Don't limit your Halloween crafting just to your human family members—instead, get everyone in on the fun, fur babies included. With so many families now bringing Fido along when celebrating Halloween, it's only right that they have their own costumes as well. We've compiled a list of super creative DIY dog costumes to try out on four-legged friends of all sizes.
One quick tip: Be sure to start desensitizing your dog to wearing articles of clothing and accessories prior to Halloween if you want them to wear the outfit for a longer period of time (and not just for a photo!). Otherwise, put the costume on and snap a photo before the dog rips it off.
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01 of 19
Take Inspiration From a Favorite Movie
Do your kids have an obsession with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Dress up your furry friend to match. This costume is easier than it looks to make—all you need is a turkey fry pan, paint, ribbon, and a shirt to get started.
Fun Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Dog Costume from Crafts by Courtney
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02 of 19
Send Your Dog to Outer Space
If you have an affinity for space and NASA, this "jet pack" creation is perfect for your pup. Craft it using two 1-liter soda bottles, spray paint, and tissue paper. You can attach the rocket directly to your dog's harness using duct tape—they may not even notice it's on.
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03 of 19
Turn Your Dog Into Your Favorite Candy
This DIY dog costume might take longer to make than some of the others, but the end result is totally worth it. Fill felt M&M's with cotton stuffing to keep the overall costume light and comfortable for your dog.
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04 of 19
Fashion a Unicorn Horn
If you want to hop on the unicorn trend, gather up some shiny gold fabric and yarn. To make the costume extra girly, add a tulle tutu for your pup to wear. Just be sure to supervise your dog while wearing this costume so they don't accidentally ingest any yarn.
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05 of 19
Add a Custom Tag to Their Collar
There are a variety of accessories you can add to your dog's collar for Halloween. One idea is to make large Ty Beanie Baby tags using felt. This costume works best with dogs that are small, fluffy, and look like stuffed animals.
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06 of 19
Learn How to Make a Cupcake Dog Costume
This lightweight cupcake costume is such a cute conversation starter and uses only a few supplies to make. Head to your local craft store and pick up some felt, a paper mache box, cotton batting, and a few tools to get started.
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07 of 19
Wrap Your Dog Into a Mummy
Try out this Halloween classic on your dog using medical gauze. To recreate this look, soak medical gauze in brown tea water. Rinse and dry thoroughly, then adhere the gauze to some white dog pajamas.
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08 of 19
Paint Your Puppy Into Something New
It might seem wrong to paint your puppy, but there is actually pet-safe paint on the market for this such thing. People have painted their dogs into zebras, skeletons, tigers, ladybugs, and more. Your imagination is your only limitation on this one.
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09 of 19
Try Out This Dinosaur Dog Hoodie
For dogs with shorter coats, dog hoodies are a good idea for long, blustery walks. If you regularly put your dog in a hoodie, you can easily transform one you already have into a dinosaur for Halloween using felt and a hot glue gun.
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10 of 19
Play Out a Childhood Book
Some wolf-like dog breeds like Huskies make a great big bad wolf from The Little Red Riding Hood. All you need to do is dress your dog up like grandma using a bonnet. If you have two dogs, turn the other one into Little Red Riding Hood using a red cape.
Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf Pet Dog Costumes from Coolest Homemade Costumes
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11 of 19
Teach Your Dog to Play Dead
Add a little gore to your dog's Halloween costume with this clever dagger in the throat collar. Transform a piece of felt into a bloody collar. Next, use lightweight cardboard to make a fake knife—the original creator used a cereal box. Bonus points if your dog can "play dead" on command.
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12 of 19
Find a Harry Potter Inspired Scarf and Glasses
Harry Potter fans have found dozens of ways to transform their pooches into their favorite Wizarding characters, and the results are beyond cute. You can repurpose scarves and glasses you own, or you can make glasses using pipe cleaners.
Harry Potter Costume from @good_mood_and_pictures on Instagram
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13 of 19
Turn Your Dog Into a To-Go Cup
This Halloween costume is super easy to recreate using cardboard, a Starbucks logo, and a to-go coffee lid as the hat. If you have a different local coffee shop you prefer, just swap out the logo.
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14 of 19
Put Together This No-Sew Pirate
You don't need to own a sewing machine to be able to create intricate dog costumes. Take this pirate costume, for instance—you can repurpose an old tank top and adhere pirate accessories to it using a hot glue gun.
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15 of 19
Hide Away This Garden Gnome
The two main components of this garden gnome costume are felt and craft fur, which can be both found at your local craft store. The mini mushrooms add a whimsical touch and are perfect for photoshoots.
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16 of 19
Wrap Your Dog in This S'mores Costume
Many cute dog costumes come in the form of food, but this idea is especially clever. Who would have thought that making a s'mores costume could be so simple and inexpensive? Simply purchase a white vest that fits your dog, then glue on some brown felt and cardboard graham crackers.
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17 of 19
Dress Your Dog Up as Grandma
Some breeds just have such photogenic qualities that virtually any costume would look absolutely adorable. Such is the case for Maya the Bulldog, who is a popular fixture on Instagram. You can find her dressed in a variety of costumes, but this one is especially easy to replicate. All you need is a floral scarf and some play glasses to turn your beloved Bully (or any pup) into Grandma.
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18 of 19
Transform a Stuffed Animal
This clever idea repurposes a stuffed animal into a cute small dog costume using cardboard and a coat hanger. Though it might not be comfortable to wear for a long period of time, it is perfect for a fun family photo.
How to Make Minion Costumes for Small Dogs from Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund
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19 of 19
Make This Cute Strawberry
This costume is perfect if you plan to take your dog along with you trick-or-treating because it is lightweight and comfortable. The other nice thing is that this project is completely handmade, so you can customize it to fit your dog perfectly.