Skip to Content

DIY Zero Ghost Dog Costume Tutorial

Sharing is caring!

Since we are all singing This Is Halloween” again, you know what that means! You ready to celebrate Halloween, or it’s Christmas! Either way, this DIY Zero Ghost Dog Costume Tutorial is perfect for both!

If you’re into Cos-play or need your next Halloween costume idea, we have you covered. Check out our no-sew DIY Final Lap Mario Kart Costume if you like this tutorial but don’t know how to sew.

My son and daughter-in-law both love The Nightmare Before Christmas, and this year they wanted to do family-themed costumes!

That’s where this idea came from. After Halloween, I will add a photo of everyone to see how their costumes turned out!

Zero Ghost Dog Costume Tutorial:

Zero Ghost Dog Costume Tutorial: Supplies

  • 1-2 Yards 60″ White Anti-Pill Polyester Fleece Fabric (depending on the size of your costume)
  • 1- Square (18 in. X 21 in.)Waverly Inspirations Fat Quarter PCQ Solid Zinnia Fabric
  • 1/4 Yard Black Value Vinyl
  • Approx. 22-inches 7/8″ Wide Red Ribbon
  • White All Purpose Thread
  • Black All Purpose Thread
  • Orange All Purpose Thread
  • Quilt Batting
  • Fabric Glue
  • 2-inch Smooth Foam Ball
  • Rubber Band
  • Sewing Machine
  • Flexible Measuring Tape
  • Yard Stick
  • Fabric Scissors
  • Silver Metallic Sharpie

Zero Ghost Dog Costume Tutorial: Step By Step Instructions

If you find that this costume is too complicated or time-consuming be sure to check out this super cute DIY Jack Skellington costume!

 

The dimensions for this costume are for a child that measures 36-inches from shoulder to floor.

DIY Zero Ghost Dog Costume: The Hood

The hood size will work for most sizes, as it leaves plenty of room. You will only need to change the length and width of this costume to customize it.

1. Start with a piece of paper that measures 11-inches by 17-inches. Draw grid lines on the sheet 1 inch apart. Draw the hood using the measurements shown on the pattern.

2. Pin your hood pattern to the white fleece and cut it out with the right sides together. With right sides together, sew the seam in the back of the hood.

3. Turn the rough edge under and hem the front edge of the hood. Starting at the center back seam and working forward is the easiest way to do this. Set the hood aside.

Nightmare Before Christmas Zero Costume: The Body

The body of this costume was designed for a child that is 36-inches tall from his shoulder to the floor. With that in mind, you will want to adjust the length as necessary for your child’s height before you cut the fleece.

  1. Fold the fleece in half so that your cloth is 31-inches wide from the fold to the salvage edge.
  2. Draw a line down the side of the fabric. Mark the other end 31-inches and draw the other line. You will end up with a 31-inch X 62-inch rectangle for the body of the costume.

3. Turn under 1/2-inch around the fleece and hem it. Start with the long sides first. Now sew the short sides and set them aside.

4. Starting with the right sides out, fold your rectangle in half and then in half again. The length of your rectangle will be 31 inches. The width will be 15 inches.

5. Mark the fabric by starting at the fold and measuring 1.5-inches down (place your mark). Across the top of the folds, measure 4.5-inches over and mark. The next mark will be at .5-inches.


6. Now, draw a line between your marks and cut on the line. This is the opening where you will attach the hood to the back and hem the front.

7. Keeping right sides together, line up the edge of the hood and the hole you cut in the costume.

8. Starting in the middle of the back, line up the seam of the hood there and sew the hood on.

9. Remove the pins and then hem the front edge.

Congrats! You’ve attached your hood to the body of the costume.

With the costume folded in half (with the hood at the top), measure and put pins at the seven-inch and twelve-inch marks. You will sew a five-inch seam between these pins that will become the armholes.

How To Make Ghost Dog Ears

  1. Draw an ear using the dimensions shown below. It doesn’t have to be perfect. No dog’s ears are.

2. After you draw your pattern out, cut two copies of the pattern out of paper. With right sides together, pin your ears to the fleece. The extra copy will give you two sets of ears, four whole pieces, for assembly.

