Spending on Halloween costumes is set to hit $3.4 billion this year, according to an annual survey by the National Retail Federation, and 16 percent of consumers are itching to spend some of that money to get their pets in the spooky spirit. Instead, save for candy, pumpkins, and your own Halloween getup by making a pet costume that’s both inexpensive and easy. With these DIY ideas, your furry friend will be ready to go trick-or-treating with the family or roam the room during a Halloween party.
CLASSY GENTLEMAN
Dress up an animal collar using a kid-size collared shirt. Cut the collar off the shirt, including the base with the top button, and hot glue it to a dollar-store pet collar. Embellish by adding a bow tie, or try the full businessman with instructions from HGTV. Don’t forget a necktie to finish the look.
BEANIE BABY
Any pet can be made to look like a beloved collectible. Cut a big red heart out of cardstock, craft foam, or felt. Then cut the letters “Ty” out of white material and paste on top. Fasten the “tag” to your pet’s neck or collar with a red ribbon.
MARTINI
Transform the “cone of shame” into a martini. Paint some foam balls to look like green olives and skewer them with a wooden dowel, or follow Brit + Co‘s instructions for making olives out of felt. Then place the dowel inside an Elizabethan collar and secure it with a piece of electrical tape or hot glue.
TOGA
A toga can be fashioned from a white pillowcase cut at the seams or fabric from a white T-shirt that fits your pet. Drape the fabric, then fasten with a few small stitches, safety pins, fabric tape, or a knot. Glue some greenery to elastic and place it around your pet’s head. For a pet that detests headwear, add greenery to the collar instead.
WATCHDOGS
To make a “watchdog” costume featured in Southern Living, use cardboard or craft foam to make the face of a clock and glue it to a wide strip of fabric that serves as the watch band. Fasten the fabric around the dog’s belly with the clock side facing up.
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SUPERHERO
Use a blue baby onesie as a foundation for this costume. Cuteness recommends cutting off the part with the snaps at the bottom and hemming with a needle and thread or fabric tape. Then attach a red cape made from felt or an old T-shirt.
COW
A dog with a black-and-white coat can become a Holstein with a couple of simple accessories. Blow up a pink latex glove to create an udder and tie it around the hips. Then string a cowbell (about $5 at Walmart) on the dog’s collar.
ROCKET DOG
To re-create an idea posted on Costume Works, spray paint two empty soda bottles silver or grey, then duct tape them together. Tape strips of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper to the bottle openings for flames. Attach the rocket boosters to a harness, dog shirt, or baby onesie.
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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles make a fun group costume for pets. With some Mod Podge, paint, and instructions from the blog Crafts by Courtney, a foil turkey pan becomes a turtle shell. The rest comes together with a shirt, ribbon, and hook-and-loop adhesive tape.
THING 1 AND THING 2
For two pets, a Dr. Seussian costume idea from the blog Farmhouse 38 requires red pet shirts or T-shirts that fit. Cut circles out of white craft foam, cardstock, or felt and print the words “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” in black on top. Fasten with hot glue, a few stitches, or a safety pin.
S’MORE
Start this costume from Studio DIY with a white dog shirt or a baby onesie to create the marshmallow. Cut brown felt to look like melting chocolate, and add squares of cardboard to the top and bottom of the costume for graham crackers.
M&M’S
A DIY M&M’s costume from the blog Beagles & Bargains requires a dog shirt (or onesie), felt, yarn, quilt batting, and a few other supplies. Follow the directions to make the M&M’s, then pile them on your pup.
PINEAPPLE
Turn a yellow onesie into a tropical costume with instructions from Brit + Co. Use a gold Sharpie or fabric pen to create a pineapple pattern. Make the headpiece out of Velcro and green felt.
DINOSAUR
This no-sew costume from Martha Stewart requires a child-size tank top, felt, and scissors. Use the provided templates to cut the felt into stegosaurus spikes and cut small slits in the back of the shirt. Then slip the spikes through the slots.
LITTLE MONSTER
DIY Network has instructions for a quick, no-sew three-eyed monster costume. It’s just fleece, felt, and table tennis balls.
