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13 DIY Guinea Pig Hideout Ideas (With Pictures)

Jordyn Alger

By Jordyn Alger

red guinea pig hiding in wooden house

Guinea pigs require more than just a cage and food—they also need enrichment items, and one of those items includes hideouts. By giving your guinea pig a hideout, you are helping him feel more secure and providing a private space. While you can purchase a hideout for your pet, creating one yourself can be more entertaining and cost-effective. If you want to use your skills to provide for your guinea pig, check out these DIY guinea pig hideout ideas.

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The 13 DIY Guinea Pig Hideout Ideas

1. Hidey Hut

Materials: Outer fabric, soft inner fabric
Tools: Sewing machine, sewing thread, sewing needle, scissors, pins
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

If you’re adept at sewing, you can make good use of your skills with this hidey hut. With this project, you will be given the sewing pattern to craft your very own guinea pig hideout, including a detailed sewing tutorial. The video is thorough and covers each stage of the process, so while this DIY plan is moderately difficult, the clear instructions can walk anyone through the plan. This hidey hut is durable and allows you to choose your preference of fabrics so that you can create a hideout that is just as special as your pet.


2. Fleece Forest

Materials: Wire sheet, zip ties, blanket/fabric of choice
Tools: Scissors, marker, measuring tool
Difficulty Level: Easy

If sewing isn’t really your thing, the fleece forest hideout may be the perfect DIY plan for you. Although fabrics are involved in this process, there is absolutely no sewing. The main skills you will need are cutting, measuring, and tying—all perfect for a DIY beginner.

This project can make excellent use of old blankets, towels, or clothes, so if you are in the mood to repurpose any unused fabrics, look at this plan and see if any of your clothes will be suitable for this project.


3. Cozy Cave

Materials: Foam upholstery sheet, cotton fabric sheet
Tools: Pins, thread, pen, scissors, measuring tool
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

The cozy cave hideout requires a bit of sewing, but the sewing required isn’t overly complicated. If you’re interested in seeing your pet from both sides of the hideout, you can leave the side flap off and create a tunnel instead.

A huge benefit to this DIY plan is that it is machine washable and will retain its structure well after multiple washes. To further bolster the strength of your cozy cave, you can secure the foam insides by sewing a line or two through the middle to attach it directly to the fabric.


4. Guinea Pig House and Hay Rack

Materials: Wood, wooden dowel
Tools: Screws, screwdriver, power saw, pencil, measuring tool, sanding tool
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Do you prefer to work with wood over a needle and thread? Then, you should check out this wooden guinea pig house and hay rack. This DIY plan provides two uses in one building and gives your guinea pig privacy as well as a place to feed. While you will need to be somewhat familiar with woodworking, this project doesn’t require you to be an expert.

In the tutorial, you will find a helpful step-by-step video showing how to construct your guinea pig’s home and feeding rack. If you want to simplify the project, leave the hay rack off and build the house.


5. Fleece Guinea Pig Tunnel

Materials: Fleece, fabric pad
Tools: Sewing machine, pins, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy

This fleece guinea pig tunnel provides your pet plenty of room to hide while leaving both ends open for easy access and travel. Sewing will be required, but it is simple enough that this project could be the perfect fit for a sewing beginner.

The materials and tools needed are minimal, and you can purchase your fleece of choice along with a fabric pad. While the tutorial uses specific measurements, you can scale them up or down. You can also adjust the measurements accordingly if you prefer that your guinea pig’s hideout be longer or wider.


6. Simple Guinea Pig Tube Tunnel

Homemade Guinea Pig Toy DIY- Tunnel Tube1
Image Credit: calicavycollective

Materials: Cardboard tube container
Tools: Scissors or razor knife
Difficulty Level: Easy

This simple hideout requires only one piece of material and one tool: a cardboard tube and something to cut it with. The simple guinea pig tube tunnel may be the easiest guinea pig hideout that you can create, as you can use objects found around your home to construct it. Just cut out the ends of a cardboard cylinder, and you’ll have your guinea pig’s hideout.

A large oatmeal container is an excellent choice for the cardboard tube. If you use a container that once held food, wipe out the inside with a damp cloth to ensure it is nice and clean for your pet. If you want to remove any paper labels on the outside or decorate the tube to your liking, you are free to do so.


