Is there anything as cute as pets in costumes? We don’t think so, and if you’re reading this blog, we imagine you can’t get enough of fluffy critters pretending to be food items or superheroes.
If you’re looking to dress your cat up this year but, like many people, are on a strict budget, we can help. DIY’ing your pet’s costume is much cheaper than buying one from the store and also satisfying to make.
Cats generally aren’t as open to wearing costumes as their canine counterparts, but we did manage to find a handful of fantastic DIY Halloween costumes for cat owners. We have included several projects initially created for dogs, which will also work fantastic for cats. Keep reading to find our list of the best DIY costumes you should consider crafting for your kitty this Halloween.
The 11 Awesome DIY Halloween Costumes for Cats:
1. Dumpling
| Materials: | Felt, needles, straight pins, chalk, thread, Velcro, Bristol paper, |
| Tools: | Scissors, printer, measuring tape |
| Difficulty Level: | Advanced |
This dumpling costume is a bit of a challenging project as you need to be confident with a needle and thread, but the result will be worth it. The original creator was kind enough to provide the pattern necessary for the project for free.
Once you have your template printed, follow the instructions on the tutorial to find out what cuts you need to make in your felt. Next, use the measuring tape to take measurements of your cat’s belly, length, and around its neck.
The original creator of this costume provides full, step-by-step details of this advanced project to make it a little easier on you. Be sure to read the instructions thoroughly and follow along to avoid making mistakes.
2. Flower Cat
| Materials: |
Petal and sunflower templates, grosgrain ribbon, wool felt, sewing supplies, self-adhesive, Velcro
|
| Tools: | Sewing machine |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
Martha Stewart brings us this simple and adorable flower cat costume. If you know how to operate a sewing machine, this project will be easy to put together.
First, cut your ribbon to fit loosely around your kitty’s neck. After printing the two included templates, trace their shapes on your felt material and cut them out. Fold them in half and stitch together 2/3 of the way up to close the fold. Next, stitch your petals to the ribbon, overlapping as you go. Attach the Velcro fasteners at the end of your ribbon, and you’ll have yourself a precious little flower for Halloween.
3. Armored Cat
| Materials: | |
| Tools: | 3D printer, brass fasteners (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Advanced |
This 3D Printer Cat Armor project won’t be easy to make for most people. But, if you have the supplies, you can’t deny how much of a warrior your kitty will be on Halloween. The original creator provides the files you need to make this incredible costume. Every piece of this costume uses 100% 3D printable parts, though you can choose to use brass fasteners if you wish.
If you’re a whiz with knitting needles, you need to check out this Santa hat project. You’ll be creating something you can use not only on Halloween to transform your kitty into Santa but also during the holidays!
The original creator provides detailed instructions to help you complete the pattern.
5. Witch
| Materials: | Yarn |
| Tools: | Crochet hook, yarn needles |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
Cats and witches practically go hand-in-hand, especially during the spooky season. So transform your favorite little feline into a witch with this DIY witch hat project. The original crafter provides the template you need to knit this adorable project.
6. Shark
| Materials: |
Felt, red ribbon, black marker, triangle foam, ribbon for tying, glue sticks
|
| Tools: | Hot glue gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This shark costume is perfect for the feisty kitty in your life. It’s a no-sew project, so it’s easily accessible to people who don’t know how to thread a needle.
You’ll need to cut the shape of the shark out of blue-colored felt first. Next, use white felt to cut a half-circle row of teeth. Take your hot glue gun and attach the ribbon around the teeth for gums. Glue this below the shark head.
Next, use the white felt to cut out eye shapes. Glue them to the head and outline them in black marker.
The remaining blue felt will be used to cover your foam triangle fin. Hot glue the fin to the middle of the back.
Attach strips of ribbon underneath the costume so you can tie them under your kitty’s belly.
