DIY Pet Halloween Ideas: Costumes, Treats & Photo Contest Fun

👻🐕 DIY Pet Costume Ideas

Not all pet parents are master crafters – and that’s okay! Whether you’re a last-minute planner grabbing supplies from the junk drawer or a DIY wizard who lives for the glue gun, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a roundup of 15 paw-some costume ideas sorted by effort level, so you can pick the project that fits your time, budget, and creativity.

Pro tip: Keep costumes lightweight and comfy so pets stay happy while strutting their stuff.

Quick & Easy

Great for busy pet parents who want something cute with minimal supplies and time.

1. Chef Pup or Kitty: A toddler apron with a small chef’s hat.
   
   

2. Cowboy/Cowgirl: A bandana and a soft felt cowboy hat.
   
   

3. Pirate Pal: Use a striped shirt and bandana for a swashbuckling look.
   
   

4. Sports Star: A toddler-sized jersey or team t-shirt.
   
   

5. Superhero Cape: A simple felt or fabric cape tied around the neck.

Intermediate

Takes a little more crafting, but still totally doable in one afternoon.

1. Beanie Baby: Cut a big red heart from construction paper, glue on a bright yellow “T” and “Y” to mimic the classic Beanie Baby logo, and tie it to your pup’s collar.
   
   

2. Bee Buzz: Add stripes to a shirt with felt or tape, and make an antennae headband.
   
   

3. Flower Power: Make a felt or cardboard petal “collar.”
   
   

4. Bat, Butterfly or Fairy: Make lightweight wings and attach them to a harness.
   
   

5. Pumpkin Pup: An orange t-shirt with felt “ribs” or stripes for pumpkin detail

Crafty Challenge

Best for pet parents who enjoy DIY projects and don’t mind putting in extra effort.

1. Foodie Fun: Cardboard and felt creations like a taco, donut, or hot dog.
   
   

2. Shark Attack: A gray hoodie with a cardboard fin attached.
   
   

3. Wizard Pet: A cone hat (felt or sturdy paper) paired with a cape.
   
   

4. Dinosaur: Felt spikes sewn or glued onto a fabric strip down the back.

5. Lion’s Mane: Faux-fur or felt mane sewn or attached around a collar.

🎃🦴 Homemade Halloween Pet Treats

Skip the sugar and whip up safe, pet-approved goodies that taste like love:

• Apple Cinnamon Bones: Mix applesauce, oat flour, and a dash of cinnamon. Shape and bake until crunchy.
  
  

• Apple Ghost Chips: Thinly slice apples, cut with a ghost-shaped cookie cutter, and bake into crispy chips.
  
  

• Banana Pupcakes: Blend banana, oats, and peanut butter. Bake in mini-muffin tins.
  
  

• Beef Broth Ice Cubes: Pour low-sodium beef broth into pumpkin-shaped molds and freeze for a slurpable snack.
  
  

• Carrot Crunch Treats: Shred carrots, mix with oat flour and egg, and bake until crisp.
  
  

• Catnip Crunchies: Mix canned tuna, oat flour, and an egg. Roll into bite-sized pieces and bake.
  
  

• Cheesy Pumpkin Puffs: Combine pumpkin puree, shredded cheddar, and oat flour. Bake into savory puffs.
  
  

• Chicken & Rice Balls: Combine shredded chicken, plain rice, and egg. Bake until firm.
  
  

• Frozen Yogurt Ghosts: Blend plain yogurt with banana, pour into ghost-shaped molds, and freeze.
  
  

• Oatmeal Monster Cookies: Combine oats, pumpkin, and shredded apple. Bake into fun “monster” blobs.
  
  

• Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pops: Blend pumpkin and peanut butter, spoon into silicone molds, and freeze.
  
  

• Pumpkin Peanut Butter Bites: Mix canned pumpkin, oats, and peanut butter. Roll into small balls and bake.
  
  

• Salmon Bites (for Cats): Mix canned salmon with oat flour and egg. Bake into tiny portions.
  
  

• Sweet Potato Chews: Slice thin, bake low and slow for chewy dog delights.
  
  

• Turkey Jerky Strips: Thinly slice cooked turkey, bake at a low temp until chewy.

📸 Spook-tacular Pet Photo Contest

Hosting a photo contest is a paw-some way to bring people together – whether at your school, church, or neighborhood event. Here’s how to pull it off:

1. Collect Photos: Ask pet parents to share their costumed pet pics via email, social media hashtags, or a shared album.
   
   

2. Set Up Categories: Funniest Costume, Spookiest Look, Best Duo (human + pet), and Most Creative DIY are always crowd-pleasers.
   
   

3. Use SignUp for the Event: Create a SignUp to recruit judges, schedule a viewing party for finalists, or organize volunteers to tally votes.
   
   

4. Vote & Celebrate: Let the community join the fun – host an in-person reveal, share winners online, and hand out treat baskets, ribbons, or gift cards.

💸 Bonus: Turn it into a fundraiser by asking for small entry fees or donations to benefit a local animal shelter or school club.

🐾 Happy Howl-oween!

This Halloween, let your pets join the fun with simple DIY costumes, homemade treats, and a spook-tacular photo contest that gets everyone howling with delight. With a dash of creativity and SignUp to help organize, you’ll have a howlingly happy event that’s paw-sitively unforgettable! 

Costume and trunk-or-treat ideas, themed party food and game suggestions, free printable activities and more — our Halloween Planning Center is bubbling over with frightfully fun ideas to make your celebration a real treat! 🎃✨

About the Author

   

Tara McAdams

Digital Marketing Manager, Content Strategist & Creator

Tara leads content strategy at SignUp and creates a variety of resources on a wide range of topics – including lifestyle trends, parent tips, prep for holidays, volunteer management, and event planning. More about Tara →