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6 cheap and easy Halloween costumes for pets

Mary Johnson
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While there are more options than ever before, ensuring your dog’s Halloween costume stands out from the rest can be tough. You’ll also want to take your pet’s comfort level with clothing into consideration when choosing a costume. If your fur baby loves to wear T-shirts and sweaters, a full-body costume won’t feel too foreign.

However, some pets will be more comfortable in a simple costume that fits more like a collar. Whether you’re looking to save money by crafting your own cheap pet Halloween costumes, or you simply want to make sure your pet has a one-of-a-kind look, we’ve scoured the internet for some of the best cheap and easy costume ideas. Let’s look at a few adorable pet costumes you can make at home. 

A Black and Tan Chihuahua wearing black bat wings sits perched on top of an orange pumpkin.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

1. Bat wing costume 

For a quick and easy costume that’s perfect for spooky season, look no further than your local craft store to create a simple bat wing costume. The tutorial calls for black felt, pipe cleaners, a craft knife, a tape measure, a ruler, clear tape, scissors, spray adhesive, and hook-and-loop tape. Print out the included wing template, cut out the wing shape, and add pipe cleaners to shape the wings of your pet’s costume, then put it together with spray adhesive and tape. Best of all, you can shrink or enlarge the wings to fit cats, small dogs, and large breeds. 

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2. Beanie Baby costume

Does anyone else remember the Beanie Baby craze in the late ’90s? We do, too. If you’re looking for a last-minute costume that costs only a couple of dollars to make, this is the perfect one for you. All you need is red and white construction paper (or felt), non-toxic glue, a hole punch, and a pipe cleaner. Cut out the shape of a heart in red felt or paper, and then cut out the ubiquitous “TY” in white. Bend the pipe cleaner into a heart shape and glue it to the back of the felt or paper for reinforcement. Glue the letters to your red heart, punch a hole through the top and attach it to your pet’s collar. Bingo! Now, your fur baby is the most adorable Beanie Baby out there. This is also a great costume idea if your pet hates wearing clothes. 

3. Modify what you already own with creepy cutouts

If your pet wears shirts or sweaters, the easiest way to make a costume is to tweak his favorite sweater with cutout designs. You can print out ghosts, spiders and spiderwebs, bats, tombstones, and more, cut them out, and affix them to your pet’s clothing with temporary adhesive (or double-sided sticky tape). When the festivities are over, just remove your cutout designs, give the shirt a quick wash per the manufacturer’s directions, and it’s good to go for another wear — minus the scary extras.  

A small brown terrier wears a ghost costume and carries a trick-or-treat basket in his mouth.
otsphoto / Adobe Stock

4. Ghost costume

Pick up a white, crib-sized sheet, cut out two eyeholes and a hole for your dog’s muzzle, and drape the sheet over your pooch. For a touch of added cuteness, give your dog a trick-or-treat basket to carry in his mouth to collect dog bones and other pet-friendly snacks while out for a walk. You can also attach artificial spiderwebs to the costume with adhesive to give the impression that your ghostly companion has recently emerged from a long-deserted haunted house. Add a few plastic spiders to complete the look if you want to go all out. 

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume

Whether you’re a fan of Michelangelo, Donatello, or Raphael, putting together a fun costume for your pooch will cost only a few bucks. You’ll need a foil turkey pan, some green and brown paint, ribbon in the color of your choice, a green shirt, and a pair of scissors to make your pup one of the much-loved turtles on a half shell. Paint your turkey pan like a turtle shell, cut a few holes to thread the ribbon through, and tie the shell around your dog’s back while he’s wearing his green shirt. Add another length of ribbon around his neck to mimic the turtles’ sashes, and you’re finished. (And if your pup is especially patient, you can even cut holes in ribbon to make him an eye mask.) 

6. Superhero costume

With some inexpensive felt, Velcro, scissors, and a few templates, you can turn your pet into a superhero on the fly. Measure around your fur baby’s neck to cut the felt properly, attach Velcro to the ends, and fasten it around your pet’s neck. Then, all you need to do is cut out eye holes for the mask, making sure your pet can see properly, add Velcro to the ends, and you’re finished. You can use any color your heart desires to make your pup Superman, Batman, or Robin. Leave off the mask, opt for red felt, and you have an easy Thor costume. 

A French Bulldog wears a red superhero cape and mask.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Halloween isn’t just for human kids anymore. If you want your fur babies to join in on the fun without breaking the bank, look to our handy list of quick, simple DIY pet costumes. Make sure your pet is wearing visible identification tags, don’t leave him alone in costume, and have a safe and happy Halloween. 

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Mary Johnson
Mary Johnson
Contributor
Mary Johnson is a writer and photographer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her work has been published in PawTracks and…
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