easy diy dog bowl stand

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 17, 2024

Contributions sourced from

DIY Dog Bowl Stands: Crafting a Custom Dog Eating Area!

A lot of dog owners are interested in using an elevated stand for their pets food and water dish. While there are a number of commercially produced models on the market you could purchase, you could also build one yourself if you are so inclined.

In fact, by making your own dog bowl stand, you can customize it to suit your dogs needs, as well as your aesthetic tastes.

Well share 15 different DIY plans below thatll help you do exactly that, and well also discuss some of the reasons you may want to use an elevated dog bowl stand.

Well even discuss a few of the ways you can customize your new DIY bowl stand to make it more suitable for you and your pet!

Why Use an Elevated Dog Bowl Stand?

There are a number of reasons dog owners may want to provide their pup with an elevated dog bowl stand. A few of the most common reasons are detailed below.

Reduce Mealtime Messes

By lifting your dogs food dish up off the ground, you may find that he doesnt create as much of a mess when you feed him. It also helps keep your floor tidy, as any kibble your dog drops will likely remain on the stand, making it easier to clean up. Itll also reduce the amount of dust and debris that end up in your dogs food and water.

Make It Easier for Older or Larger Dogs to Eat

Old dogs often have trouble stretching their neck down to the floor to eat. An elevated feeding platform raises their food and water up off the ground, giving your aging pup easier access to his meals.

Large dogs and those suffering from neck or back problems can also have a bit of trouble reaching all the way down to the floor, so they can also benefit from a raised feeding platform.

They May Help Reduce the Chances of Bloat

Bloat is a potentially life-threatening medical condition that occurs when your dogs stomach fills with air and twists on its axis, thereby trapping the gas inside. Historically, elevated dog feeders were thought to be one of the best ways to reduce the chances of bloat.

But unfortunately, the truth of this situation is not entirely clear. At least one study seems to suggest raised feeding platforms may increase a dogs chances of suffering bloat. Another study suggests that it is not the use of an elevated feeder that increases a dogs risk, but instead the ratio of your dogs height to the height of the feeding platform that matters most.

Ultimately, youll just have to discuss the issue with your vet and make the best choice you can.

Elevated Feeding Platforms Often Provide Storage Space

Many elevated dog bowl stands provide a space underneath the food and water dishes to store food or other items.

This not only provides you with a quick-and-easy place to store your dogs food, itll prevent you from having to keep your dogs food bag in the pantry or out in the open.

Dog Bowl Stands Look Great

Simply put, dog bowl stands look great. They give your dog a well-defined place to eat, and if decorated well, theyll help accent your kitchen.

15 DIY Dog Bowl Stand Plans

Now that you understand the reasons many dog owners like using elevated dog bowl stands, its time to pick out a set of plans and make one of your own.

Just try to select a project that looks like it will work well for your pet and is appropriate for your skill level.

Psshh if these plans seem to tough, you can always purchase an elevated dog bowl stand too!

1. Small Pup Dog Bowl Stand byRemodelaholic

This dog bowl stand plan from Remodelaholic is based around a pretty classic design which will work well in most homes.

This stand is designed for small dogs, but theres no reason you couldnt tweak the measurements to suit larger pups too. This is a professional-looking project thatll require a fair bit of skill to pull off, but if you are able to do it, youll surely be glad you went to the trouble.

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools Required:

Tape measure
Kreg Jig
Drill
Miter saw
Compass
Drill bits
Jigsaw
Optional: router and round over bit

Materials Needed:

12 board about 36 long
13 board about 48 long
Wood glue
1- pocket screws
(2) 14-1/4 oz Fiestaware cereal bowls

This video doesnt show you how to make the exact dog bowl stand described above, but it is a pretty similar design that includes routed edges and relatively similar legs.

2. Wooden Feeding Station with Storage Compartment by This Old House

This wooden feeding station design straight from This Old House will not only elevate your dogs food and water dish, itll also give you a handy place to store your dogs food.

There are quite a few steps involved in the construction of this food dish stand, but none of the individual steps are particularly difficult just be sure to take your time and you should be fine.

