Getting everyone ready for Halloween can be an overwhelming task, especially if you have multiple kids to get prepared. That can mean that getting your dog ready for Halloween falls on the back burner. Your dog’s costume is the last thing you get to doesn’t mean you can’t throw a fun costume together quickly, though! There are multiple costume ideas that allow you to show your creativity and mastery of DIY projects, and some of those will only take you a few hours to put together. Here are some of our very favorite DIY dog costumes that you can put together at the last minute.
The 14 DIY Dog Costume Ideas
- Corn Dog
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Yellow shirt, yellow fabric, polyfil, large faux leaves
Tools: Scissors, sewing kit, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you like puns as much as we do, you’ll love this clever corn dog costume. By turning your dog into a walking ear of corn, you’re creating your very own corn dog! This project does take some time because you will have to create multiple small balls to attach to the shirt, giving your costume corn kernels. However, if you stumble across medium-sized fabric balls, then you might be able to get away with not making each kernel from scratch. With a little time, ingenuity, and hand sewing skills, you’ll have this costume whipped up in just a few hours.
- Gumball Machine
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Pompoms, white shirt, red fabric, cardboard
Tools: Hot glue gun, scissors, black marker
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you’re into sweet treats, then this gumball machine costume might be just what you’re looking for. With plenty of patients and lots of pompoms, you’ll have your dog looking like an old-fashioned gumball machine in no time! A mixture of a variety of sizes and colors of pompoms is best. If you want to really bring the costume together, you can create a sweet 25-cent sign to attach to your dog. The bottom portion of the costume can be made how you think your dog will be happiest. You can dye the bottom half of the shirt with fabric dye or create a red bottom portion with tulle or other fun fabric.
- Dragon Wings
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Black felt, wire coat hanger, Velcro, fusible web, fusible interfacing, black marker
Tools: Scissors, hot glue gun, wire cutters, rotary cutter, ruler, iron
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you’re interested in fantasy, turning your loyal companion into a dragon is probably near the top of your priority list. This project does require some knowledge of specific tools, as well as access to specialty products, like fusible web, so it is not a beginner-friendly project. With the right tools and knowledge, this should only take a few hours to create from scratch. If you prefer, you can cut the wings to a different shape and make bat wings instead of dragon wings. You can also use this template to create just about any kind of wings, from a Pegasus to an eagle.
- Pinata
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Colorful felt, sombrero
Tools: Scissors, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Easy
Looking for something quick, colorful, and beginner-friendly? Then look no further than this fun pinata costume! This project requires little more than cutting and gluing until you’ve created a clothing item for your dog. You can also attach the fabric strips to a shirt to make things even easier. This project shouldn’t take more than an hour or two, depending on who’s helping you make all these repetitive cuts. This project offers you a lot of customization based on the colors and number of layers you choose to add to it.
- Jetpack
Check Instructions Here
Materials: 2-liter soda bottles, silver paint, harness, construction paper, NASA logo, harness
Tools: Duct tape, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy
This simple jetpack costume will take you less than an hour to put together, although your paint may require some drying time between painting and putting the costume together. This is a fun project option if you have little ones who might want to help since it doesn’t require the use of any hot glue. For the flames coming out of the jetpack, you can use colorful construction paper or tissue paper, so kid-safe scissors will likely suffice if you’ve got little ones helping. Since you’ll be using duct tape to put the costume together, you won’t have to worry about ruining your dog’s harness.
- Lightning Bug
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Black sweater, pipe cleaners, wings, battery-operated light
Tools: Hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Easy
If you’ve got a battery-operated light lying around the house, this lightning bug costume might be the perfect use for it. It’s a great option for a cold-natured dog as well since you’ll be using a fleece-type sweater for this. Make sure to select a light that won’t be blinding to look toward since it will be on your dog’s hiney the whole time they’re wearing the costume. This costume will take practically no time to put together if you already have the materials.
- Ghost
Check Instructions Here
Materials: White sheet or pillowcase, collar
Tools: Scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy
This fun ghost costume is unbelievably easy to make. So easy, in fact, that you’ll likely have it put together in about 5 minutes! Simply cut holes in a sheet or pillowcase for your dog’s eyes and nose, then slip it over your dog’s head. Widen your dog’s collar just enough to allow for the sheet to safely fit underneath without your dog feeling too much pressure on their neck. This is a good way to use old sheets and pillowcases you might have squirreled away in your garage or linen closet.
- Cereal Bowl
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Pool noodles, foil, cardboard, cone
Tools: Superglue, box cutter
Difficulty Level: Easy
Do you have a dog that has to wear a cone of shame? Turn them into a bowl of cereal! This project is extremely quick and easy to put together, but use caution with small children since you’ll need a box cutter to cut the pool noodles into pieces and superglue to put everything together. Keep in mind that once you start using superglue on your dog’s cone, you won’t be able to remove whatever you attach. You may need to consider adding a small layer of fabric or paper over the cone to protect it, so your dog isn’t stuck living like a bowl of cereal until the cone comes off.
