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Homemade Jesse & Slinky Dog Costumes From Toy Story

Dude, I did it! I semi-DIYed my very first Halloween costumes, and I lived to tell the tale. It actually wasn’t too hard (do you believe that I didn’t sew a single thing?). Holla!

Halloween 1 Greeting

In case it’s not super obvious, Clara asked to go as Jessie (the cowgirl from Toy Story) and Burger gets to be Slinky Dog (also from Toy Story). Here were most of my supplies for Clara’s costume:

  • a “cowgirl hat” from a local pop-up Halloween store
  • red yarn and white duct tape from AC Moore
  • flared jeans from Old Navy (you know I used a coupon and bought them on discount Tuesdays)

Halloween 2 Materials

The first thing I tackled was making a long Jessie-ish braid from the yarn and used the white duct tape to connect it to the hat. Looks pretty bad from the inside, but thankfully it’s all covered up when Clara puts it on, and it doesn’t seem to bother her (she loves her Jessie hair, and it actually seems to help make the slightly-too-big hat fit her a bit better – even though it still slides around a little).

Halloween 3 Braid Taped

Oh and she needed winter shoes/boots, so I found these cowgirl-ish boots at Old Navy on sale, so they’ll not only serve as shoes for the costume but she’ll hopefully get lots of wear out of them this winter. I also picked up an on-sale white button down (in the boy’s section) that she can wear well beyond this costume. And speaking of wearing-beyond-the-costume, see the jeans? I cow-patterned them up with white duct tape that I cut into different cow-spot-ish shapes. So it’s 100% removable so the jeans, the shirt, and the boots can just be worn normally after Halloween until Clara outgrows them.

Halloween 4 Costume Done

As for slinky dog’s costume, I just got a quarter yard of brown felt from JoAnn (on sale for 50 cents), cut it into a small strip that wraps around Burger’s tummy, and used velcro at each side of the strip to secure it under his ribcage. Then for the “slinky” we just got two yards of silver trim (from the aisle with all the fringe and beaded trim that you buy by the yard at JoAnn). I didn’t even sew the slinky trim onto the felt since I secured it with safety pins on the outside of the costume under his belly (so they’re not against Burger’s skin, they’re on the outside of the felt sleeve). I intended to stitch it after pinning it just to see how it looked, but it seems to work as-is. Burger doesn’t exactly love Halloween costumes – he wiggles out of them in about 5.5 seconds – so I figured it wasn’t worth breaking out a needle.

Halloween 5 Burger Up Close

Oh man, and my favorite detail is the gold fringe that I added to the bottom of Clara’s flared jeans. She LOVES it (“look how they shake mommy!”) and I’m so excited that it was only $1 worth of trim from JoAnn which I safety pinned in place (so once again, it can be removed and Clara can wear these jeans for the rest of the year). Although she loves them so much, we might de-cow-spot them and leave the fringe on for a little while… just because she gets such a kick out of it.

Halloween 6 Clara Fringe Feet

Here’s Clara’s Jessie hair from the back. Isn’t that long braid adorable? Oh man, I think my brain will explode when she actually has hair I can braid. Squuuueeeee!

Halloween 7 Clara Back

Oh and the belt! I made that with another trim thing I found at JoAnn (it was woven leather-looking trim that was the perfect width for her pants). I secured it with a round plastic pin/button (you know, the ones people wear on their lapel that say “vote for me for student council”) but it was a clear fillable plastic button, so I opened it and put yellow construction paper in it with a star in front of it that I cut from leftover brown slinky dog felt. Since it has a safety pin on the back of it, it holds the woven trim together like a belt, so for around $4 I made her that little cowgirl accessory.

Halloween 8 Clara Smiling

Weirdly enough, Clara’s favorite Jessie activity so far has been sliding her legs out on the floor like this in her boots (and occasionally hurting Woody, if he’s nearby). She’s got the moves like Jagger.

Halloween 9 Stepping On Woody

What sort of costumes are you guys DIYing this year? Anyone else using odd things like white duct tape when it comes to your costume? Or are you happy to buy something cute off the rack if it grabs you? I gotta admit we did that last year…

Costumes Sucking Thumb

… and the year before…

Halloween Costumes

… and it was tons of fun too. Hope you guys all have a safe and happy Halloween!!! And I’d love to hear (and see!) what your kiddos are going to be this year. And any grown ups in costume = awesomeville. Links, links, y’all!

