This may be the post where you guys start to question my sanity. Or did that happen back when I gilded the shelf edges in my bright purple closet?
In a moment of boldness, I teamed up with Jamie Dorobek and her handmade Halloween costume site, Really Awesome Costumes to bring you tons of easy ideas to craft up DIY Halloween costumes.
But, that’s not the crazy part! I committed to making a costume for Maddie, our German Shepherd, because big dogs should get to dress up too! I wanted to make something she would actually wear on Halloween. MOST kids that come to our door trick-or-treating just want to come inside and pet her, but a few are terrified when she comes running up to the glass door to greet them. I thought if she was dressed up, it would be way less scary. Unless she was a zombie vampire or something. But since I hate zombies and vampires, that wasn’t going to happen.
Since the zombie vampire idea was ruled out, I decided to make Maddie a much more friendly looking fairy princess! Making her costume was super cheap & easy!
I bought some wings from Dollar Tree ($1!!!), along with some elastic & tulle to make a skirt.
The wings worked perfectly with no alterations. The two elastic straps that would go over your kid’s arms just go over your dog’s front legs. Making the skirt was easy too.
I started by cutting strips of tulle about an inch wide and twice the length I wanted her skirt to be. I used a 1/2 yard each of two different colors, but it’s super hard to tell in the pictures. Turns out tulle is not very photogenic. But, it’s cheap, so we’ll forgive it. I also cut a piece of elastic to be a few inches longer than Maddie’s waist.
Once I had a big pile of tulle strips, I took the first one and folded in half like a giant U. I set the elastic on top of the U. You should have a loop of tulle on one side of the elastic, and a tail on the other.
Hold the loop in one hand, and put the tail through it with the other. The tail part should come over the elastic and then through the loop. Pull it tight and you’ve got the beginning of a great skirt!
I repeated the process until I had enough skirt to cover Maddie’s back, but NOT her entire sides or belly. I thought if it was confined to resting on her back, it would be way less annoying for her. She doesn’t seem to mind wearing it, so I’m guessing that decision was right. Oh, and I just tied the elastic under her belly. Nothing fancy needed!
She wasn’t being fully cooperative for photos – lots of goofy face making going on….
Here’s what it looks like from the top. She was comfy enough to lay down and relax.
But Maddie isn’t the only adorable dog in our family. My mom’s Doberman, Tosh, needed to get in on the crazy costume action. Mom called this her “party animal” outfit and I think that was the perfect description!
I can’t believe she sat there so long with the crown on her head. I guess she was ready to party!
When you woke up this morning, did you have any idea you’d be seeing a German shepherd and a Doberman dressed up in girly Halloween costumes?
And now it’s time to share the other 80+ really awesome handmade costume ideas with you!
1. Handmade Baby Hamburger Costume
3. DIY Minecraft Steve Costume
4. Football Brothers Halloween Costumes with DIY Pads and Onesie
5. Star Trek Halloween Costume for Kids
9. Pinocchio
10. Marty McFly
11. Princess Wedding Dress Costume
12. Handmade Lalaloopsy Doll Costume
13. Homemade Toothless Costume Sorry, no longer available
14. DIY Mermaid For Less Than $20 (No-Sew Option)
16. Mario and Luigi Go Kart Costumes
17. Dog The Bounty Hunter and Beth
18. Family Monsters University Costumes
19. Scooby Doo family costumes
21. Cheap and Easy DIY Spider Costume
27. Elsa crown
29. DIY Pineapple Baby Costume
32. Disney Planes Costume: Dipper
34. Easy Costume Idea – Renaissance Girl
35. 10 Minute Homemade Jellyfish Costume
36. DIY Cat Costume
39. Easy Greek Goddess Costume
40. DIY Family Willy Wonka Costumes
41. DIY No Sew Maleficent Costume
42. No Sew Pineapple Halloween Costume
43. Graveyard Bean Bag Toss: Trunk or Treat Car Costume
44. DIY Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Costumes
45. DIY Raccoon Costume with Printable Mask
46. Easy WildStyle Lego Movie Costume
47. Simple Hello Kitty Costume
48. No Sew Minnie Mouse Costume
49. DIY Inspector Gadget and Penny Costumes
50. DIY Frozen Elsa Dress Baby Edition
51. Fairy Princess Dog Costume
52. DIY Hashtag Halloween Costume
53. Toddler or Baby Egg Costume
57. Baby Short Stack Pancake Costume
58. Elephant and Piggie Halloween Costumes
59. Instagram Halloween Costume
60. Peter Pan & Mr. Smee Halloween Costume
61. Wildstyle Costume from the Lego Movie
62. Fred and Wilma Couples Costume
64. DIY Cruella de Vil Costume for a child
65. Disney Frozen Olaf Halloween Treat Bucket
66. How to Make a Minecraft Steve Head
69. No Sew Cupcake Baker Halloween Costume
70. DIY Skunk Mask
71. Ghostbusters Proton Pack DIY
72. Frozen Anna Costume Tutorial
74. Paw Patrol Halloween Costume
75. No Sew Toothless Dragon Costume
78. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Costume
79. Thrifted Gentleman Spy DIY Halloween Costume
80. DIY Boy Garden Gnome Costume
81. Group Costume: Bob Ross, Happy Tree, & Squirrel
82. DIY Blues Brothers Costumes
86. Easy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Costume
87. Handmade Teddy Bear Costume
88. Princess Elsa and the Spy Kid
89. DIY Baby Koala costume
Follow Jamie Dorobek {C.R.A.F.T.}’s board Handmade Halloween Costumes on Pinterest.
Sarah Nenni Daher says
Such a wonderfully creative (and easy) costume! Stopping by from the hop (#14 mermaid). Pinned this to share!
Melissa George says
Thanks Sarah!
Erin says
What fun costumes and pictures of the dogs! Definitely brought a smile to my face this morning 🙂
Katie @ Addicted 2 DIY says
Maddie and Tosh look so cute! I don’t think you’re crazy at all to dress them up;) I may have to think of something for our little “princess” LOL!
toni lee says
WOW. Great costumes. Your ideas have helped me for costumes requested by my grandchildren. I won’t be sew their costume up to october 30. Thank you.