7. Lion
| Materials: | Felt, snap tape, glue sticks |
| Tools: | Hot glue gun, sharp scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If your kitty has the heart of its much larger ancestors, transform it into a lion this Halloween. This no-sew lion mane project requires just a few materials and won’t take too long.
Once you’ve made the costume base, you’ll need to decide if you want your lion mane to have ears. Next comes the fun part of making the mane. All you need to do is cut your felt into strips of varying widths. Next, you’ll fold each piece in half and cut slits down the entire strip length to add texture. Next, attach the fringe pieces to your headpiece base. You will repeat this same process for the chest piece.
8. Cupcake
| Materials: | Round paper mache box, felt, polyfill, scrapbook paper, elastic, |
| Tools: | Scissors, needle, thread, glue gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
This adorable cupcake costume may be modeled by a dog, but can you imagine how cute your cat would look in it? The original creator says it takes around an hour to make, so it’s something you can easily do in one afternoon if you have the supplies on hand.
You’ll need a round paper mache box and scissors to get started on the cupcake portion of the outfit. Polyfill is essential as it will help fill out the cupcake to make it look more realistic. You need to be comfortable with a thread and needle as you need to sew to form the top part of the cupcake.
9. Dragon
| Materials: |
Cardboard, marker, hanger, felt, Velcro, polyester interfacing, Stitch Witchery
|
| Tools: | Scissors, glue gun, wire cutters |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
As far as DIY Halloween costumes go, this cute dragon outfit is an absolute breeze. First, you’ll need to draw a wing pattern on a piece of cardboard and then cut it out as a template. Use this template to cut wings out of your black felt material. Next, cut fusible interfacing in the shape of your wings but slightly smaller than the size of what you just cut out in your felt. Fusible interfacing is commonly used in sewing and craft projects with a heat-activated adhesive on one side.
Next, you’ll use Stitch Witchery to bond your fabric pieces together. Finally, create a sandwich of materials with your felt wings acting as the bread and the Stitch Witchery and fusible interfacing acting as the sandwich components.
Using your pliers, shape the hangers into a wing-like shape and hot glue your wings to it.
10. Demodog
| Materials: |
Craft foam, paint, paint brush, hot glue sticks, air dry modeling clay, Mod Podge
|
| Tools: | Hot glue gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
October 31 is sure to be the Halloween of Stranger Things costumes after the release of season four earlier this year. So get ahead of the trend by DIYing a Demodog costume for your cat.
To make this costume, you’ll need to cut five petal shapes out of your craft foam. Cut a one-inch wide strip in the craft foam long enough to fit around your cat’s neck. Paint the front of your “petals” with black, red, white, and brown paint. The original creator also added score lines for additional texture. The back of the petals should get painted gray.
To make the Demodog’s teeth, use your modeling clay to roll and shape up to 70 half-inch teeth. Allow them to dry and paint them cream. Using your Mod Podge, “glue” the teeth to the petals. Shape the foam strip into a collar and glue it together.
Add strings of hot glue to the teeth to add a “drool” effect.
11. Hogwarts Student
| Materials: | Felt, glue sticks |
| Tools: | Glue gun, cutting mat |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
What Harry Potter house would your kitty belong to if it were a witch or wizard? With this DIY Harry Potter-themed project, you can transform your beloved pet into a Hogwarts student. The best part is that you don’t even need a Sorting Hat to determine their house! Instead, pick your favorite Hogwarts house and buy the corresponding colors in felt to begin the project.
You’ll also need black felt to create the robe. Once the robe is complete, you get to work on their house-themed scarf and tie.
Optional: If you’re going for the Harry Potter vibe, craft some glasses out of black pipe cleaners. We can’t promise your cat will love wearing them, but you might get a picture or two if you’re lucky.
Final Thoughts
We hope our DIY ideas have inspired you to create a costume from scratch for your cat this Halloween. Be sure to take lots of photos, tag us on social media so we can see your creations, and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
Featured Image Credit: Anton27, Shutterstock