- Martini
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Wooden dowel, foam balls, green paint, red paint or felt, cone
Tools: Paint brush, superglue
Difficulty Level: Easy
Looking for a more grown-up version of the cereal bowl cone costume? Then turn your dog into a martini! This is another fun way to use a cone your dog already has to wear for some reason. This is an easy project that requires essentially no skills until it comes to attaching the wooden dowel to the cone. You can use your creativity with this project, though, so don’t sweat it! Just make sure that the wooden dowel you use is lightweight and doesn’t have a pointed end toward your dog.
- Seal
Check Instructions Here
Materials: White hoodie, white felt, black or gray marker
Tools: Hot glue or sewing kit
Difficulty Level: Easy
If your dog already has a white hoodie around the house, you’re almost ready to put this costume together. You’ll need a handful of supplies and a little creativity to turn your dog into a seal. This costume will work best if you can find a way to attach the seal’s flippers to your dog’s front legs, hiding the legs when viewed from the side. Just make sure you use a strip of fabric or Velcro that is large enough to not cut off proper blood supply to the lower portion of your dog’s legs and feet.
- M&Ms
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Felt, polyfil, yarn, white shirt
Tools: Sewing kit, fabric glue, utility knife, scissors
Difficulty Level: Moderate
You might not have to have the best sewing skills for this project, but you will greatly benefit from at least some basic sewing skills. You’ll essentially be threading yarn or thick thread through pre-cut holes in felt circles, allowing you to stuff them with polyfil and then pull the thread, closing up the ball. Glue an “M” to the front of the ball, and you’ve got an M&M! You’ll attach all the M&Ms you make to a white shirt with fabric glue, and suddenly your dog will be a tube of M&M candies.
- Hostess Cupcake
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Brown fabric, Velcro, white fabric paint or felt
Tools: Sewing kit
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you’ve got the sewing skills to throw together this horse blanket-style dog coat, then you can get this Hostess cupcake costume put together in just a couple of hours. You just need a piece of solid brown fabric, and either white fabric paint or white felt to serve as the frosting swirls on top of the cupcake. This is a good option for cooler weather, especially if you make the jacket from a heavy material or provide an insulating layer to keep your dog extra cozy.
- Horse
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Yarn, fabric, construction paper or thin cardboard
Tools: Duct tape, hot glue
Difficulty Level: Moderate
This costume will turn your dog into a horse in just an hour or two! You’ll need to get creative when it comes to attaching the mane, tail, and hooves you create to your dog. Make sure not to attach anything to your dog in a way that cuts into the skin or cuts off circulation to any part of the body. Finding ways to attach everything securely and safely to your dog is going to be your biggest challenge with turning your dog into a horse.
- Hershey’s Kiss
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Aluminum foil, cardboard, Hershey’s kisses print off
Tools: Superglue or hot glue
Difficulty Level: Easy
Turning your dog into a tasty Hershey’s kiss is a fun and easy project idea. You don’t even really have to attach the foil to anything except your dog’s collar, saving you time and energy in making this costume. You will likely need to use a piece of cardboard to form the kisses point and then wrap that in foil to help it maintain its shape. Getting the firmness in the Hershey’s kiss logo, so it’s visible is likely to be the most difficult part of this project, but it can be achieved by gluing it to a piece of cardboard or using dowels or wire to give it shape.
Final Thoughts We hope this list of DIY projects has inspired you to begin putting together a creative Halloween costume for your dog. When your dog struts down the street in one of these costumes, they will instantly become the talk of the town!
Featured Image Credit: Paige Cody, Unsplash
Getting everyone ready for Halloween can be an overwhelming task, especially if you have multiple kids to get prepared. That can mean that getting your dog ready for Halloween falls on the back burner. Your dog’s costume is the last thing you get to doesn’t mean you can’t throw a fun costume together quickly, though!
There are multiple costume ideas that allow you to show your creativity and mastery of DIY projects, and some of those will only take you a few hours to put together. Here are some of our very favorite DIY dog costumes that you can put together at the last minute.
The 14 DIY Dog Costume Ideas
- Corn Dog
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Yellow shirt, yellow fabric, polyfil, large faux leaves
Tools: Scissors, sewing kit, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you like puns as much as we do, you’ll love this clever corn dog costume. By turning your dog into a walking ear of corn, you’re creating your very own corn dog! This project does take some time because you will have to create multiple small balls to attach to the shirt, giving your costume corn kernels.
