Cardboard+Tshirt+Hangers = Cat House! Easy DIY

If you’ve got cats of your own then you may very well know that they take over everything. Left a shirt out on the floor? They’re laying on it. Set a box on the counter? They’re sleeping in it. Set a grocery bag to the side? They’re investigating it! I have found my little fur balls tucked away in closets, napping behind trash cans, even snoozing inside of gym bags! Although they are welcome to my bed, my blankets, my pillows, whatever they want… they’d rather make awkward arrangements for themselves so I came up with a solution. In order to get my cats to sleep in a designated area, I put together a cozy cat house out of their favorite items: t-shirts and cardboard. It was a success as this is now “the cool spot” and my two fuzzy guys often fight over who gets to use it – before they always settle on sharing it together. <3

If you’ve got some free time on your hands, some cardboard scraps, two metal hangers, and a pet that would use it… then try this fun DIY project. What do you have to lose?! You’ll also need a tool to cut the hanger, packaging tape, a small blanket (I used a receiving blanket), an old tee shirt, and a hot glue gun.

1. Start with a square piece of cardboard. I used an old box from the post office and cut it about 14″x14″. If you need to, you can tape two pieces of cardboard together as this part will lay on a hard surface and doesn’t necessarily have to be that sturdy. It’s just your base for holding your hangers together!

2. Cut your (2) metal hangers at the very top beneath the twisted section on each side. You are going to remove this hooked part of the hanger (but do not throw them away yet) and bend the remaining hanger pieces into an arch for the “roof.”

3. Now take the hook that you cut from the hanger and use the sharp metal end to punch a hole in each corner of your cardboard. Wrap your blanket across the cardboard and hot glue it in place underneath, being careful not to cover the holes you have just made. Take your bent arch pieces and criss-cross them, sticking the ends into the holes on each corner.

4. Secure the area where your two hangers cross with tape and then bend a small portion of the arches on the underside of the cardboard at each corner and then tape in place.

5. Pull the t-shirt over your cardboard with the front of the shirt facing up (I used a men’s size large) and arrange it to where the neck hole is facing towards you and makes a suitable entrance for your pet. Fold and tuck the excess shirt material underneath the cardboard (trim some off with scissors if needed) and hot glue in place.

There you have it!

This will be an even bigger hit with your fur babies if you use a shirt that you have recently worn that may have your scent on it!

Here are my 2 goofballs, Bruno and Gus Gus, initially battling over the cat house and then agreeing to snuggle up and share it together.

I can’t guarantee that this will keep your cats out of your dirty clothes hamper or off of your favorite spot on the couch, but I can guarantee that they will appreciate this new hiding spot. My handsome guys are in it almost every afternoon!

If you missed my DIY cat collars (for under $5!) then you can check it out HERE!

For more fun DIY projects and/or family friends crafts, check out MyMilitarySavings.com!