When it comes to home decoration, we spend countless hours and often lots of money to create homes that are a reflection of who we are. Unfortunately, when it comes to items for our pets, the choices are often less than exciting. But using ingenuity, simple craft skills, and a little recycling know-how, we can create beautiful items for our pets that we may find ourselves coveting. Plus, crafting these items yourself allows you to be sure they are free of harmful toxins.
If you are not recycling fabric you already own for the projects in this section, consider organic cotton fabrics. Available from specialty fabric stores and online retailers, these products are produced without toxic pesticides and are processed without chemical finishes. Don’t worry about being limited to a neutral palette; improving technologies are leading to nontoxic dyes in bright, cheerful colors.
Whether or not your pet is allowed on the furniture really is a matter of personal preference. Some people can’t imagine keeping these members of the family off the sofa, and others believe the floor or dog beds are the most appropriate places for a dog.
Commercially produced furniture does not present any particular dangers to dogs, but as with all things in your home, avoid toxic materials that could be ingested by your pet or absorbed into the earth. Organic cotton and wool are great for upholstered furniture, pillows, rugs, and drapes. Cotton, wool, and natural latex are all excellent alternatives to synthetic cushion materials. Bamboo is a wise choice for furniture and flooring, as it grows quickly and sustainably; take care that the brand you buy is not processed with so many chemicals as to defeat the purpose. Buying antique wood furniture is a great way to avoid wood veneers, particleboard, and other wood products that are made with formaldehyde. Finally, low- or zero-VOC paints are largely free of the volatile organic compounds that are believed to cause everything from headaches and dizziness to cancer in humans; they will help keep the air in your home as clean as possible for you and your dog.
If you allow your pets on the furniture, but don’t want to wear their hair everywhere you go, one easy solution is to have a blanket (or a few) on hand to keep on the sofa or bed or in the car—anywhere your dog likes to sit or sleep. Your pet’s blanket can be as simple as a couple pieces of hemmed fabric. Something as basic as the following project may be a good choice for a travel blanket.
If you bring your dog to the homes of friends and family, consider making them gifts of travel blankets that coordinate with their furniture. Suddenly, your best friend may become a sought-after guest!