Halloween… a time for tricks, treats and expressions of individuality. Some dogs don’t mind getting dressed up in elaborate costumes and paraded out and about, lapping up the adoration. There are some incredibly complex canine costumes such as the American bobsled team, Liberace, and a peacock fairy.
The following suggestions are more for the creative owner who prefers gluing to sewing and dogs who aren’t as thrilled with dressing up. These costumes are easily constructed and may be tailor made for individuality.
Underdog
Here he comes to save the day!!!! Obtain a red, short sleeved t-shirt or red sweat shirt depending on the size of the dog. Paint or glue a giant U to the front of the shirt. Tack (Dot with glue) a long blue piece of fabric on the sides and back of the neck of the shirt. To keep the cape from sliding off the back, tack the cape to the shirt a couple of times on both sides, leaving the bottom of the cape free flowing.
This costume may be adapted for any super hero with a cape; Batman, Robin, Superman… etc.
Ghost
Use a large piece of fabric, large enough to cover the dog. Mark and trim; remember to keep the feet free for walking. Also mark where the dog’s snout, eyes and ears are. Trim away the extra fabric around these areas. Place the sheet back on the dog, measure and mark where to place a square of Velcro in the back of the neck. The Velcro will keep the costume in place. The fabric should hang creating a flowy effect, but still be secure enough not to slide off the dog as she walks.
Spider
Find a t-shirt/sweatshirt appropriate to the costume (Black for Widows, Brown for Tarantula’s, gray for Wolf Spiders etc…) and felt for the legs. Fold felt into appropriate length tubes and glue the seams closed leaving the middle hollow. These tubes will be the legs. Fill the tubes with poly-fill using a knitting needle or something similar to push the filling down the shaft. They may be shaped with wire inserted in the tube. Wire can be found at most craft stores in various sizes. When the legs are done, they may be glued (or hand stitched if that is preferred) along the top of the t-shirt
Lego
The easiest costume to construct, a Lego, can be versatile and is easily recognizable. Find a box to fit the body of the dog, it will sit on the dog’s back and cover his sides. Cut holes up at the top to stick plastic cups up into them, representing the interlocking pieces. Glue the cups into place. Paint the costume when the glue dries. To keep the costume in place, glue a wide piece of elastic across the bottom of the costume. The elastic should be snug, but not tight.
Garden Gnome
Beginning with a light blue t-shirt/sweatshirt, a black piece of felt or fabric may be glued (Or hand stitched) around the waist to look like a belt. Fold a red piece of felt in half and cut two identical triangles for the hat. Cut the felt large enough for the gnome hat, but not so large it swallows the dogs head. Glue the felt pieces together. When dried, turn inside out (so the seams are on the inside) and glue in a piece of elastic to keep the hat in place.
Comments are closed.