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Straightedge
Measuring tape
Pencil
Compass
Rasp
Cordless drill
Paintbrush

Materials Needed:

1x12 Sides 2 @ 13 inches
1x12 Top 1 @ 23 inches
1x12 Bottom 1 @ 23 inches
1x12 Back 1 @ 24 inches
1x12 Door 1 @ 24 inches
1x3 Top Supports 2 @ 23 inches
1x2 Base Supports 2 @ 23 inches
1x12 Tray Bottom 1 @ 23 inches
1x3 Tray Sides 2 @ 24 inches
1x4 Tray Sides 2 @ 12 inches
1x2 Cleats 2 @ 10 -inches
22-inch piano hinge
Two door slides
Magnetic door catch
Door handle
Contact paper
Paint

We werent able to find a video detailing the procedure for this exact feeding station, but here is a relatively similar project that may help you figure things out. Note that the storage compartment is a bit different, and this project includes a light inside!

3. Sleek and Minimalist Feeding Platform by Ugly Duckling House

If you are looking for a quick-and-easy feeding platform for your pup that still looks good, this project by Ugly Duckling House may be a great option. This platform requires minimal cutting, and it doesnt require you to learn any fancy joining techniques for the legs.

Despite being a simple and easy-to-construct project, the final result looks great and should make any DIYer proud.

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Cordless drill
Tape measure or metal ruler
Pencil
Electric sander (and paper)
Level

Materials Needed:

24 long 1x12 plank
36 long 2x2
Wood glue
Paint

We werent able to find a video explaining how to build an exact duplicate of the project detailed above, but this one is pretty much based on the same idea and features similar legs (although it relies on a slightly more sophisticated technique for attaching them).

4. Rustic Dog Bowl Stand byShanty 2 Chic

If youd like to make a rustic-looking dog bowl stand that looks as though it were made decades ago by skilled artisans, this project from Shanty 2 Chic may be just what you need.

This isnt the easiest dog bowl stand in the world to build, but if you have the necessary tools, take your time, and give it your best shot, youll probably be successful.

Note that the hardware used in this project (the flat and angled metal plates) are decorative they dont hold the stand together.

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Clamps
Tape measure
Pencil
Nail gun (optional you could use a hammer)
Glue gun (optional you can just apply it the old-fashioned way)

Materials Needed:

One 16x48 laminated pine panel
One 1x4x8 pine board
Two 1x2x8 pine board
1 brads (nails)
Wood glue
Four flat two-hole metal plates
Four 90-degree two-hole metal plates
Paint or stain (optional)

The video below was actually filmed by Shanty 2 Chic, and it walks you through the entire process of building this dog bowl stand.

5. Cute and Simple Dog Bowl Stand by Centsational Style

This is a pretty simple elevated feeding platform from Centsational Style that is both cute and functional. It is technically designed for cats, but itd work well for small dogs too.

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Kreg Jig
Pencil
Measuring tape
Paintbrush

Materials Needed:

Two x 8 x 24 wood boards
1 flat head screws
Paint or stain
Polyurethane
Cardboard or poster board (to make a template for the legs)

We couldnt find a video made by Centsational Style, but we did find a video that demonstrates how to make a very similar feeding station. Between the plans linked above and the video, most owners should be able to figure out how to cut out and assemble this type of dog bowl stand.

6. Elegant Dog Food Station with Storage Area by Addicted to DIY

This project from Addicted to DIY is a great option for owners who want a truly professional-looking food station. It includes all of the extras that professional furniture has, such as trim and beveled wood edges, and it includes an interior storage compartment for added convenience.

Youll have to pay for these plans, but the end result looks so good that its probably worth the nominal fee to get your hands on them. Note that this also means we cant tell you exactly what materials are used in the project, but we gave it our best guess.

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Cordless drill
Clamps
Chisel
Pencil
Measuring tape
Paintbrush or sprayer
Nail gun (optional you could just use a hammer)

Materials Needed:

plywood
1x3 pine boards for exterior trim
square wood for interior trim
1 1/4 brad nails
Paint
One brass lid support hinge
Two brass hinges

The video below shows how to make a similar, if slightly different, food station with an enclosed storage space. Although it is slightly different, it may still help you figure out how to add the trim and execute some of the more difficult portions of the project.

7. Floating Feeding Platform by Wouldnt It Be Lovely

This feeding platform from Wouldnt It Be Lovely is very different from most of the other ones we describe here. Unlike the ones listed above which are all free-standing units, this one is designed to be attached to your kitchen cabinet. This not only makes it unique and nifty-looking, but it means that the project is super easy (despite the designers some skill required characterization).

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Screwdriver
Pencil
Paintbrush (optional)

Materials Needed:

One wood step tread (the part of a step that you stand on)
Four wood corbels
12 wood screws
Paint or stain (optional)

We couldnt find any videos demonstrating how to build this type of feeding platform, but it should be pretty easy to figure out. Just review the plans carefully and take it step by step.

