7 Easy DIY Halloween Costumes for Dogs

It’s about to get spooky! With Halloween fast approaching, it’s time to get prepared… But we don’t believe you should have to fork out on expensive costumes for your furry friends to join in on the fun, so we’ve rustled up some of our favorite spine-tingling DIY options for you to choose from (and they’re all super easy, too!)

Spider Collar

This option is an effortless way to make your pooch look a little eerie while maintaining maximum cuteness! Creepy crawly fans, unite…

You’ll need:

• 64 black pipe cleaners
• A black collar

Directions:

1. Twist 4 pipe cleaners together
2. Repeat 16 times until all of the pipe cleaners are used up
3. Twist two of the legs together to make a longer leg, measuring approx 18 inches (for smaller dogs you may not need to do this). Repeat this step until all of the legs are used up
4. Wrap the ends of each leg around the collar and then twist to secure (make sure the end of the pipe cleaner is on the outside of the collar so the wire doesn’t poke your dog's neck!)
5. Bend the pipe cleaners to make the shape of spider legs

Top tip: if you can get your paws on giant pipe cleaners, you can skip the first 3 steps!

Dog Martini

Most of us have an old cone collar lying about, right?! Or maybe your dog is already wearing one and you want to jazz it up a little bit? If you’re lucky enough for the answer to be no to both of those questions, they’re pretty cheap to buy anyway.

You’ll need:

• A clear cone collar
• 3 foam hockey balls
• Non-toxic green and red paint
• A wooden dowel
• Super glue

Directions:

1. Paint the hockey balls green then allow to dry
2. Paint a red circle on each of the balls to give them the appearance of olives
3. Pierce the wooden dowel through the center of the painted hockey balls, keeping them at the top of the dowel
4. Glue the bottom of the dowel to the inside of the cone collar and allow to dry completely

Lego Brick

This one is more fun than spooky, but unique all the same! One thing’s for sure… It’ll definitely turn some heads when you’re out trick or treating with the rest of the family.

You’ll need:

• The bottom half of a shoe box (depending on the size of your dog)
• 6 plastic cups
• Non-toxic paint of your color choice
• Super glue
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Paint the shoe box and cups the same color, then allow to dry
2. Cut a large hole at one end of the box (big enough to fit your dog’s head in with enough room for them to move around comfortably)
3. Cut the plastic cups down to size, so you are just left with the bottom segments of the upright cups
4. Turn the cup ends upside down and glue them to the top of the box (spaced about 1 inch apart)
5. If you’re feeling extra creative, try to recreate the LEGO logo on the tops of each plastic cup!

Spooky Ghost

Possibly the easiest option on our list for you to rustle up just in time for Halloween celebrations… The classic spooky ghost!

You’ll need:

• A white sheet (size appropriate for your dog)
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut two holes in the sheet eye-with apart
2. Cut a bigger hole below the eye holes for your dog’s snout
3. Trim the sheet to just a tad shorter than your dog’s height so they don’t trip over it!
4. Then simply throw over your dog and poke their snout through the bigger hole

Beanie Baby

Another super simple option with tons of nostalgia and cuteness! You’ll need:

• A large piece of cardboard
• Non-toxic red and white paints
• Two short pieces of string
• A pen
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut a large heart shape out of the cardboard
2. Paint the heart red, then allow to dry
3. Paint the iconic ‘ty’ logo onto the heart shape, then allow to dry
4. Use the pen to poke two small holes through the tops of each side of the heart shape
5. Attach to the collar by looping the string and tying in a knot

Bat-Dog

You’ll need:

• A black collar
• Large black poster board
• Metallic marker
• Scissors
• Super glue

Directions:

1. Cut 2x bat wing shapes out of the poster board
2. Draw the wing details on the card using the metallic marker
3. Fold the inner ends of each wing over to create a flap
4. Super glue the outside of the wing flap to the black collar (allow to dry completely before putting on your dog!)

Harry Paw-ter

You’ll need:

• Black pipe cleaner
• Yellow felt (or you can use yellow pipe cleaner instead)
• Super glue
• Scissors
• A scarf in the house colors of your choice (we won’t judge you if you go green and black, promise!)

Directions:

1. Cut the black pipe cleaner to length and make two separate circles
2. Close the loop of each circle by twisting the pipe cleaner over itself
3. Attach another shorter cut of the pipe cleaner to the two circles by looping the ends
4. Repeat this process with two longer pieces of pipe cleaner and bend the ends to complete the glasses frame
5. Cut out a lightning bolt shape from the felt
6. Glue the lightning bolt to the top of the right circle on the glasses frame
7. Wrap the scarf loosely around your pup’s neck to complete the look

And there we have it, folks! That’s our round-up of 7 easy DIY Halloween costumes for your fur baby to look the part. Choose your favorite and let us know how you get on! Now… Where’s my pumpkin spice latte?