Our “pet den” futon is being chewed up by Greta the Cute But Evil Dog. Her partner in crime, Lola What Did I Do?, likes to rip the covers to shreds. We stopped using nice futon covers years ago when we had Frida the Wonderful But Incontinent Pit. We just threw fitted bed sheets over the mattress.
But alas, the material could never hold up against our dogs and we found ourselves going through 2 sheets per week. Well, not really. We just left the shredded sheets on the futon so you could see the filthy, filthy mattress underneath.
“Someone must make pet proof bed sheets.” Said I. “We can’t be the only ones with this problem.”
Well, yes, it exists. I did find canvas mattress slipcovers online, ranging from $34-85. But I felt like I needed to design the cover myself with my pets in mind. Since I can’t even sew a button, I put a request on Etsy Alchemy to find someone to work with me. The first couple of quotes were more than the futon itself. I was starting to get discouraged until Christine of Pillow Throw Decor saved the day.
I informed Christine that my pets are lunatics and I’ll need extremely heavy duty material. She happened to have some recycled painters drop cloth on hand for the cover, which cost $80. She was also able to put together a canvas fitted top sheet for $20. The plaid wouldn’t have been my first choice, but a) It was the cheapest, b) I needed to go with the sturdiest material and c) It looks better than ripped sheets.
She gave me loops on the back as per my request, because the dogs always manage to pull the sheets off. This way I can secure it to the mattress with elastic or rope. Oh, and she even included a repair kit! Now that’s what I’m talking about!
So, what about the cats? Well, they just pee on everything. The new covers are pre-shrunk and washable.
**Photographer’s note: Please ignore the broken window blind, the dirt on the floor and the fact that I don’t have the patience to get a fitted bed sheet to fit.
6 Comments
Oh I am so pleased that everything fits and that it works. Your dog looks so innocent too!!!
I’m glad you like them and let me know how they hold up. I still have more canvas (industrial strength) so just send them over if you know of others. I am so glad that I could be of service.
You are too funny!
Cheers, Christine
Can you tell I didn’t get it on evenly? It’s a bitch to put on a futon cover by oneself. I was dragging that pristine white thing around the dirty floor!
Yep. That’s what it’s like living with our critter families. However, your solution is only partial. Need to stitch the washable stuff to a tarp or some other impermeable material. Just a thought …
Nice! .and I feel your pain. I keep thinking I found a solution until I read the dimensions. It’s like the people who are putting that stuff out on the market have never seen a happy dog in action, let alone a big happy dog and have probably never heard of 4 big happy dogs all jumping onto the poor twin mattress at once. The bed spread , blanket, both sheets and mattress cover were dust within a couple weeks. The first side of the mattress had a quarter of the springs showing within a couple months, less than a year later, both sides of mattress look like some kind of mid evil torture device due to all the exposed springs. I finally ordered a new mattress , it’s on the way and I still don’t know what to do about protecting it with a realistic solution. I considered using an old sail or boat cover ..welding blanket? But I’d rather have something more cozy in the event I may join them in their slumber. ..it happens a lot. I lay on top of them all and before I know it, they’re all on top of me playing king of daddy mountain. ..all properly dug in with elbows firmly and strategically placed on all the right pressure points so as to knock me out within minutes. Anyway.. Can I get in touch with your people to help me with my problem?
…cheers
Alas, that cover didn’t hold up forever either. I’ve updated the link above for Pillow Throw Decor. Slipcover Shop has heavy duty covers as well. If you hit dead ends on both of those, you can search for slipcovers, pet furniture or upholstery folks on Etsy and then choose “customizable” from the side bar. Good luck!
Oh my I had to laugh when I read your story and your quest to find dog proof covers for futons. This sounds exactly like our house..2 Great Danes that shred sheets in seconds and cats that pee on everything. We have 3 futons to deal with and it has been a nightmare!!!