8. Feeding Platform with Open Storage Areas by Dream a Little Bigger

This is a super-easy feeding platform from Dream a Little Bigger that most dog owners should be able to construct. It is based on a premade cubby, so you dont have to build the box. Essentially, youll just need to cut a couple of holes in the top for your dogs food and water dish, screw on some feet, and paint it.

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Pencil
Paintbrush
Cordless drill

Materials Needed:

Premade two-space wooden cubby
Four wooden candle holder cups
Wood screws
Paint or stain
Baskets for storage

We couldnt find a video of a project like this one, but its such a simple feeding platform that you should be able to figure it out on your own. Just consult the plans linked above and you should have no trouble.

9. Vintage Suitcase Feeder by reallifedog

This is a really unique feeding platform concept from reallifedogthat is based around a vintage suitcase (although you could use a new suitcase if you prefer). There are a couple of tricky steps required to build this type of feeder (it even requires a bit of welding), but the extra effort should pay off given how awesome the finished product looks.

Note that youll need to adjust these plans to suit the suitcase you select. This means that you should look at these plans as inspiration, rather than a step-by-step guide. For example, youll need to select the wood for the top after finding or buying the suitcase.

Skill Level: Difficult

Tools Required:

Utility knife
Allen wrenches
Cordless drill
Clamps
Pencil
Measuring tape
Screwdriver
Welding Torch

Materials Needed:

Wood for the top
Old suitcase
1x3 planks
Flat metal strips for legs
Glue

Unfortunately, we couldnt find a video demonstrating anything remotely similar to this project. However, the designer provides tons of photos and pretty clear instruction in the link above, so just start there and use your noggin to figure out the best process for your project.

10. Quick and Easy Dog Food Station by Yellow Brick Home

This is an easy dog food station from Yellow Brick Home. It even uses prefabricated legs to make things as easy as possible. The designers chose to assemble the top of this feeding station from several pieces of wood, as they appear to have been using salvaged materials, but you could make the project even easier by simply using a single plank for the top.

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Compound miter saw
Mini Kreg Jig
Measuring tape
Drill
Jigsaw
Sanding block
Painters tape
Paintbrushes

Materials Needed:

One 6-foot-long 2x4
Hairpin legs
Two stainless steel bowls
4 drywall screws
Paint
Polyurethane

Although we couldnt find a video demonstrating how to make this exact feeding station, you can check out the one below. It isnt designed in the same way, but it also uses salvaged materials, so it may give you some ideas.

11. Canine Style Super Bowls by Urbane Jane

These plans from Urbane Jane dont explain how to make a feeding platform per se, but they do explain how to elevate your dogs food and water bowl in a decorative way. Additionally, you wont need many tools or materials to make these either.

Im a little skeptical that these super bowls (as the designer dubs them) are very stable, so be sure to tell us how well they work if you decide this is the project for you. It also seems like these are going to be a pain to wash, so let us know how that goes too.

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Materials Needed:

Two candlestick holders
Glue
Paint

We couldnt find a video of this project, but you dont need it anyway. Just paint the holders and glue them to the bottom of the bowls. You may want to put something heavy in the bowls while youre waiting for the glue to dry.

12. DIY Modern Pet Bowl Stand by Almost Makes Perfect

This is a modern and minimalistic type of pet bowl stand from Almost Makes Perfect, which should be very easy for most dog owners to construct. Unlike many of the other designs listed here, this one doesnt require you to cut out holes for your dogs food dishes.

In fact, if you have the hardware store cut all of the wooden dowels to length, you can complete this entire project with nothing more than a cordless drill and set of clamps.

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Jig saw
Cordless drill
Clamps

Materials Needed:

Square wooden dowels cut down to:
- Four 5 pieces (length)
- Four 18.75 pieces (height)
- Six 5.25 pieces (depth)
2 packs of 1 #3 wood screws
Wood glue
Sandpaper

This is another project that we had trouble finding a video tutorial for, but its so simple a video probably isnt necessary. You basically need to put together a skeleton based on the photos posted above.

13. Picnic Basket Feeding Stand by Sew Many Ways

Of all the DIY feeding station plans I came across, this is one from Sew Many Ways struck me as the cleverest. These plans are based around a picnic basket, but you could probably adapt them to suit any type of box-like object, ranging from a plastic storage box to a milk crate.

Note that the designer chose to leave the top as-is, but you could easily paint it.