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Yellow shirt, yellow fabric, polyfil, large faux leaves
Tools: Scissors, sewing kit, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Moderate
However, if you stumble across medium-sized fabric balls, then you might be able to get away with not making each kernel from scratch. With a little time, ingenuity, and hand sewing skills, you’ll have this costume whipped up in just a few hours.
- Gumball Machine
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Pompoms, white shirt, red fabric, cardboard
Tools: Hot glue gun, scissors, black marker
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you’re into sweet treats, then this gumball machine costume might be just what you’re looking for. With plenty of patients and lots of pompoms, you’ll have your dog looking like an old-fashioned gumball machine in no time! A mixture of a variety of sizes and colors of pompoms is best. If you want to really bring the costume together, you can create a sweet 25-cent sign to attach to your dog.
Materials: Pompoms, white shirt, red fabric, cardboard
Tools: Hot glue gun, scissors, black marker
Difficulty Level: Moderate
The bottom portion of the costume can be made how you think your dog will be happiest. You can dye the bottom half of the shirt with fabric dye or create a red bottom portion with tulle or other fun fabric.
- Dragon Wings
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Black felt, wire coat hanger, Velcro, fusible web, fusible interfacing, black marker
Tools: Scissors, hot glue gun, wire cutters, rotary cutter, ruler, iron
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you’re interested in fantasy, turning your loyal companion into a dragon is probably near the top of your priority list. This project does require some knowledge of specific tools, as well as access to specialty products, like fusible web, so it is not a beginner-friendly project.
Materials: Black felt, wire coat hanger, Velcro, fusible web, fusible interfacing, black marker
Tools: Scissors, hot glue gun, wire cutters, rotary cutter, ruler, iron
Difficulty Level: Moderate
With the right tools and knowledge, this should only take a few hours to create from scratch. If you prefer, you can cut the wings to a different shape and make bat wings instead of dragon wings. You can also use this template to create just about any kind of wings, from a Pegasus to an eagle.
- Pinata
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Colorful felt, sombrero
Tools: Scissors, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Easy
Looking for something quick, colorful, and beginner-friendly? Then look no further than this fun pinata costume! This project requires little more than cutting and gluing until you’ve created a clothing item for your dog. You can also attach the fabric strips to a shirt to make things even easier.
Materials: Colorful felt, sombrero
Tools: Scissors, hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Easy
This project shouldn’t take more than an hour or two, depending on who’s helping you make all these repetitive cuts. This project offers you a lot of customization based on the colors and number of layers you choose to add to it.
- Jetpack
Check Instructions Here
Materials: 2-liter soda bottles, silver paint, harness, construction paper, NASA logo, harness
Tools: Duct tape, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy
This simple jetpack costume will take you less than an hour to put together, although your paint may require some drying time between painting and putting the costume together. This is a fun project option if you have little ones who might want to help since it doesn’t require the use of any hot glue. For the flames coming out of the jetpack, you can use colorful construction paper or tissue paper, so kid-safe scissors will likely suffice if you’ve got little ones helping. Since you’ll be using duct tape to put the costume together, you won’t have to worry about ruining your dog’s harness.
Materials: 2-liter soda bottles, silver paint, harness, construction paper, NASA logo, harness
Tools: Duct tape, scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy
- Lightning Bug
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Black sweater, pipe cleaners, wings, battery-operated light
Tools: Hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Easy
If you’ve got a battery-operated light lying around the house, this lightning bug costume might be the perfect use for it. It’s a great option for a cold-natured dog as well since you’ll be using a fleece-type sweater for this. Make sure to select a light that won’t be blinding to look toward since it will be on your dog’s hiney the whole time they’re wearing the costume. This costume will take practically no time to put together if you already have the materials.
Materials: Black sweater, pipe cleaners, wings, battery-operated light
Tools: Hot glue gun
Difficulty Level: Easy
- Ghost
Check Instructions Here
Materials: White sheet or pillowcase, collar
Tools: Scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy
This fun ghost costume is unbelievably easy to make. So easy, in fact, that you’ll likely have it put together in about 5 minutes! Simply cut holes in a sheet or pillowcase for your dog’s eyes and nose, then slip it over your dog’s head. Widen your dog’s collar just enough to allow for the sheet to safely fit underneath without your dog feeling too much pressure on their neck. This is a good way to use old sheets and pillowcases you might have squirreled away in your garage or linen closet.
Materials: White sheet or pillowcase, collar
Tools: Scissors
Difficulty Level: Easy
- Cereal Bowl
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Pool noodles, foil, cardboard, cone
Tools: Superglue, box cutter
Difficulty Level: Easy
Do you have a dog that has to wear a cone of shame? Turn them into a bowl of cereal! This project is extremely quick and easy to put together, but use caution with small children since you’ll need a box cutter to cut the pool noodles into pieces and superglue to put everything together. Keep in mind that once you start using superglue on your dog’s cone, you won’t be able to remove whatever you attach. You may need to consider adding a small layer of fabric or paper over the cone to protect it, so your dog isn’t stuck living like a bowl of cereal until the cone comes off.
