Homemade CarSeats
 

Hi all! I thought I'd show off my homemade car seats. I made them out of a rubbermaid container, eggcrate bed padding and pillows. The pups did great on their long drive from SC to our new home in OH. It was about 10 hours. Buckeye (Boston) was a little too heavy for his flimsy hook and the fabric broke. So he wasn't hooked in for about half of the way. It was great though. Tank slept the whole way and Buckeye just looked out the window taking in all the sites.

That is so clever!!!

Cool! I looked for a rubbermaid (well, any plastic container) that I thought would fit my SUV console - in the hopes of making my own - but couldn't find one. I will look again though! Thanks for sharing!

Thats a very good idea. I'm going to have to try it ;) But I do have a question, does it sit high enough for them to look out the window? Did you just add more pillows to sit them up higher?

That is such a great idea! I need to try that.

Very nice!

Please share how you rigged the strapping to secure them in the seat.

Ditto! I'm very impressed and want to give this a try, but

1. How did you secure the dog to the carseat
2. How did you secure the car seat to the car???

I have one that I got on clearance at Penney's and my furkids love it! I only take one at a time in it, of course.

Yes I would like to know this too.

SOrry I haven't bee back on in a few days ot answer your questions. I was terribly sick :( But all better now!

I covered the container like you would wrap just the bottom of a box (you know so it looks wrapped but you can take the top off without taking off the paper). I used industrial strength velcroe to secure the fabric to the inside of the container. Then I cut a small slit on the back corners of the fabric. This wear I slipped the seatbelt through lke you would on a child's carseat. When I buckled it in I made sure it was secured to wear the seatbelt makes the clicky noise.

When I bought the boys retractable leashed they came with a nylon choke kind of collar (don't wory I've never used it on them). I looped it through two small slits I made in the back of the carseat and sewed it shut. I didn't sew Buckeye's very well which is why his broke. Anyway, I then used a small clasps that I attached to the leash and then to their harnesses.

As far as the height, I bought a rubbermaid tub that was deep enough that I could put 2 pillows in it. The 2 pillows elevated them to about the height of what the store bought car seats claim. In my hubbys trailblazer it was plenty high, but in my Audi they are a little low still.

Well, that's that...if you have any other questions let me know. I had fun making them. Just be sure that if you try this you buy a heavy fabric for the cover that it will hold the short leash. I'm sure you could make a better cover by sewing and all that but I'm a terrible seamstress so I just sewed enough to hold them in and cheated on the rest.

I was wondering if it wouldn't be more secure if the seatbelt went through the holes in the rubbermaid container rather than the fabric. Also I think I would make button holes for the leashes to go through the fabric and then attach then to the rubbermaid container as well, especially with the boston as it is heavier. Would that be doable?

Nancy

I tried to make the holes in the container but it cracked the whole side so I had to start over. Button holes are essentially what I made and they held really well to Tank (6lb). I think a heavier fabric would have helped with Buckeye but he's over 20lbs so who knows. If you can figure out a way to put holes in the container without splitting it let me know!!

If you are using a laundry type basket that already has holes molded in you could use webbing (like leash material) and make loops that are secured to the basket (threaded through the holes) near the bottom of the basket then thread the seat belt through the loops. That would work pretty well I think. Do it the same way through the button holes and make a slip knot type connection through the holes in the basket with a grooming noose and then you have a leash that is secured to the basket and you can clip it onto the dog's harness.

How clever you are. Where is your new home in Ohio ?

I'm in Cincinnati.





Janie

I thought about that too but I couldn't find one that gave me the same depth as the rubbermaid container to allow for the stacking of 2 pillows and still have a decent amount of ledge above the pillows to give the pups more support in the seat. I wanted it to be something where I built up the height from the inside instead of the outside.

That is true. They aren't very deep. If you wanted them to be able to see out you would have to boost it from underneath or hang it from the head rest like these http://cgi.ebay.com/DLX-Car-Booster-...em220074261087 or these http://cgi.ebay.com/ORIGINAL-ZOE-DOG...em300072203634 that sits in a frame made from pvc.

The small console one that I have (that I got from Penney's) is totally made of foam. No plastic shell at all. The straps are all interconnected to the ones that go around the console and the front seat. It looks just like this http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Snoozer-Dog-...em220073296697


I think you did a pretty good job with what you had. I have thought a lot about making one of my own also that will hold all three of my yorkies. I just haven't ever had the time to do it.

Janie, I'm in Canton. My parents live in Mason though. WHere in Cincy are you?

That is what I did I just used two clothes baskets that already had the holes for the seat belt and harness attachment and placed a pillow in the bottom. I didn't cover the plastic. I took a leather purse handle cut it into and attached the right length in each basket. The girls love them. I used upholstery thread to sew the leather it is stronger. Mine look really homemade but they work. Pics on here under homemade carseats.

How creative.

Really creative ideas! We just have pick-ups in this family. The two big trucks are fine but my little ranger extended cab is a different story. I just can't come up with a good way so that when they are in the back they can be high enough to see out but still be secure. Plus bucket seats and console so I've never figured out anything. Come on creative minds give some ideas.:animal-pa