Materials
- 2"x6" wood plank cut to 2 at 32" and 2 at 21"
- 1/2" plywood cut to 24" x 32"
- Rope (3 packages about 1/4" thick)
- Dowel-2" round solid wood dowel 4’ high/long cut to 33”, 24”, and 17 1⁄2”
- Birch branches (3 at 60”). Keep one 60”, cut the others into the following lengths: 24”, 38”, 42”
- 2 1/2 interior wood screws
- 1 1/4 interior wood screws
- Greenery (trees – your preference but I used 2)
- Carpet remnants (enough to fit the base and each level depending on the size you choose)
- 27/8”Lagscrews(canbe2”upto27/8”)
- Carpenter’s knife (or any sharp blade)
- 4 wooden boxes or trays of varying sizes. I used one box tray at 17 1⁄2” x 12 1⁄2”, two box trays at 14” x 11”, and one box tray at 11 1⁄2” x 8 1⁄2”.
- 1 1”x4” scrap wood (to help secure levels) I used about 4’ of one.
- Drill
- Drill bit smaller than your screws for pre-drilling (I used 1/8”)
- Hole saw drill bit about the size of your birch (I used 2”)
- Staple gun with staples
- Hot glue gun with glue sticks
- Blue painter’s tape
Steps
1. Take your fake trees out of their containers and set them aside. Cut off any part of
the tree that may still be covered in styrafoam or glue and discard.
2. Make all of your cuts (or have the hardware store do it for you), and set them aside.
3. Start to build your base. Set the 2”x6” boards on their sides so that the 6” side comes up taller from the floor. Set the 32” pieces on either side, and fit the 21” pieces in between so that it makes a box.
4. Using the longer screws, screw into the ends connecting the sides. I did not pre- drill these, but you can definitely pre-drill to make this process easier. Use at least three screws on each side so that the structure is solid.
5. Take the plywood top and set it into place on top of the 2”x6” base. Use the longer screws to screw it into place from the top down. Be generous with your screws here! Stronger is better, and it will be covered anyway so it doesn’t have to look perfect.
6. Take your dowels and add the rope to them. Use this method INSTEAD of glue so that your cat doesn’t get any unnecessary toxins. Drill a hole through the dowel towards the outside of the center (not right in the center) of the top and bottom of your dowel. Use a drill bit that is slightly larger than your rope. Take a larger bit (or paddle bit) to make a little section for your rope’s knot. Tape off the end of your rope with blue painter’s tape. Thread the rope through the hole and remove the tape. Tie a knot at the end of the rope and pull the other side taught. The knot should fit into hole you made. Wrap the entire dowel with rope. Thread the other side through the dowel and secure with a knot.
7. Take your one long birch piece and set it near the middle of your base. Mark it all the way around.
8. Take your smaller drill bit and drill through the center of your markings.
9. Take your 24” wood dowel and mark it on the base in the same manner as the birch.
10. Take your smaller drill bit and drill through the center of your markings.
11. Turn the base over on its side. This is where you might want to grab a friend to help you!
12. Pre-drill the center of the bottom of the birch.
13. Have someone hold the birch into place while you screw in the lag screws through the center of the pre-drilled hole from the underside of the base. Birch should hold tightly.
14. Repeat this process with the dowel.
15. Turn the base right-side up.
16. Using a hole saw, drill out a hole in the first (largest) box big enough to fit over the birch.
17. Bring the box over the birch all the way down to 24” from the base.
18. Screw in the top of the dowel downwards from the top of the box. This should
secure the box into place
19. Cut scrap piece of wood to use around the bottom side of the box where the birch goes in. Secure with the smaller screws.
20. Cut a piece of carpet so that it fits on top of your box. Mark and cut out any holes for branches or dowels.
21. Lay the carpet on top of each box and trim where necessary. Use hot glue to secure into place, and use staples all the way around to make sure your carpet stays. (This will get the most action from your kitties, so make sure it’s secure!)
22. Repeat this process for every level of your cat tree. You can create your own design, or use my exact dimensions in the attached diagram.
23. Add pieces of the fake tree around the entire structure to make it look like a real tree in the wild. Continue until you are happy with your greenery.
24. Get out your kitty treats and catnip and introduce your new cat tree to the kitties!
Get more information about this episode >>
Check out more fun DIY projects at the Home & Family Pinterest Page