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    Clara looks so cute!!! I love the cut of the jeans – so fun. I also like that Burger matches. Great job DIYing her costume Sherry!

    We only have a 4-legged child, and I didn’t DIY her costume although she has both a Penguin and a Zebra store bought outfit. Still deciding which one she’ll wear to help hand out candy tonight!

    Reply

  3. Emily says

    She looks adorable!

    I used duct tape on a Halloween costume once – my friends and I all went as the cast of Wizard of Oz – I was the scarecrow. The duct tape came off, but it left a residue/adhesive that I was never able to remove from the pants. Sad all day.

    Reply

  10. Tessa says

    I LOVE CLARA’s COSTUME! And it’s great that there are so many pieces that she can keep wearing.

    Making costumes is so much fun. I don’t sew a stitch or even do my own hemming, but around Halloween time I steal my mom’s sewing machine and do a terrible job — but since they’re just costumes they still turn out great!!

    Reply

  11. Tracey says

    I am not a sewer, but I am very crafty. I handmade all of my son’s costumes but one. Scooby was a little out of my league. My favorite and probably easiest one was a mailman. He wore a pair of old school uniform pants, a white shirt and a sheriff’s hat which I altered to say US Mail. Here’s the kicker, I tore the seat out of the back of the pants and pinned a small dog to some fabric I drew hearts on to look like it was his underwear. His mailbag was handy for collecting all the candy. The whole thing took 15 minutes to make, but got the most comments/laughs as we were trick-or-treating. Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  12. Desiree C. says

    Genius and so, so cute!! I’m pretty sure my heart melted ever so slightly! I’d say these are spot-on for perfection in Toy Story costume designs. And, ya gotta love that the girl loves Toy Story–or, at least I assume she loves Toy Story. I mean, don’t we all?

    Reply

  13. Elise says

    Cute! Where did you find the clear fillable plastic button? That would be perfect for my costume this weekend, I need to make an official-looking name tag. Thanks!

    Reply

  17. Kate says

    Both my son and daughter are going as peacocks, after my son made the collective decision in July that that’s what they wanted to dress up as. I thought it would be a simple project (famous last words), but I ended up having to use headliner (the stuff on the interior roof of a car), duct tape, five wire hangers, and a giant piece of custom-cut cardboard to get the whole thing to stand up. Oh, and I can’t forget the 50-something felt peacock feathers, EACH with four different pieces and machine stitched. What was I thinking? Next year, they’re both going as ghosts. I’m beat.

    Your DIY costume, though? Awesome. And adorable.

    Reply

  18. Steph M. says

    The Sandy wreckage is heartbreaking :( I have vacationed at the Jersey shore literally every single year I’ve been alive and live about an hour from it, it’s absolutely devastating to see pictures of it destroyed.
    On a happier note, that costume is ADORABLE. I feel like that the word adorable is even an understatement. So creative! It’s so crazy but they changed all the towns trick or treating around us from today to either Thursday, Friday, or Saturday because of the hurricane!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Wow! I think they did that a long time ago when I was a kid. I think there was a big storm so we went two days late back in NJ. And as a kid I was heartbroken to have to wait that long to get all the candy. Hahah!

      xo
      s

    • Steph M. says

      Actually I just got done watching the news and apparently all of NJ is on Monday now!
      Haha, I can see kids being pretty heartbroken over Halloween changing, a few days is forever in kid time!

  20. Laurie says

    We just got back from Disneyland and the gift shops were all selling “Jessie” hats for a tidy sum. Your DIY hat looks just as great for nowhere near the price they were charging. Well done clever girl.

    Reply

  23. Shannon says

    Our 10 month old is also going to be a hamburger (same costume as Clara) and our Dachshund is going to be a hot dog. Great minds think alike!

    Reply

  24. Jen@The Decor Scene says

    Love how Clara’s & Burgers costumes turned out. Awesome job. We don’t have any kids yet, so no costumes to talk about over here.

