DIY Homemade Dog Feeders

The items needed to create a vintage dog feeder are easy to find and very cheap. You’ll need a wooden crate, two stainless steel food bowls with lips, a jig saw, a drill and some paint or wood sealer. You’ll be using a large wood drill bit in the drill. Begin by protecting the paint on your wooden crate. You can paint it another color or simply stain it with some clear sealant. Measure your wooden bowls. Using those measurements draw two large bowl-size circles on your crate. Use the drill to drill through the center of these circles. Then, use the jig saw to cut the holes. Finally, place the bowls into the two holes. They should fit snuggly, but slide in with a little effort.

To make an automatic dog feeder, you'll need PVC pipe, a plastic 5-gallon bucket, four aluminum strips cut a 1/2-inch wide, a single piece of 3/8-inch plywood and some screws. Cut the plywood into a disk. Cut a hole, matching the one on your PVC pipe, into the disk, about 3/4-inch from the edge. A matching hole should then be cut into the bottom of the bucket. Bend and use the aluminum strips and some screws to attach the PVC piping to both the wood and bucket. Place the device on something about a foot tall, like a small stand or cinder block. Food is loaded into the bucket and dispensed from the PVC pipe into your dog’s food dish.

For this simple DIY project, you’re going to need some chalkboard spray paint, frog tape and a ceramic bowl. Frog tape is a special type of masking tape that ensures you get clean lines when painting. You’ll be using it to keep paint from smudging, so apply it to the top edge of the bowl, the area where you won’t be painting. Then, turn the bowl over and spray paint it -- you’ll want it turned over so you don’t get paint inside the bowl. Allow the paint to dry before using chalk to write your dog’s name or other sentiment.

For this personalized dog feeder, you’re going to need an enamel pet bowl, scissors, transfer paper, tape, a pen, food-safe paint, applicator bottle with a fine tip, some scrap paper and baby wipes. Using your scrap paper, stencil or write your dog’s name, ensuring the size is right for the bowl. Cut around the letters. Cut a piece of transfer paper the same size and tape both papers to the dog bowl. Using your pen, trace around the letters, so they transfer to the dog bowl. When you remove both papers, the name should be slightly visible on the bowl. Using your paint and applicator, apply paint to the name. You can use the baby wipes to wipe away any mistakes. Allow the paint to dry before serving food in this dish.