Halloween will be here before we know it. But between the decorating, the candy buying, and the event planning, sometimes your pet’s costume can fall by the wayside. Don’t let Fluffy or Fido miss out on the fun. If you don’t have time to go out and buy a costume, here’s a few you can whip up in a pinch.
The Lion
Toss a lion’s mane on your pet and you’ve got an instant king (or queen) of the jungle. If you don’t have time to get one online, you can make your own with just some brown or tan yarn.
This tutorial is meant for a kid’s costume, but you can easily make this mane big or small enough for your furry friend. Simply wrap some yarn around your finger, then tie the middle with another piece of yarn. Cut the loops open to make a little pom pom. Make enough pom poms to fit around your pet’s neck. Now, braid at least 6 strands of yarn to create a thick collar and attach the pom poms by tying them. Tie it around their neck and you’ve got yourself a roaring good costume.
The Chef
Forget Ratatouille, the cutest little animal chef this year could be your pet. A white hat and a red bandana transform your dog or cat into the next Mario Batali. Making these accessories at home is actually a lot easier than you’d think.
For the hat, all you need is tape, card stock, tissue paper, and an elastic cord (or rubber band). You simply cut a strip of card stock that will form the band of the hat. Next, tape the tissue paper to the band, folding it slightly as you go. When you reach halfway, tape the other edge of the tissue paper to the rest of the band. Finish the hat by making the band into a circle and taping. To make sure it doesn’t fall off, add an elastic or rubber chin strap that could fit over your pet’s head.
To make the red bandana, use a red piece of fabric or an old red t-shirt. Cut a long, red triangle that will fit around your pet’s neck. Tie it on and you’ve cooked up quite the chef outfit. For more in-depth instructions, check out the full tutorial here.
The Businesspet
When you’re slaving away at work all day, your pet gets to lounge at home. Give them a taste of the professional life by dressing them up like a businessperson. All you need is an old dress shirt and a tie.
To start, grab an old collared dress shirt. Cut off the collar as close to the seam as possible. If your pet’s neck is bigger or smaller than the shirt collar, you can try to attach this collar to their pet collar for a better fit. Next, cut off the cuffs to put on your pet’s front paws. Lastly, take a clip-on or traditional tie and place it around your pet’s neck. Make sure not to tie it too tightly. Voila! Your pet will be calling meetings and asking you for timesheets in no time.
The Beanie Baby
Is your pet so cute they could pass for a stuffed animal? Why not dress them like one? This is a super easy costume that you can pull off in minutes. All you have to do it print out a large tag, color it in, and clip it to their collar. Instant beanie baby!
The Puppuccino
Calling all Starbucks lovers. This is the perfect, last-minute costume for you. If you want to dress your dog (or cat) like your favorite fall drink, you only need a few supplies and a willing pet.
This tutorial gives an explanation for a pretty detailed costume. But if you don’t have much time, there are ways to keep it simple. Instead of creating a separate shirt and sleeve, you can just create the cardboard sleeve for the same effect. Simply get a long piece of brown paper that will fit around your pet. Draw (or print out) the Starbucks logo and add the drink order section. To top it all off, grab an actual Starbucks lid, attach a chin strap, and give your pet a little lid hat. Just a few accessories transforms your pet into a cute little pup-kin spice latte.
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