Make Your Dog Into a Bunch of Grapes for Halloween

Since Halloween is just around the corner, I wanted to make a costume for Jersey, and not just *any* costume either. So here's a sample of my creative efforts. I'll be adding more costumes all this month on my blog, Bloggie Stylish. I've entered this costume into the Halloween contest so please vote for me if you like this 'ible. I *want* that sewing machine!!!

Just a quick note! This isn't a costume for a fearful dog. I had a balloon accidentally pop when I was fitting the costume. I know that Jersey doesn't look to thrilled in the pics, but she doesn't like doing anything that's not her idea. She's used to wearing clothes & hearing loud noises. Before you take your dog out in a public place, practice wearing the costume & walking around with it on. That way, the both of you will have a fun Halloween night!

Step 1: Tools and Supplies You Will Need

The supplies for this costume are pretty cheap. You'll need some cheap purple broadcloth, purple balloons, some green felt, velcro, needle and thread, zip ties, a flexible measuring tape, a marking pen, scissors and a some sort of string.

I already had the zip ties & velcro, but I got all the other supplies at "malmart" and a dollar store for about $5.00. If you had to buy the rest of the supplies, this costume would easliy cost you under $10.00, which is way cheaper that buying one.

Step 2: Measuring Your Dog

You'll need to take two measurements. One from the begining of the shoulder blades to the begining of the rump and one from the middle of the spine to the bottom of the chest.

Step 3: Cutting the Broadcloth Into a Coat

Making the coat isn't an exact science and it doesn't have to be perfect. It just needs to fit *okay* and serve as a place to attach to balloons. Cut a semi-circle neck hole out of the top right corner of the folded cloth. Now take your back measurement and measure along the top of the folded cloth and make a mark. From the top of the folded cloth, take your side measurement and make a mark. Now cut the cloth.

Step 4: Shaping the Coat

Put the coat on your dog and close the front so that the two ends overlap. Take a marking pen and make a mark where the two ends overlap.

Step 5: Adding the Velcro Closure

Place the velcro on the coat to the left of the mark that you have made and sew it down with a needle and thread. On the UNDERSIDE of the other panel of the coat, place and sew down the other piece of velcro.

Step 6: Marking the Position of the Balloons

Around the neck hole is the most important place for balloon placement. you want it to look even and not have any empty spaces. Place a blown up balloon where you want it & make a mark with the marking pen. I used three balloons on either side of the neck holes.

Step 7: Cutting the Holes for the Zip Ties & Adding Balloons

Where your black marks are, cut two little holes for the zip ties to fit through. Make sure to have the locking part of the zip tie on the outside of the coat. Now put the zip tie together and slip the tied end of a balloon through. Make sure that the zip tie locks above the balloon knot so that the balloons will stay in place. Once you are done with the neck hole, just eyeball the placement of the other balloons.

Step 8: Making the Grape Leaves

Draw outlines of a leaf on each of the pieces of felt and cut them out. Place them together in whatever arrangement that you want and pierce all three pieces with two holes, we're going to be using more zip ties in the next step.

Step 9: Putting the Grape Leaves Together

Run a zip tie through the three leaves and flip the leaf cluster over to the back side. Cut a piece of string that will be long enough to tie around your dog's neck comfortably. Place the cord under the zip tie & fasten closed.