Skill Level: Very easy

Tools Required:

Jig saw
Cordless drill
Pencil
Measuring tape
Paintbrush (optional)

Materials Needed:

Picnic basket
-inch plywood
Two hinges
Cardboard to make a template
Paint (optional)

We couldnt find a video for this project, but you could probably build it in less time than it would take you to watch the video anyway (thats hyperbole, but you take my point). So, just grab your tools and have at it.

14. Repurposed Feeding Station by HGTV

Repurposing old items to satisfy new needs is quite trendy these days, and this elevated feeding dish from HGTV is a great example of just such a project. Youll obviously have to adapt your plan to suit the object you decide to repurpose, but that shouldnt be terribly difficult for most owners to accomplish.

Skill Level: Easy

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Pencil
Compass
Cordless drill
Permanent marker
Sandpaper
Paintbrush (optional)

Materials Needed:

Found object (some type of box) suitable for the project
Paint
Polyurethane

The nature of this project doesnt lend itself well to a video tutorial (youll have to adjust everything to suit the object you find), but you should be able to get through the project if you consult the plans above and try to solve any problems or challenges as they occur.

15. Dog Food Feeding Station with Chalkboard Sign by Happy Go Lucky Blog

This is an absolutely adorable feeding station from Happy Go Lucky Blog, which not only provides a storage space, but features a chalkboard you can write your dogs name on too (just dont write in cursive most dogs cant read cursive).

While this feeding station provides a storage space, the station itself isnt a fully enclosed box. This provides two neat benefits: It makes the feeding station lighter and it also makes it easier to build.

Skill Level: Moderate

Tools Required:

Jigsaw
Nailgun
Paintbrush
Pencil

Materials Needed:

3 1x4 cut to 25 inches (front boards)
1 1x2 cut to 25 inches (front bottom board)
6 1x4 cut to 10.5 inches (sideboards)
2 1x2 cut to 10.5 inches (side bottom boards)
4 1x2 cut to 12 inches (inside supports)
1 1x12 cut to 25 inches (top board)
2 cup drawer pulls
Adhesive felt strips
Paint and/or stain
Small chalkboard, chalk, and Velcro (optional)

We couldnt find a good video for this project, but the plans linked above are pretty thorough and easy to follow.

Additional Video Tutorials You May Find Helpful

The following videos display a few more ways to make your dog an elevated feeding station. Some of these are fairly similar to the plans listed above, while a few others are unique and may help spark your creativity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAUADmQC_z0

A Few Ways You May Want to Customize Your Dogs New Bowl Stand

No matter which of the above plans you decide to use, you can customize it a bit to make it work better and suit your sense of style.

Add Some Color or Graphics

You can paint or stain any of the wood-based projects detailed above, and, if you pick a water-repelling paint or stain, it may also help the stand last longer. Just be sure that you allow the stand to dry completely before letting your dog use it so that the fumes dont irritate his sniffer.

Alternatively, you can also use contact paper to decorate the stand. Contact paper will provide some protection, its easy to apply (sort of), and it comes in an array of colors, designs and patterns. Of course, you can also add things like decals to the stand if you like.

Put It on Wheels

If you end up making a heavy or bulky stand, you may want to slap a couple of wheels on the bottom of the unit to help make it easier to move around. Your local hardware store will likely offer several different types and sizes of wheels (although theyll likely call them casters). Just be sure to account for the increased height the wheels will create.

Note that it is wise to select wheels that can be locked into place when you dont want the stand to move. You dont need to have locks on all four wheels; one or two should suffice. Many four-packs of wheels will include a locking wheel for just these types of applications.

Note that felt furniture sliders may also work to make your piece more mobile, but you wont be able to lock them into place.

Add Skid-Proof Materials to the Bottom

While it may be helpful to add wheels to heavy feeding platforms, light-weight feeding stands may present the opposite challenge: They may scoot and wander around your kitchen when your dog is eating. Accordingly, it may be necessary to add some type of non-skid material to the bottom.

Youll have to figure out the best material for the stand (and your kitchen floor), but a few of the best options include abrasive tape (thats grip tape, for all of you skaters out there), plastic feet, or swatches of rubber.

As you can see, there is no shortage of ways to build your dog his very own elevated feeding platform, so head out to the garage and get to work!

Just be sure to pick the best plan for you and your dog, and dont hesitate to (carefully) alter the plans to suit your needs.

Have you ever made a DIY dog bowl stand? Tell us all about it! What went right, and what went wrong? What would you do differently were you to start the project over again?

Want more fun canine-related DIY projects? Check out our guides on: