Two cushions are nestled inside a basket, one on top of the other; an electric pet-bed warmer (see Resources, below) sits between them. Any shallow basket will work. This one measures 14 inches wide, 19 inches long, and 6 inches deep. You can make the quilted fabric (see below) or buy it. I used a soft chambray bedsheet for my quilted pieces.

Cat Bed How-To
1. Place basket base on kraft paper, and trace around it. Cut out, then trim the pattern as needed to fit inside basket (a seam allowance isn't necessary).

2. Use the pattern to cut out 2 pieces of 2-inch-thick wool batting and 2 pieces of cotton fabric. For quilted pieces, follow online how-to or cut out 2 pieces of store-bought quilting.

3. Sandwich a piece of wool batting between a piece of quilted fabric and a piece of cotton fabric. The top and bottom layers should face right side out. Pin through all of the layers. Stitch along the circumference, 1/4 inch from edge. (Check periodically to be sure your needle is going through all
3 layers.) Remove pins.

4. Cut a piece of 1/2-inch-wide bias tape to go around the edge of the cushion, plus 1 inch. Pin to edge. Fold under last 1/2 inch, leaving 1/2 inch overlapping. Stitch. Remove pins.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make second cushion. Sandwich bed warmer between cushions, and place in basket, as shown below.

Quilting How-To
1. Follow step 1 in the cat-bed how-to to make the pillow pattern, then cut out 4 pieces of chambray fabric for the outside layers and 2 pieces of 1-inch-thick wool batting for the filling.

2. Place 1 of the pieces of fabric, wrong side up, on a flat surface in a well-ventilated area. Spray it with temporary spray adhesive made for fabric. Immediately place the fabric, sticky side down, on the batting. Working from the center out, smooth fabric to remove any ripples or creases.

3. Repeat step 2 with another piece of fabric on the other side of the batting.

4. With a ruler and a disappearing-ink fabric pen, mark diagonal parallel lines 3 inches apart on fabric. To prevent fabric from puckering, sew along lines in the same direction. Draw lines perpendicular to the first and 3 inches apart, and again sew in one direction.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 with remaining fabric and batting.

Resources
Fabric for pillows: chambray flannel twin sheet in Bluegrass Chambray (#7674), $28, from Garnet Hill, 800-870-3513. Small pet-bed warmer (KH-002-004), $24.95, by K&H Manufacturing, from Cozy Winters, 800-340-1528. Temporary spray adhesive, $12.99 for 3.6 oz., by Sulky, from Joann, 800-525-4951. 25 mm Bias-Tape Maker (#464-25), $7.50, from Clover, 800-233-1703. 88"-by-66" organic wool batting (#2102), $83.55, from Near Sea Naturals, 877-573-2913.