    We are from Long Island and it’t pretty crazy here. We are ok and so is our home. But the south coast by us is devastated. Boats in the middle of roads, houses lost to fires and floods. It really saddens us to see all of it around us. We are thankful to be ok and all of our family is ok too. We even have power already. We were one of the over 900,000 homes that already got their power back. It’s going to be a long road, but we are New Yorkers, we are strong!!! We will bounce back. Glad you are all safe too. Have a great week. :)

    Reply

  25. b*schus says

    So CUTE! Definitely my idea of a DIY costume, using what you’ve got (or can use again) with a little costume spin on it. The braid is definitely my favorite :)

    Reply

  26. em says

    I have always wondered why crafty folks like you didn’t diy Clara and Burger’s Halloween costumes. It’s the one diy thing I do- it’s easy to sort of assemble a costume that costs a fraction of commercial costumes and generally looks much better. And you can totally personalize the costumes for whatever your kid is into that year (we’ve done childrens’ book characters and some obscure tv shows that only my kids watch). The costumes look great! I hope this is the beginning of an annual tradition. Oh, and may I suggest the whole family should get into the theme (in our family, the kids AND the adults dress up- but not the dog because she would have a heart attack!)

    Reply

  27. Leanne says

    This is adorable! You did a fantastic job. I’m impressed. My little man is a cowboy this year. I wanted something super creative, but cowboys was the only thing I could get my husband to agree on. So, we’re all cowboys/girl. It’s our first Halloween with a little one, so it’s super exciting. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t DIY any of it. We used a shirt and jeans he already had, purchased a hat (a lot like Clara’s!) and his grandma gifted him with the boots. Done and done! Here’s a picture of him and our cowboy family: http://www.cookinwiththejohnstons.com/2012/10/happy-halloween.html

    Reply

  28. Lisa says

    Thanks for the tip on Gorilla Glue — if it holds pencils and rocks, it would probably hold a birthday candle, right? I have been wanting to make birthday shadowboxes for my son who’s a month younger than Clara — one for 1st birthday and one for second, with some ribbon and wrapping paper from his gifts, a photo and his number candle. I tried using Krazy Glue last year and the exercise ended in frustration, so I’m going to try again with Gorilla Glue this weekend, and also letting stuff cure flat for 24 hours before putting into the box. Any other tips? How much glue do you use per item? Thanks! And sorry to miss your signing this week in NYC, hoping I will be able to go once it’s rescheduled!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s so cute! Yes, it should definitely work! I would just do globs and lines of it on things (ex: for a birthday candle, I’d apply glue all along the back edge). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  29. Jennifer I. says

    OH. MY. GOSH. Adorable! I love this year’s costumes and the past years are amazing too. It totally makes her costume that Burger coordinates every year. When I have kids, I’m totally coordinating the kids to the dogs. Genius!

    Reply

  30. Nicole says

    So cute! My 8 month old, Lucy, is going as a carrot (which I made for $3 hollaaa!) and our lab, Gus, is a bunny rabbit!

    Reply

  32. Karen F says

    Hi Sherry and John – checking in from Ridgewood, NJ (where your Friday night signing at Bookends is). Most of the town is without power (including my house – boo – with an estimate of 2 weeks to get it back), however the downtown area (where Bookends is) seems to have some power (there are several stores and restaurants open). I just called them, and they’re open – the person said the signing is still on, but it may be starting earlier, and to check the website for updates.

    ok, on the topic of this post – I love love love the costumes! So adorable, and I especially love that Clara’s entire costume is reversible/reusable – I have a pet peeve about spending money on halloween costumes that are worn once. So clever, Sherry! Halloween was cancelled here due to the hurricane :( but we went to a party last Saturday, and both my girls were cats and my husband and I dressed as Simon and Garfunkel. I don’t think anyone knew who we were though!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Karen! We’re so excited to meet you at Bookends! We worry that folks without power won’t know it’s still on, so feel free to spread the word :)

      xo
      s

    • Karen F says

      will do! the only reason I’m able to get on the internet is because I’m at work right now…can’t even get on from my phone at home. I feel like Laura Ingalls Wilder.

  33. Jo @ Let's Face the Music says

    I always tell people what a good reader I am but I had to read your post 3 times before I realized you didn’t DYE a costume but DIYed it. Quel idiot! BTW it’s just the kind of comfortable, easy-to-wear, child initiated costume I love! Jo @ Let’s Face the Music

    Reply

  34. Kismet says

    Those boots re soooo cute!! I want them for me.

