight.
The top is so nice to use for storage in our entry way area, too!
I hope you love it as much as we do!
DIY Dog Food Station
Before, we had a plastic storage container with dog food, stacks of canned dog food, and a bin on the floor for treats and toys.
It was a mess and not very pretty to look at.
I knew I wanted a cabinet to hold all of our dog supplies, but I couldn’t find anything that would work perfectly for our needs and our space. The cabinets that I did find for this purpose were way out of our price range.
So, I knew we were going to have to DIY this one, like most everything in our home. Making things ourselves helps us to get exactly what we want and save a lot of money!
This project did take some time, as we wanted it to be built well and look great. But, it turned out exactly how I imagined it and I’m so happy with the outcome!
I’ll show you the step by step process of making our DIY dog food station, in case you want to make one, too!
*Note: This was kind of a “figure it out as you go” kind of build. So, I do not have exact measurements of each piece of wood and step.
I will provide the list of materials we used, and the overall measurements with pictures of each step.
That way, you can gather similar materials and make a plan that will best suit your space and needs.
Materials Used:
4′ X 8′ piece of blondewood plywood – 1/2″ thick
1″ x 2″ x 8″ pine wood – used 2
1″ x 3″ x 8″ pine wood – used 3
2″ x 8″ x 8″ – used 2 (for the top)
1 pack of 18″ drawer slides (from Lowe’s)
Valspar Cabinet Paint
Wood Glue
Caulk
Wood Screws
Wood filler
Putty knife
Sandpaper
Nail gun and 18 gauge finish nails
Legs and leg hardware – from Lowe’s
Hardware (hooks and pull) – from Hobby Lobby
How we made our DIY dog food station:
Like I said above, this was a “figure it out as you go” kind of project. I don’t have exact measurements for you, but will provide the overall measurements and pictures of each step so you can build a plan to best suit your space and needs.
Building the cabinet frame:
We started by building a box out of the plywood. This is 29″ tall X 28″ wide X 18″ deep.
We applied wood glue and screwed this together.
Adding the middle divider piece:
This piece in the middle is the same plywood. You will want to measure the distance between the top and bottom piece for the height cut here. And it will 18″ deep.
Adding the shelves:
We wanted three shelves on the right side to store canned dog food, treats, and toys.
Decide what you will want to store and how many shelves you will need.
We measured for these, and cut them from the same plywood, adding small support pieces underneath.
These were glued and nailed in with a nail gun.
We framed the front with 1″ X 2″ pine wood pieces for a finished look.
Adding the legs:
You don’t have to add legs to your DIY dog food station, but I like the look of it.
We also needed to place the dog food station over an air vent, so we needed the legs for some air flow.
I got these legs from Lowe’s, along with the coordinating hardware. I think it was about $30 for all 4 legs and the hardware.
They were really easy to install. We added a small 1″ X 4″ scrap pieces to have more support for the legs.
Then, you just screw the hardware piece in, and twist to screw the leg in until tight.
I think they look great!
Add trim to side:
We trimmed the sides with 1″ X 3″ wood for a nice, finished look.
You will want to match this with your trim from the front. We left a small overhang on the bottom, but the top is flush.
Apply wood filler, sand, and paint:
Next up, we used wood filler and a putty knife in cracks that we wanted filled and smooth.
Once that dried, we sanded everything really smooth.
Caulk was applied were needed and once that dried, it was time for paint.
We had some leftover Valspar cabinet paint, so we used that to paint the inside and out of the DIY dog food station.
It took 2 coats. I used a 4″ foam roller and an angled paint brush.
Adding the stained top:
I wanted a bulky, stained wood top and choose 2″ x 8″ wood for this part. I cut 3 pieces of 2″ x 8″ to 33″.
To match our dining room, I used the same Provincial stain and my favorite Helsman Clear Satin sealer for a nice finish.
For the sealer, you will want to apply one coat, let it dry, then lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper, and apply a second coat.
It should be smooth to the touch and easy to wipe clean.
Making the pull out door:
We saved the drawer/door for last, because it was the most intimidating part and we wanted to make it really well.
We made a door out of 1″ X 3″ pine wood, and added a plywood insert by routering a small groove on the backside and stapling the plywood in.
(I didn’t get pictures of this step and I apologize!)
Then, we measured and screwed the drawer slides in.
We cut some scrap plywood to create a box to attach to the door for the dog food bin. We applied wood glue and screwed this together, and measured for the dog food bin opening.
The hole was cut with a jig saw and sanded smooth.
We added two angled pieces for more support.
Then, we applied wood filler, sanded it smooth, caulked the inner edges of the door, and painted it.
Adding the hardware:
I got the hooks and drawer pull from Hobby Lobby and just screwed those in place.
To cover up the metal screws, I just used black paint and a small tip paint brush.
The hooks are perfect for holding leashes and collars!
The finished product:
I’m so happy with how this DIY dog food station turned out!
It fits our needs perfectly, and keeps all the dog essentials within reach, but out of sight.
The hooks are perfect for keeping the leashes untangled and easy to grab.
And the pull out bin is so handy to scoop out dog food!
We got these 3 baskets from Target for the shelves to match the jute rug and placemats in our kitchen. They fit perfectly and hold canned dog food, treats, toys, and water bottles.
Oh, and the basket on top is a catchall to drop things when we come in the door, and the jute basket on the floor holds tennis shoes.
I love how this DIY dog food station has completed our dining room makeover and organized this once-cluttered area of our home.
Check out our full dining room makeover here!
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