DIY Dog Bowl Stand
This DIY Dog Bowl Stand was born out of necessity! Both of my dogs, Bear & Clancy, require elevated dog food bowls. This requirement is partially due to medical needs and partially due to being spoiled! Before building these dog bowl stands, my dog feeding station had a metal, two bowl holding stand. I don’t know about your dogs, but my two dogs will never eat side-by-side! I tried to find a single pet bowl stand but couldn’t find one that I liked. Pretty quickly, I gave up and decided to make this my new project. I drew out some plans and set out to build my own!
Step 1: Measure & Cut Butcher Block
Since these tops will likely have food and water constantly on them, using Butcher Block was a must! Amanda actually had a small piece left over after she built her DIY Countertop that was just enough for this project.
In order to determine how big to make your wood top, first measure your dog bowl. Bear & Clancy’s dog bowls (linked here because they are amazing) are 7 1/4″ in diameter. Therefore, I decided to make the wood tops 9″x9″, to give a bit of space on all sides of the bowl. Once I had the wood tops measured & marked, I cut out the squares using a circular saw.
Step 2: Measure the Area to Inset
In order to keep the bowl from sliding right off the top, I needed to inset the wood to hold the bowls in place! As I mentioned earlier, the boy’s bowls are 7 1/4″ in diameter. Therefore, I determined the indentations should be 7 1/2″ in diameter. I didn’t want the bowls to be too snug but wanted to ensure they wouldn’t move around too much.
I found the center of the wood top and marked it. Then, using a compass with a pen taped to it (fancy, right?!) I drew the circle to be inset.
Step 3: Round the Edges
Let’s face it, the wood square looked unfinished! I used a DeWalt Router Tool to round the edges and create a more finished look for the DIY raised dog bowl holder. I used a 1/4″ Roundover Bit.
Step 4: Inset the Center
Now it’s time to get creative! If I had a lathe, this would have been much (much) easier. However, I decided to work with the tools I had and made the inset with the Router.
Using a 1/2-in. Straight Router Bit, I began carving out the circle I wanted inset. I started in the center and worked my way out to the edges. Carving the edges free handed proved to be quite the challenge! It would have required someone with a much higher skill level than myself to get it perfect, but I was happy with the way it turned out!
Initially, I set the depth at 5/8″ deep. After doing the first one, I realized by going down into the wood that far I was making things more difficult than they needed to be! For the second bowl, I only went 3/8″ deep.
Step 5: Sand the Wood
While using the Router, I had made a number of indentations in the wood. I was able to quickly smooth out the butcher block using an Orbital Sander and 80-grit sandpaper. After Step #4, I was happy this was an easy task!
Step 6: Wipe & Seal (or Paint & Seal)
I wanted my tops to remain wood however there is always the option to paint the tops to match kitchen décor. I would still recommend sealing the butcher block to ensure food & water stains don’t become a problem later on.
Before you apply the seal, wipe down the wood with denatured alcohol. Then use a clean cloth to apply the seal.
Step 7: Attach the Legs
With my wood tops finished, I was ready to attach the legs! I ordered these hairpin legs from Amazon. They are 8″ tall, the prefect height for a dog feeder. They came with all of the necessary hardware to attach. The butcher block is really hard, so I had to drill a pilot hole before drilling in the screws.
Overall, this was not an easy project but I absolutely love the result! For the first time in almost a year, I fed Bear without holding his bowl for him (yes, I did this for every meal). I love my boys so much and love when my DIY projects are for them!
DIY Dog Bowl Stand Links
DIY Dog Bowl Stand
Equipment
- Router
- Circular Saw
- Palm Sander
- Drill
- Compass
materials
- Butcher Block
- Butcher Block Finish
- Hairpin Legs
- 80 Grit Sandpaper
- Soft Cloth
- Denatured Alcohol
Instructions
- Measure & Cut Butcher Block
- Measure the Area to Inset
- Round the Edges
- Inset the Center
- Sand the Wood
- Wipe & Seal
- Attach the Legs
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