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DIY Hot Dog Costume
Did you know a ThunderShirt can make a perfect base for a doggy Halloween costume? Not only is it comfortable and stylish, but it can help keep your dog calm through the constant barrage of doorbells from trick-or-treaters! Check out our short tutorial for making your very own Hot Dog Costume!
Skill Level: Intermediate
You’ll Need:
- Red ThunderShirt (or red fleece)
- Tan fleece
- Ivory fleece
- Yellow fleece
- Green fleece (or frilly green ribbon)
- 1 bag of polyester filling
- Hot glue gun
- Tape measure
- Hook and loop tape
- Fabric glue or sewing machine and thread
Making the pieces
Step 1: Measure the length of the ThunderShirt and add about 5 inches to get the bun length. Cut your 2 pieces of tan fleece to this length. Draw a rounded edge on both ends of the tan fleece and trim.
Step 2: Cut the same shape from two pieces of ivory fleece, trimming in about ¼” shorter on all edges.
Step 3: With right sides together, pin your ivory fleece ¼” from the edge of the tan fleece. Stitch (or glue) around about half-way.
Step 4: Line up the bottom edge of the ivory fleece with the bottom edge of the tan fleece and pin. This will give your hot dog bun a “puffed” look on the tan side, like a real bun. Sew the edges together, leaving a small opening for turning.
Step 5: Turn your bun inside out, and stuff with polyester filling. Hand stitch your opening closed. Repeat steps 3-5 with the other pieces of tan and ivory fleece to create the second half of your hot dog bun.
Step 6: With your ThunderShirt laying flat and folded in half lengthwise, lay your tape measure in a zig zag shape across the ThunderShirt to get the length of your “mustard”. Make sure the tape measure touches the edges of the ThunderShirt in 4 places. Cut your yellow fleece to that length (ours was about 43” long by about 8” wide).
Step 7: Fold the yellow fleece in half lengthwise, right sides together, pin, and draw a semi-circle on each end.
Step 8: Trim the rounded end and sew your mustard tube, leaving one side open for filling and turning. Turn right side out and fill with polyester filling. Hand stitch the opening closed.
Putting it all together!
(Tip: You can put the ThunderShirt around some cushions to make it easier to work with!)
Step 9: Use hot glue to attach your green fleece or frilly green ribbon to the edges of the bun to make the “relish”. Pin the two sides of the hot dog bun to the sides of the ThunderShirt to hold in place temporarily.
Step 10: The mustard will be attached at 4 points to the bun in a zig-zag shape. Hot glue one end of a small strip of yellow fleece to the mustard at one of the attachment points, and glue the other end to the bun. Repeat for the other 3 attachment points.
Step 11: Cut a strip of tan fleece about 4 inches wide and about 2 inches longer than the space between the buns. (This will act as a chest piece to keep your costume together and on your dog while keeping your ThunderShirt reusable after Halloween is over.) Hem the edges if desired. Apply hook and loop tape to one end of the strip.
Step 12: Glue the non-hook and loop tape end to the front end of the bun. Apply the other side of the Velcro to the opposite bun piece. Cut another piece of tan fleece the same size for the rear, and glue to the underside of both pieces of bun.
Your hot dog costume is complete!
Show us your DIY ThunderShirt costume with #ThunderShirtCostume on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Have a safe and happy Halloween from ThunderWorks! Read our 4 Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe and Calm on Halloween.