7. Fleece House

How to sew a guinea pig fleece house1
Image Credit: creativetien

Materials: Fleece, cotton
Tools: Measuring tool, scissors, pen, sewing machine, clamps
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

The fleece house is a comfy, safe space for your guinea pig to hide and spend private time. This tutorial includes a helpful step-by-step blog and a detailed video to guide you through the process of creating your soft home for your pet.

If you want to take on this project, you should be comfortable taking accurate measurements and using a sewing machine. On the plus side, this fleece house is highly customizable, and you can choose the fleece color and pattern you want to be displayed.


8. Upside-Down Cardboard Box Hideaway

Materials: Cardboard box
Tools: Scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy

If you’re looking for a simple, cheap DIY plan, the upside-down cardboard box hideaway is going to be hard to beat. All you will need is an empty cardboard box and a pair of scissors—both of which you likely have in your home right now!

This project can take as little as 10 minutes to complete, depending on how precise you are with a pair of scissors. Even better, this hideout is easily replaceable. If your guinea pig damages it by accident, it will take you almost no time or cost to build another.


9. Decorated Cardboard House

DIY Guinea Pig House1
Image Credit: instructables

Materials: Cardboard
Tools: Non-toxic glue, razor knife
Difficulty Level: Easy

If you like the idea of a cardboard house but want one with a little extra personality, you should check out this DIY plan for a decorated cardboard house. The decorations are nothing flashy, but the simplistic adornments provide a quaint appearance that gives the plain cardboard house a livelier look.

With a cardboard box, some non-toxic glue, and a razor knife, you can construct an adorable home for your guinea pig to relax in and get some privacy.


10. Guinea Pig Condo

Piggy Condos1
Image Credit: guineapigcages

Materials: Plywood, fleece, potty pads
Tools: Hammer, nails, pliers, screwdriver, screws, measuring tool
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

For households with multiple guinea pigs, this guinea pig condo is the perfect way to construct several hideouts at once. You will need to have some experience with woodworking in order to complete this DIY plan, but the project is not terribly complicated.

You will need plywood, fleece, and potty pads to create the homes. With a hammer and a screwdriver, you can combine your materials to create cute and compact condos for your pets. Even if you only have one or two guinea pigs, you can still use this DIY plan and create as many or as few spaces as you desire.


11. Cool House

Coolest Guinea Pig House2
Image Credit: instructables

Materials: Wood, coroplast, hardware cloth, outdoor thermometer, PVC pipe, screws, nails, staples, sandpaper, fabric, hook closure, glue sticks
Tools: Shovel, screwdriver, sander, staple gun, glue gun, jigsaw
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Difficulty Level: Difficult

If there are any DIY veterans that may be looking for a plan to test their skills, this cool house plan may be the perfect contender. Anyone attempting to construct this house hideout will need to be a knowledgeable builder experienced with power tools.

What makes this DIY plan so remarkable is that it provides multiple levels for your guinea pig to enjoy. This plan is also highly customizable, and you can decorate and paint the house to your liking.


12. Corner Fleece Canopy

Materials: Fleece
Tools: Sewing machine, sewing thread, measuring tool, grommets, hammer, hooks
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

For households with ferrets, rats, or other small pets like the guinea pig, the corner fleece canopy is a great fit. This hideout makes great use of the corner of your guinea pig’s cage, attaching to the sides to drape a canopy of fleece overhead.

Since this plan requires you to insert grommets into the fleece, you will want to be somewhat experienced with sewing. The project may require a bit of patience and time, so make sure you are able to set aside an hour or so to get it done.


13. Snuggle Sack

Materials: Fleece
Tools: Sewing machine, thread, scissors, sewing clips, measuring tool
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Not only will this snuggle sack give your guinea pig a place to hide, but it will also keep him cozy and warm! This DIY plan doesn’t have a particularly sturdy shape, which is why it is considered a sack rather than a home or cave. However, it is machine washable and reversible, making it highly convenient for you to clean.

In the tutorial, there are other size measurements shown. So, if you would like to create snuggle sacks for other pets, you can do so by adjusting the measurements accordingly.

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Final Thoughts

Guinea pigs need to feel safe, and hideouts are a perfect way to provide security and privacy. Store-bought hideouts are expensive, which is why so many people turn to DIY projects instead. There is a project on this list for everyone, whether you are a DIY novice or an experienced contractor. We hope this list has helped you to gather some ideas for your next DIY project and given you the inspiration to create something your guinea pig will adore.


Featured Image Credit: Dev_Maryna, Shutterstock

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