Few things give me more joy during the Halloween season than seeing pets dressed up in fun and adorable costumes. And now that I have my own dog to make these decisions for, I couldn’t resist the urge to dress him up and show him off this year. To make it a little more personal, I decided to create my own costume rather than buying one pre-made.
Keep in mind that this super cute puppy dragon costume was made for a small dog (just over 10 lbs.), so if your dog is bigger, smaller, or if you have a cat or other animal, you’ll have to make some adjustments using your own judgement.
Please also consider your animal’s temperament as to what they are willing to go through and wear. Generally, my dog is not a huge fan of having things on or attached to him, but he wore this costume for a full day without so much as biting at it. Just be sure that your pet is comfortable. Here’s a helpful infographic to consider when choosing your pet’s costume.
Materials for Puppy Dragon Costume:
- 3-month child’s onesie
- Stitch Witchery hem adhesive (This can be found at any crafts store.)
- Burlap
- Acrylic paints
- Gorilla glue
Let’s Get Started:
Step 1: I turned the onesie inside out, used a pen to mark a straight line just above the leg holes, and cut along that line. It might seem a little long, but don’t worry.
Step 2: Fold up the bottom (with the onesie still inside out) and cut 2 sections — one for the front, the other for the back — of the Stitch Witchery hem adhesive the width of the onesie.
Step 3: Iron the hem adhesive into the folds you’ve made to create the new hem. (Note: Be careful when ironing because the adhesive will burn onto the iron if touched.)
Step 4: Once you’ve done that, wait for the shirt to cool from the iron, then try it on your pet.
Step 5: If you’re happy with the fit, make 2 small marks right on his shoulder blades to determine where you’ll be attaching his dragon wings.
Step 6: To create the wings, I used burlap, but you could also use felt, or maybe even cardboard or thick card stock. For this project, embrace the homemade look! I made a quick sketch of the wing, cut it out, and used it as a stencil for the second. I chose to paint them yellow and orange to be a little more whimsical — and because I would have hated to have spent so much time trying to match the green on the shirt and still not have it quite right.
Step 7: When the wings were dry, I adhered them to their marked spots using the Gorilla glue. I made sure to hold each one in place for 30 secs to avoid them falling over and making a mess before the glue had dried enough. My wings ended up laying flat on his back. If you want yours to stand up a bit more, you can either make them a little smaller or try starching them.
Note: At this point, I decided that I wanted the back of his costume to be a little longer. So, I took the bottom of the onesie that was cut off and removed the front half. I then attached the back with the Stitch Witchery. If you know from the start that you want that full back, then only cut off the bottom front from the beginning and you can save yourself a little trouble.
Step 8: While your wings are drying, you can start cutting out the spikes to go down your pet’s back. I ended up using 4 since my dog has a long spine for his size, so you may only have room for 3 depending on your pet’s length.
Step 9: Once those were cut out, I painted them to correspond with the orange on the wings. Of course, any colors you use are completely up to you. You can be as creative as you want with this project.
Step 10: Once the spikes were dry (and if this takes a little too long for your excitement, as it did mine, you can use a hairdryer to hasten the process), use the Gorilla glue to attach them straight down the back in between the wings. I started mine at the wings’ height, but you could also start right at the collar.
Once the glue is completely dry, you’re good to go, and your pet is all set for the festivities!
Personally, I’m holding out a lot of hope that some kid from my neighborhood comes to the door dressed as a knight. The odds seem unlikely, but my joy will not be contained if it does happen. If you’re dressing up your pets this Halloween, please share you pictures with us because I can’t get enough of it!
Have a fun and safe Halloween!