Easy, Last-Minute DIY Halloween Costumes for Dogs
Sundays
Does your dog want to get in on the dress up fun? Here's some simple costume ideas for dogs that you can DIY at home.
It’s a few weeks before Halloween, and you have all the accessories you need for your costume. But what about your dog’s costume?
All the good stuff is probably already gone from the shelves, and you do not want to get involved in the last-minute costume frenzy. If you order something, it might not get there on time.
We’ve been there, so we put together this guide for some simple DIY Halloween costumes for dogs.
UPS Dog
It’s an unlikely match made in heaven–dogs and UPS drivers. They even have their own dedicated social channels where people share pics of their UPS drivers with their dogs (check out UPS Dogs on Facebook and @upsdogs on Instagram). It also makes a great last-minute dog Halloween costume.
Supplies:
- Kid-size brown long-sleeve shirt or hoodie (adult-size if you have a big dog)
- Small cardboard box (Make sure it’s not an Amazon box if you’re going for authenticity.)
- 2 empty toilet paper rolls
- 2 old crew socks that match the color of your dog’s fur
- Stuffing (could be newspaper, socks, plastic bags, or whatever you can find)
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Brown hat
- Piece of cardboard
- Markers or construction paper (can substitute a printer)
You can see where this is going. But here are the steps just in case:
- Make sure the shirt fits your dog.
- Push a fist-sized amount of stuffing down into the toe area of each sock.
- Slide one toilet paper roll inside each sock for the arms, then stuff them.
- Glue the ends of the socks shut, then glue those ends to the front shoulder area of the shirt. (Don’t do this while the shirt is on your dog, but you may want to try it on and mark where you want the arms to be glued.)
- Glue the “hand” ends to each side of the package as if your dog was holding it in front of them.
- Either print the UPS symbol (2 inches tall by 1.5 inches wide) or make one using construction paper and markers.
- Trace the symbol on cardboard and cut out the outline.
- Glue the symbol to the cardboard and then to the hat.
- Tell your dog to get to work! Packages wait for no dog!
Taco Tues-Dog!
Who doesn’t love a dog in a food costume? We’re pretty sure dogs of all sizes will look good carrying around a “taco” on their back for Halloween. Here’s how to make taco Tues-dog a reality.
Supplies:
- 2 cardboard boxes (as tall/long as your dog)
- Scissors
- Tissue paper (green, red, yellow)
- Duct tape
- Glue gun and glue sticks
Steps:
- Cut out two taco sides from the cardboard box (length=chest to tail; height=belly to top of back).
- Cut out another cardboard piece about 6 inches shorter than the length of the taco pieces, and about 8 inches wider than your dog.
- Use the second piece as the top connector piece for your taco pieces. It will sit on your dog’s back. Fold each end in about 4 inches from the end. Use duct tape to secure these 4-inch ends about 3 inches below the top of each inside taco piece. Now you have a sandwich-board type piece to place over your dog.
- Use the glue gun to glue “toppings,” aka tissue paper to the top cardboard piece. Make sure they are scrunched up and stick up over the top of the taco.
- Do a fitting with your dog. While it's on your dog, measure a piece of cardboard that will go under your dog’s neck, across their chest, and secure the ends with duct tape to each side of the taco to make it secure.
Slice o’ Bread Around the Head
Everyone’s seen the “cat breading” pics across the interwebs with a cat’s head poking through a slice of bread. But it’s about time someone started a dog breading trend. You and your pup might just be the ones to do it with this super-easy Halloween costume.
Supplies:
- Large cardboard box
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Piece of string or strip of cardboard (to measure around your pet’s neck)
Steps:
- Draw a bread slice on a square cardboard piece (make sure it’s bigger than your dog’s head!).
- Cut out the bread slice.
- Measure around your pet’s neck with a piece of string, soft measuring tape, or even a strip of cardboard.
- Find a round object the same size as your pet’s neck and use it to trace a circle in the middle of the slice of bread. Cut out the circle.
- Make a cut from the bottom of the toast up to the edge of the circle. Use this opening to slide the bread around your dog’s head.
Pup-Tart Toaster
Okay, maybe we can’t get enough of dogs in cute food costumes! But this one is a classic. Transform your dog into a walking toaster with a strawberry “pup-tart” in it–everyone’s favorite flavor. Here’s how.
Supplies:
- Cardboard box (almost the length of your dog and wider than your dog)
- Another small or medium-size cardboard box
- White construction paper, white felt sheets, or a bag of cotton balls
- Glitter, colorful felt pieces, or bag of colorful mini pom poms
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Silver duct tape or spray paint
- Scissors
Steps:
- Remove the bottom of the first box.
- Cut out an arch shape from each end of the box (so it can rest on your dog’s back).
- Cover the “toaster” in duct tape or spray paint it and let it dry.
- Cut out a pop tart shape from the second cardboard box. Glue white construction paper or felt sheets or cotton balls to the PopTart for the frosting, leaving the edges unfrosted.
- Add the sprinkles by gluing on pom poms, glitter, or small felt circles.
- Secure the PopTart to the top of the toaster with the glue gun.
Undercover Black Cat
Maybe your dog’s always felt like a cat deep inside. There’s only one way to find out and make your pup’s dreams come true. Transform them into a black cat for Halloween! This one is super easy.
Supplies:
- Kid, adult, or dog hoodie depending on your dog’s size (black)
- Black and pink felt sheets (or cardboard with black and pink construction paper)
- Glue gun
- Glue stick (if using construction paper)
Steps:
- Make sure the hoodie fits your dog!
- Cut out ears:
- Cardboard: Cut out ear shapes, then trace them on the black construction paper and cut them out. Cut out slightly smaller pink ears. Paste the pink ear shapes onto the black ear shapes, and then paste that onto your cardboard ears. Glue the ears onto the hoodie with the glue gun.
- Felt: Cut out ear shapes from the black felt, and slightly smaller ears from the pink felt. Glue the pink ears onto the black ears. Then glue the ears onto the hoodie with the glue gun.