Materials: Pool noodles, foil, cardboard, cone
Tools: Superglue, box cutter
Difficulty Level: Easy
- Martini
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Wooden dowel, foam balls, green paint, red paint or felt, cone
Tools: Paint brush, superglue
Difficulty Level: Easy
Looking for a more grown-up version of the cereal bowl cone costume? Then turn your dog into a martini! This is another fun way to use a cone your dog already has to wear for some reason. This is an easy project that requires essentially no skills until it comes to attaching the wooden dowel to the cone. You can use your creativity with this project, though, so don’t sweat it! Just make sure that the wooden dowel you use is lightweight and doesn’t have a pointed end toward your dog.
Materials: Wooden dowel, foam balls, green paint, red paint or felt, cone
Tools: Paint brush, superglue
Difficulty Level: Easy
- Seal
Check Instructions Here
Materials: White hoodie, white felt, black or gray marker
Tools: Hot glue or sewing kit
Difficulty Level: Easy
If your dog already has a white hoodie around the house, you’re almost ready to put this costume together. You’ll need a handful of supplies and a little creativity to turn your dog into a seal. This costume will work best if you can find a way to attach the seal’s flippers to your dog’s front legs, hiding the legs when viewed from the side. Just make sure you use a strip of fabric or Velcro that is large enough to not cut off proper blood supply to the lower portion of your dog’s legs and feet.
Materials: White hoodie, white felt, black or gray marker
Tools: Hot glue or sewing kit
Difficulty Level: Easy
- M&Ms
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Felt, polyfil, yarn, white shirt
Tools: Sewing kit, fabric glue, utility knife, scissors
Difficulty Level: Moderate
You might not have to have the best sewing skills for this project, but you will greatly benefit from at least some basic sewing skills. You’ll essentially be threading yarn or thick thread through pre-cut holes in felt circles, allowing you to stuff them with polyfil and then pull the thread, closing up the ball. Glue an “M” to the front of the ball, and you’ve got an M&M! You’ll attach all the M&Ms you make to a white shirt with fabric glue, and suddenly your dog will be a tube of M&M candies.
Materials: Felt, polyfil, yarn, white shirt
Tools: Sewing kit, fabric glue, utility knife, scissors
Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Hostess Cupcake
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Brown fabric, Velcro, white fabric paint or felt
Tools: Sewing kit
Difficulty Level: Moderate
If you’ve got the sewing skills to throw together this horse blanket-style dog coat, then you can get this Hostess cupcake costume put together in just a couple of hours. You just need a piece of solid brown fabric, and either white fabric paint or white felt to serve as the frosting swirls on top of the cupcake. This is a good option for cooler weather, especially if you make the jacket from a heavy material or provide an insulating layer to keep your dog extra cozy.
Materials: Brown fabric, Velcro, white fabric paint or felt
Tools: Sewing kit
Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Horse
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Yarn, fabric, construction paper or thin cardboard
Tools: Duct tape, hot glue
Difficulty Level: Moderate
This costume will turn your dog into a horse in just an hour or two! You’ll need to get creative when it comes to attaching the mane, tail, and hooves you create to your dog. Make sure not to attach anything to your dog in a way that cuts into the skin or cuts off circulation to any part of the body. Finding ways to attach everything securely and safely to your dog is going to be your biggest challenge with turning your dog into a horse.
Materials: Yarn, fabric, construction paper or thin cardboard
Tools: Duct tape, hot glue
Difficulty Level: Moderate
- Hershey’s Kiss
Check Instructions Here
Materials: Aluminum foil, cardboard, Hershey’s kisses print off
Tools: Superglue or hot glue
Difficulty Level: Easy
Turning your dog into a tasty Hershey’s kiss is a fun and easy project idea. You don’t even really have to attach the foil to anything except your dog’s collar, saving you time and energy in making this costume. You will likely need to use a piece of cardboard to form the kisses point and then wrap that in foil to help it maintain its shape. Getting the firmness in the Hershey’s kiss logo, so it’s visible is likely to be the most difficult part of this project, but it can be achieved by gluing it to a piece of cardboard or using dowels or wire to give it shape.
Materials: Aluminum foil, cardboard, Hershey’s kisses print off
Tools: Superglue or hot glue
Difficulty Level: Easy
Final Thoughts
We hope this list of DIY projects has inspired you to begin putting together a creative Halloween costume for your dog. When your dog struts down the street in one of these costumes, they will instantly become the talk of the town!
Featured Image Credit: Paige Cody, Unsplash
