So, this was our Christmas present to the cats. And my taupe-colored, micro-fiber couch and loveseat have never been happier. While doing a Google search for a cat perch to buy, I came across this great idea to make one on the DIYShowoff and I was totally inspired.
The cats love these so much, they almost never hang out on the couch anymore. They've always loved hanging out in the window, enjoying the view, and the warmth of the sun when it's warm, but the window sills are so narrow, they end up with half their body on the window frame itself, and the other half on the sill. This means they are laying on a metal bar that separates the 2 parts, and that just can't be comfortable. This also means that when the windows are closed, they can't hang out in them at all. I finally decided to create an extension to the window sill which would be A.) comfortable. B.) Allow them to enjoy the view whether the windows are open or not. and C.) Keep them off the furniture. These new perches have fulfilled all 3 of these things. And they were so cheap and easy to make. Here's how I did it.
(As you can see from the above pic, I made 2 perches, but the tutorial shows just one.)
Supplies needed (for each perch):
- 12x24 (or whatever length needed to fit your window) piece of heavy duty wood (I used pine)
- 2 shelf brackets (I purchased mine from Lowe's)
- wood screws
- anchor screws (not pictured)
- cotton batting
- fabric (to match your decor)
- fabric scissors
- heavy duty staple gun & staples
- measuring tape
- pencil
- power drill
- window
- cat
For the wood, I purchased a 12x48x1 piece of LAM pine and the nice guys at Home Depot cut it in half for me (1 piece for each perch.) The total price of the piece was $9.21. The metal shelf brackets were purchased from Lowe's and were $5.28 each. The cotton batting was on sale at Hancock Fabrics for a total of $4.19 and I picked up the sage green velvety fabric from the clearance shelf for $5.00yd. (I got just under a yard for $4.17.)
*NOTE: When having your fabric cut, be sure and allow an extra 4 inches of fabric on all side to wrap around the shelf, and also to allow for the depth of the 2 cotton, plus the 1 fabric layer on top of the shelf.
I added an extra layer of cotton just to the top of the shelf for added comfort. To do this, just trace around the wood and cut a piece to fit.
Then flip the 2 pieces over onto the larger piece of cotton batting, and begin to wrap it around to staple it in place. Start with one end, and place a few staples along the fabric. You will want to pull it taut in order to get a nice tight fit.
Once you've stapled it all around, you will need to trim off the excess batting.
Now it's time to add the fabric.
Lay your fabric right side down on a large flat surface. Doing the same as you did with the batting, begin to wrap the fabric around and staple it onto the wood. Be sure to pull it taut as you go.
For the corners, just tuck them in as if wrapping a present. Then, fold it over and staple it a few times, right along the seam.
Once you feel you've got enough staples all around, trim off the excess fabric and your perch is ready to mount onto the wall.
First, you will need to measure your window so you can center the perch just below the sill. If your window length is larger than your shelf, you will need to subtract the length of the shelf from the length of the window, divide that number in half, then make a mark that many inches IN, from each window sill edge. Does that make sense?
You will then screw the brackets onto the shelves, then while holding the shelf up to your center marks, use a pencil to mark your screw holes on the wall. You will then use the anchor screws to mount the shelf.
And there you have it! For less than $20 bucks (each) and about an hour of your time, you will a happy cat and fur-free furniture for years to come!
Yes, they are facing forward and stretching their necks around to look out the window. They are cats, after all. :)
Happy crafting!
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