I'm currently engaged in commissioned work for a luxury hotel - at 28 pieces its the biggest commission I've ever know - and I'm not at liberty to share any images of it. However, as you may surmise, there is a lull in artwork proceedings at the moment, hence photoshop bonanza of step by steps pics following the making of Puppy's new couch step! Time wasting!

But really, this has needed making for ages, she's finding the couch a leap too far sometimes now so this is a boon...in a household where 'no pets on the furniture' was a no exceptions rule...until we got a pet...

artworkerprojects,pic13.2.JPG — Clever *Puppy!

Follow us on the step by step of making a pet step:

Enjoy! I did!

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.11.JPG — Find a box

Like this one, at a size appropriate to height of couch/bed/car door, cross referenced to size/age/agility of Beloved Pet. This is your step, the bottom of the box becomes the top of the step and happiness abounds.

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.31.2.jpg — Mine is

aroundabout this big

Its an empty cardboard box. Not a particle accelerator machine. Which would be cooler.

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.13.JPG — Reinforce

corners and edges

Shore it up around the bottom edges & up the corners with timber cut to size, lashings of PVA glue and the old staple gun. Utilise those timber scraps stacked up in the corner because FINALLY, they're useful. Here I've pulled apart a crappy pine stretcher frame and some odd ends & cut them sort-of-the-right lengths, sometimes they even end up at the same sized lengths! Mostly eyeballed measurements obviously, I'm an (obviously slapdash) artist & I'm practically expected to be 'creative' with stuff, like, especially stuff with numbers. Sweet deal!

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.6.JPG — Leave four legs

slightly proud of base

Allowing for upholstery fabric to wrap around to the inside under the edges. This here is the old mismeasurements masquerading as good thinking! Its totally a good idea though! I recommend it! People will think you're a clever thinker!

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.29.JPG — "Good job"

you say to self! And then say it again!

Looking FINE

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.5.2.JPG — Cut MDF board

bottom of box becomes top of step

MDF also preferably from scrap. I hate cutting into a full sheet just for some small thing, dont you? Bang in some nails at corner points as indicated. By red dots.

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.7.JPG — Glue on a layer

of that foam-ish table protector stuff

onto the MDF. It wont fit that well, but thats ok, its an offcut! Really burning through the Useful Box today!

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.8.JPG — Staple on a second layer

over the edges this time

because that'll make it nice & smooth for the upholstery fabric to stretch over. Damage control!

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.9.JPG — See

how nicely I've done it?

this time

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.10.JPG — Proper

upholstery fabric

scrap from the last time the couches were recovered. So thrifty! This fabric from Mokum, its fancy in a beige way and really hard wearing; all this happenstance is really banging today!

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.14.JPG — Then

staple gun time!

Its fun-er than nails or tacks or hot glue. I dont have a hot glue gun so its heaps fun-er than that for sure.

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.16.JPG — Fold in corners

trimming excess bulk

Dab glue along the inside of folded edge & use pins to keep the edges together for now. Thats a bonafide tip right there. Boom!

artworkerprojects,pUPPYSTEP.17.2.JPG — Needle 'n thread

time. Whipstitch

those corners carefully so the stitching isnt visible & remove the pins. It takes a while but as an artist you dont think of this as time consuming, because your perception of 'time consuming' is adjusted to reflect the laborious, tedious reality of your practice. Just sit & whip stitch it up, bitchezzz