Late last year, we welcomed two mischievous Jack Russell terrier puppies into our family, and they’ve kept us on our toes ever since. Their cheeky new trick is pushing my 14-year-old dog out of her bed so they can claim it for themselves. That sparked my idea for this project—a cosy hobbit-style dog house, designed especially for them.

Our dogs are spoilt and normally sleep inside, but when I’m at work, they spend a few hours outdoors. Winters in Australia can be bitterly cold, and I wanted somewhere warm, sturdy, and safe for them. After losing count of how many soft beds they’ve destroyed, I decided to build a wooden dog house that they’d have a harder time demolishing. To look at their sweet faces, you wouldn’t think it—but these little terrors are master destructors!

This project also happens to be part of this month’s International Bloggers Club (IBC) challenge. Our theme is “Furever”, so I created this deluxe hobbit-style dog house for my fur babies. You’ll find more about IBC and the other bloggers’ contributions at the end of this post.

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Hobbit Style Dog House for Jack Russell Terriers

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Materials Needed

• Recycled coffee table (base)
• 12mm plywood sheets (sides and arches)
• 2 x 4 timber for framing and roof supports
• Screws, brackets, and wood glue
• Jigsaw and drill
• Table saw
• Carpet tiles
• Grey acrylic paint
• Polyurethane or exterior varnish
• Vinyl decals (optional, made with Cricut)
• Painted wood offcuts (optional for decoration)

Making the base

To make the base, I used a recycled coffee table measuring 1150mm x 600mm. The table already had legs, which I cut down to 10cm to lift the base off the ground. This way, when we get heavy rain and water flows over the gutters, the dog house stays dry.

I used mostly recycled materials for this project, which fits perfectly with the theme of my website, so please overlook the rough quality of some pieces. If you’d like to see how I source my free materials, this post will show you how.

I framed the base using 2x4s. To secure the frame to the base, I glued and screwed offcuts of wood to the base.

Cutting the sides

I don’t work from plans—I make up my projects as I go. That means they don’t always work out perfectly the first time, and I often have to adapt and adjust along the way. That is what happened next.

Using 12mm plywood, I sketched the hobbit-style arches with a large homemade wooden compass. My first mistake was cutting the arch before boxing in the base, which made the arch too small. I fixed this later by adjusting the frame and brackets.

It is easier to sand the sides before they are attached to the base.

Next, drill a hole large enough to fit the jigsaw blade and cut out the door. I must have been in la-la land when I cut mine because it turned out massive. Judging by its size, you’d think I was building for Great Danes rather than Jack Russells, though their level of destruction does make it seem fitting. A doorway of about 25cm is more suitable for Jack Russells, and I’ll show you later how I fixed my oversized cut.

Adding Carpet for Comfort

To make the house warmer and cosier, I glued and stapled carpet tiles to the base.

Extra carpet was added to the sides for insulation.

Attaching the Walls

Since my arches were cut short, I attached the sides using metal brackets instead of directly screwing into the frame.

I added smaller wood supports to hold the two walls firmly together.

Building the Roof

The roof framework was cut from halved 2 x 4s to keep the house lightweight.

My original plan included astroturf for a whimsical hobbit look, but the puppies tore it up before I started. Instead, I opted for a timber overhang, which looked even better.

If your dog house will be fully outdoors, add waterproofing. Mine sits under a pergola, so I skipped this step.

Roof slats were screwed in starting from the bottom up, with thinner cuts near the arch top for a snug fit.

This project would have been much easier if I had cut the sides to screw directly into the base, but I managed to work around the mistake.

View from the back

Fixing the Door

The oversized doorway was corrected with a circular plywood frame. The middle cut-out was recycled into a window. Before attaching the frame, I managed to climb halfway inside to carpet the roof interior—yes, the doorway was that big!

Painting and Decorating

The house was painted grey using acrylic paint, then sealed with two coats of polyurethane. For added charm, I glued painted wood offcuts to the sides, giving the house a rustic cottage feel.

The finishing touches came with playful vinyl decals cut on my Cricut.

The Finished Hobbit Style Dog House

Once soft bedding was added, Pepsi and Max inspected their new daytime retreat. Judging by their reactions, it got the terrier tick of approval.

Max wasn’t thrilled when the old girl claimed it first!

More pet-related projects

I made these fun bandannas for my dogs.

This welcome sign was created using a recycled cheeseboard and added fun decals.

More about IBC

If you follow my blog, you will know I am part of the IBC (International Bloggers Club), which is a group of talented bloggers from around the world. We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Each month, we come together and create a project with a common theme.

If you missed last month’s “Funtabulous planter ” theme, here is the link to my Planter made from an old chocolate tin. The “Furever ” contributions from my fellow bloggers for this month’s challenge are listed below. Please feel free to jump over and give them some love.

A Crafty Mix|Spun pet hair heart

Birdz of a feather| String Art Dog

Interior Frugalista|Repurposed chair seat dog leash holder

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