DIY Pet Stairs

This instructable presents a quick, very cheap (free, even) option for homemade stairs for pets. I couldn't bring myself to spend $100 for the large ones at the pet store, so I came up with this alternative. The final result is lightweight (about 7lbs), with a washable covering, recyclable when I'm done with it, and most importantly, functional. As built here, these stairs are sturdy enough for most pets, tested up to 150lbs. In use for over 2 years with no problems. Once you gather the common household materials, construction only takes an hour (more or less, depending on how fiddly you are about the appearance). Keep reading for the simple steps to follow!

• 6 cardboard boxes the approximate width and height of a step suitable for your pet(s)
• Note: for me, this made 3 stairs; adjust the quantity depending on the size of your boxes and the height you need to reach, as explained in the first step.
• heavy duty tape
• miscellaneous cardboard, styrofoam, or other "filler" to support weight from the inside of the boxes
• a bed sheet, thin blanket, or other fabric in whatever color or pattern you like
• Note: again, the exact amount depends on the size boxes you use and the number of steps, but I used a twin-sized sheet folded in half with plenty to spare.

Finding multiple boxes that are all the same size may be the only challenging part. Check grocery stores or with neighbors. Lots of mail orders these days = lots of cardboard boxes around. If someone orders the same thing regularly, it will likely come in the same size box each time. Obviously you want clean boxes, no chemicals or food remains, and as sturdy as possible. I found these boxes, which are sturdy enough to stack with 3 gallons of water each, and the perfect size for a large dog.

You'll be stacking the boxes (see the 2nd photo) in stair-step fashion, so obtain enough to reach the height you need. To make 3 levels of steps as shown here, you'll need a row of 3 boxes, topped by a row of 2 boxes, topped by a single box, which makes 6 total.

The boxes on their own will likely be sturdy for cats and very small dogs, but if you want extra support, you'll need to insert some additional material inside the boxes. Again, aim for materials that are already sturdy and meant to support weight. To fill the 6 boxes, I mainly used styrofoam from electronics purchases (the exception to the "recyclable materials" comment in the description) and smaller cardboard boxes. For a couple, I even used the plastic water bottles that came in the boxes in originally, just flattened down and wedged together so the steps would be reasonably level and not bulging.

If you can, fill the entire box with an equal amount of filler material. If you don't have enough, you may be able to get by with just supporting the center of each step. Once you have a box filled, put some weight on it to make sure that it doesn't easily crush and that the material doesn't shift too much inside. Use tape, if necessary, to secure the filler material to a specific position inside each box. Next, you'll be taping the outside of the boxes to keep them closed and further hold things in place.

Next, tape all the boxes closed, and then begin to stack them in stair-step fashion. If they are all the same size, you'll have 3 on the bottom row, 2 on the next row up, and 1 on the top. If you need taller stairs, add another row on the bottom. (Or another column in the back, depending on how you prefer to look at it!)

Wrap tape around the boxes to secure them to each other. Use as much as you need to hold the boxes together, wrapping in multiple directions to keep them from sliding away from the stack. If you'll be moving your stairs a lot, it's worth it to go a little heavy on the tape here for longevity. Also, one feature of my boxes were the cut-out handles -- if you have them, or can make them, leave some un-taped so you can easily lift and carry the stairs when you need to move them.

At this point, the construction is finished, but in my experience, the mishmash of materials doesn't instill confidence in pets that aren't used to using stairs like this. So, your last step will be to cover the boxes to make them look solid... and less like a pile of boxes in your room.

Use your preferred fabric to cover the boxes on all exposed sides. Smooth it against the tread (where the foot goes) and riser (the vertical front) of each step, tucking it tight into the crease to make each step clearly defined. This is important to maintain the solid, stable appearance for reluctant pets. The sides can drape down or tuck in -- personally, I haven't found this to be as much a factor in pet comfort level.

To finish up, since my stairs were meant to remain in one place most of the time, I simply tucked the edges of the fabric around the back and underneath, thereby keeping it easy to remove and wash. However, if your stairs will be moved around frequently, like to help your pet in and out of your vehicle, you'll probably want to secure the fabric to the boxes with double-sided tape directly on the boxes, hook and loop tape (aka Velcro), or even consider sewing a fitted cover. Lots of room for creative variations on this.

So, that's it! Super quick and budget-friendly pet stairs to help your furry friends join you with ease. Thanks for reading!