    That costume, or even the outfit after, would look real cute with a vest alo.
    Great job, Sherry!

    Reply

  36. Heather says

    I’t even read the whole post and I just have to say I’m already cracking up laughing. You did such a good job, Sherry. Also – slinky dog? I don’t know why but i’m dying laughing. I love it!

    Reply

  37. stacie says

    I had to diy my son’s costume since it isn’t out in stores yet – he wanted to be a Skylander Giant. Just finished the last pieces last night after he went to bed so I have no idea how it’s going to look all put together. Here’s hoping!! Happy Halloween!

    Reply

  39. Liz says

    Our daughter, who is 5 weeks younger than Clara, is going to be a cowgirl. Bought the same boots at Old Navy, and I sewed a vest with pre-cut fringed costume suede I got at Joann’s. Those go perfectly with a white button down shirt, jean skirt, and dress-up straw cowboy hat we already had. We’ll do her daycare costume parade on Friday so it will be fun to see if she keeps everything on the whole time! Have fun today!

    Reply

  40. Adeline says

    They look so cute! Clara has good taste; Jessie is a great costume for a little girl. And it’s awesome that she will be able to wear most of her costume when Halloween is over.
    Happy Halloween!

    Reply

  41. Lindsay says

    Too cute! I love the oldest burger and hot dog!!
    This is my first DIY Halloween as well, weare breakfast. Fenix, our 2 yr old son is eggs And bacon. I’m a banana (no banana suit involved) and the hubby is 2% milk. Can’t wait to see all the family photos! Happy Halloween to y’all!

    Reply

  42. Mary says

    That is just about the cutest costume ever! SO creative. What I really love about the colored duct tape is that they sell it as “duck” tape. :)

    Happy Halloween! I’m leaving my husband home to hand out candy while I go to the Blazers – Lakers game with a friend. :)

    Reply

  43. Kristen says

    Okay, I am seriously impressed. Those costumes are THE. BEST. And I especially love that you dress up Clara and Burger in costumes that go together. It warms my heart that they are both equally members of the family! We tried last year for the first time to dress our brother and sister black kitties in costumes (our kids are all too old for costumes anymore). They “dressed up” as a cowboy and a princess (really just hats). Let’s just say that only lasted as long as it took for me to take a few few blurry pictures with a sad face (the boy) and a scared face (the girl). So yeah. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea! Although I did see a Santa beard and a reindeer hat for cats the other day at Target. Hmmm…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Totally! But it’s more important that New Yorkers get to focus on getting life back to normal, so hopefully we’ll have a new date soon. And at least we can still keep the CT and NJ events on schedule!

      -John

  45. Jan says

    Love that Jessie costume–adorable! Reminds me of the braid I made for my Rapunzel last year–why are yarn braids just so stinking cute? Burger is hilarious. Our dog runs and hides when the girls in our house dress up.

    Repurposed costumes are my fave–we did that for all three of our girls this year and they all loved the result. http://www.janiphotography.com/impressions/improvising-halloween/ Nothing beats using stuff you already have or getting new things that can transition easily to real life.

    Reply

  47. Ally says

    Ohmygosh! Totes adorbs.
    You get creative points, too! Great idea with the duct tape. It really can be used for anything.

    Reply

  48. Kate says

    I;m 27 weeks pregnant today, so I stenciled a black maternity t-shirt with skeleton ribs and a skelton baby (with a pink bow since she’s a girl). I’ve gotten comments that people think it’s really cute and it only took $3.50 (for the clearance shirt) to make, so I think it’s a winner! Plus maybe it will be a good clue to our neightbors out trick-or-treating with their kids that we have a little one on the way, lol.

    I don’t know what our little one will wear for next year. I’m a crafter but I also love some of the baby costumes I’ve been seeing in stores, so who knows!

    Reply

  49. Shelley @ Green Eggs and Hamlet says

    Awesome job on Clara’s and Burger’s costumes! I hope you guys do dress up as those blue and green aliens, would love to see that.

    I’m dressed as a marionette puppet (complete with strings to my hands and feet) and even wore it to my office today. Our dog is going as a “rufferee.”

    Reply

  50. Sarah says

    You did a great job with Clara’s costume! I love that you can reuse the main pieces. My 18 month old is a cat today, complete with sparkly ears, tutu and a tail :-)

    Reply

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