Upcycle An Old Skateboard Into The Coolest Pet Food Station

If your pet food setup lacks personality, you could give it a sick new look by transforming an old skateboard into a custom stand. Adding a feeding station is a simple pet-friendly home improvement project idea. Whether you're a skater with a few boards you no longer use or just someone who wants to build a simple aesthetic pet feeding station, this DIY project could be a great way to invite more color, flair, and personality to your pet routine. 

You'll need to source an old skate deck, materials for legs to keep the board off the ground, a drill, a jigsaw, strong glue, and some pet bowls. If you don't have an old skateboard, check garage sales and thrift stores for an inexpensive option with a fun design. To pull off this project, you'll want to select pet bowls with a lip so they can sit on the skate deck without falling through. Additionally, legs will support the deck so it isn't wobbly and will prevent the pet bowls from brushing the ground, creating a proper fit.

Still, there are a few things to keep in mind before you begin. If you have a cat or small dog, be sure the pet bowl is at a good height for your furry friend. This pet station may not be ideal for every pet, and it will require a little bit of DIY know-how. However, it could be an idea to hide the eyesore of pet bowls in your home by styling them in plain sight. Here's how to flip an old skateboard and give it new life as a pet bowl holder.

Once you've sourced your skateboard, remove the wheels, skateboard trucks, and base plates so you're left with only the skate deck. Flip the deck over so the bottom is facing upward and the deck nose and tail are angled down. Next, decide how to support the deck and keep it off the floor. One option is to link floor flanges with iron tees, elbows, and other fittings from the hardware store to create custom legs with an industrial vibe. To protect the floors, add black rubber leg caps to the piping. 

Once you have your leg squared away, measure the space where the cutouts will be made for the bowls. Since this project is ideal for pet bowls with lipped edges, measure the diameter inside the bowl, excluding the rim or lip. This should make the hole large enough for the bowl to fit into while letting the rim catch on the edge of the hole. We recommend using a compass, a pencil with a string, or a small trammel to draw out a perfect circle to guide your cutting. 

Before you begin cutting the holes, you can glue the legs to the top of the skate deck, which will be the bottom of the pet food station. Another option is to use brackets to secure the legs. Be sure not to attach the legs where you intend to cut the board. Then, you can safely cut out the circular bowl holes using a jigsaw, sand the cut edges, attach the rest of the piping to create the legs, and slot in your pet bowls. The bowls should rest securely from their rims without being permanently attached, allowing you to easily remove them to clean your pet bowls often.

Before you begin this project, there are a few things to consider. First, you don't have to use super glue to attach your leg stands. Using small screws no longer than the thickness of the board could be a sturdier option. Also, instead of using iron piping materials to create leg stands, you could use mini furniture legs, create a custom wood stand, orient your piping in a different shape, or opt to incorporate the skate trucks, if you prefer a different leg look. While the leg stands are super customizable, you'll also want to ensure that they are sturdy, tall enough to keep the bottom of the pet bowls off the ground, and short enough for your pet to properly eat out of the bowls.

If you don't have access to an old skateboard, you could translate this project to an old snowboard instead. If you have multiple pets and a large space for your feeding station, a snowboard lets you place several sets of bowls on one board. Keep in mind that snowboards are much bigger than skateboards, so you may have to use more custom measurements. You may also have to remove the snowboard bindings from their mounts before beginning this DIY. Turning an old skateboard into a pet feeding station could keep your home stylish when you have pets while offering a playful solution to a necessary part of your everyday life.