3. Right sides together (I know, broken record), sew one of the ears together, making sure to leave the top of the ear open so you can turn it inside out.

4. Once you have the ears sewn, turn the ears inside out. If you have trouble with the point of the ear, an ink pen will help you get that corner nice and sharp.

5. Sew around the outside edge of the ears for definition.

6. Close and hem the open end of the ears.

Zero Dog Nose Pattern:

You are now ready to draw your nose pattern.

  1. Use these dimensions to draw out your design. 16-inches long, 8-inches wide at one end, and 2-inches are wide at the other end. Use a straight edge to draw the lines from the 8-inch side to the 2-inch side.
  2. Cut the length by three inches on the large end if you don’t want the nose hanging down over the face.
  3. With right sides together, pin your nose pattern to your fleece and cut out 2.
    Draw a 1 x 16-inch strip on the black vinyl and cut it out.

4. Keeping right sides together, sew one side of the nose by sewing the black vinyl strip to the other edge of the nose.]

Always remember to keep the right sides together.

5. Stitch the last white fleece edge and the black vinyl edges together.

6. Turn 1/2-inch under on the large end of the nose and hem all the way around, and turn right side out.

7. Fold the orange Fat Quarter in half and steam iron the creases out of it now you want to trace a 9-10.5- inch circle on the two layers. Cut out the two circles.

8. Stitch a 1/4-inch seam around the two layers of orange Fat Quarter.

9. Place the 2-inch Smooth Foam Ball in the center of the circle. Draw the fabric up around the ball until it is smooth and tight, and put a rubber band around it to hold it in place.

10. Working with the small end of the nose, turn 1/2-inch of the rough edges under and stitch by hand to make a hem.

11. After hemming the rough edges under, thread the fabric-covered ball through the opening.

12. Turn the nose inside out and pin the orange edges down, stretching the cloth over the orange-covered ball as you go.

13. Next, sew the sides of orange fabric to the inside of the nose with a needle and thread, keeping them as tight as possible.

14. Turn the nose right side out and glue the opening of the nose to the orange ball for extra stability.

15. Cut out your face shapes from the black vinyl and glue them on the orange ball and let them dry completely.

NOSE TIP:

To prevent the nose from hanging down as far as in this costume, cut about three or four inches off the length from the large end. Stuff the nose with the quilt batting, so it is stiffer and sticks out. The quilt batting will let you make a smoother nose, but feel free to use any batting you have on hand.

DIY Zero Ghost Dog Costume Tutorial: Finishing Touches

  1. Draw two 3-inch circles with a bit of point on them to make the eyes.

2. Pin the eyes, ears, and nose to the hood where you think you want them. After pinning everything in place, try on the costume to make sure you like the placement of each part.

3. Cut a couple of pieces of fabric from your scraps that are about two inches wide by 16-inches long to use for eyebrows.

4. Loosely roll one of the pieces of fabric you just cut and start sewing it around the eye by putting a stitch of thread through the scrap and the hood in the corner of the eye.

5. Before putting the next stitch in, bunch up the rolled scrap slightly to raise it slightly away from the eye and hood.

6. Continue this process until you make it around the eye. Repeat this process around the other eye.

Zero Ghost Dog Collar

  1. On the backside of the Black Vinyl, measure out and draw a rectangle that is 3.5-inches long and 2-inches wide. Cut it out. In the center of the shiny side, write the word ZERO with a Sharpie.

2. Once the ink is dry, turn the right sides together and stitch a 1/4″ seam down the 2-inch edge of the vinyl. Then turn the right side out again.

3. Center the name tag on your 22″ length of red ribbon.

4. Sew the edges down. If you sew around the edge twice, it will give it character!

5. Thread the red ribbon through one side of your Black Center Release Buckle and sew it to secure it to the buckle. Thread the other end of the red ribbon through the further opening of the Black Center Release Buckle and sew it to secure it.

Well done! Wow, you just made the collar for the costume.

Let me know if you make your own DIY Zero Ghost Dog Costume! I would love to see how it turns out!

Looking for more Halloween Ghost Crafts? Try these:

DIY Hanging Ghost Yard Decoration
Outdoor Halloween Ghost Craft

Sharing is caring!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.