My sister has the cutest little dachshund named Lexie (just look at him!). However, as cute and sweet as Lexie is he lacks something…….it’s called height! He has the shortest legs I have ever seen on a dog! So when little Lexie comes to visit me the poor thing can’t get up onto my bed and he almost hurts himself trying (oh no!). I decided something would have to be done to make sure that Lexie could get onto my bed without injury. I knew I wanted a to make a step stool that was a little funky to match the little guy’s personality. What I came up with was a super cute (just like Lexie) crate step stool that is the perfect height for this vertically challenged puppy!
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What You Need!
- 3/4 Inch Nails
- 2 x 2 Wood
- 1 x 2 Wood
- (8) 1 x 1/2 Corner Braces
- 1/4 x 2 1/4 Wood Lattice Moulding
- 1/4 x 1 3/8 Wood Lattice Moulding
What To Cut!
- (4) 10 Inch of The 2 x 2 for The Legs
- (2) 13 Inch of The 1 x 2 for Crate Frame
- (4) 10 Inch of The 1/4 x 1 3/8 Lattice for Side Slats
- (2) 7 Inch of The 1 x 2 for Crate Frame
- (4) 16 3/8 Inch of The 1/4 x 1 3/8 Lattice for Side Slats
- (7) 10 Inch of The 1/4 x 2 1/4 Lattice for Top Slats
What to Do!
To begin this dog crate step stool, take your cut 1 x 2 and 2 x 2 pieces and start building your frame!
For this step stool I used corner braces to build the frame. You could totally use pocket screws or just screw it together from the outside of the board. I chose the braces because I didn’t want to see the screws and I don’t have a pocket screw jig (sad sigh).
Next, lay the 1 x 2 pieces down in between the 2 x 2 legs and screw together. Place the 7 inch 1 x 2 pieces across from each other and the 13 inch 1 x 2 pieces across from each other.
Then, screw the frame together with the brackets!
Time to lay out the cut side slat pieces.
Next, use clamps to hold the end pieces while you measure where you want them. I placed the top slat 2 inches from the top of the foot and the second slat 2 1/2 down from first slat. Of course you could totally put them any height that you wanted!
FYI! the short side slats fit inside the long side slats. So don’t nail down the short side slats until you are sure that the short side slat is even inside both sides of the long side slats (use clamps to help hold). Nail down all of the side slats.
Then take the 1/4 x 2 1/4 slats and place evenly on the frame top. Nail them down being careful to not get too close to the edge of the slat (this could crack them).
Lastly, sand your step stool and paint/stain it the color of your choice! I decided to make a colored stain out of regular paint for the finish so the step stool would look as sassy as Lexie! Then, after the stain dried I put on two coats of polyurethane to help protect the finish.
There you have it! An easy to make dog crate step stool for your furry love! I absolutely love the look of the finished project!
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