How to Make a DIY Puppy Disguise
Craft a colorful puppy disguise costume featuring felt ears, a game badge collar, and a drop-disc token pouch for giant board challenges.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Fabric scissors
- ✓ Low-temperature hot glue gun
- ✓ Measuring tape
- ✓ Fabric marker
- ✓ Hole punch
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Stiff craft felt sheets (brown, blue, and yellow)
- ✓ Blank plastic headband
- ✓ Self-adhesive hook-and-loop dots
- ✓ Polyester ribbon (1-inch width)
- ✓ Laminated paper badge printouts
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Operate low-temp glue guns on a heat-resistant surface away from loose fabrics.
- • Inspect headband edges for sharp plastic burrs before attaching felt.
- • Ensure ribbons and collars have quick-release velcro fasteners to prevent snagging.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Draft and Cut the Puppy Ear Templates
Measure and draw two 6-inch floppy ear shapes onto stiff brown craft felt using fabric chalk. Fold each ear base in half by 0.5 inches to create a slight pinch that mimics a natural fold. Carefully cut along your drawn contours using sharp fabric scissors.
- • Two symmetrical felt ears cut with a neat 0.5-inch pleat at the top edge.
- • Clean cut lines with no fraying or jagged edges.
- • Cutting ears too small, making them floppy or unnoticeable on camera.
- • Skipping the pinched fold, resulting in flat, lifeless ears.
Mount the Ears to the Headband Base
Position the pinched end of each felt ear roughly 2.5 inches down from the crown center on either side of the plastic headband. Apply a generous bead of low-temp hot glue along the underside of the ear pleat and press firmly onto the headband for 20 seconds. Wrap a small 1x2-inch strip of felt around the glue joint underneath the band to reinforce the bond.
- • Ears stand securely angled outwards without drooping forward.
- • Reinforcement felt strips fully encase the headband connection points.
- • Applying too much glue which oozes out onto the visible ear surface.
- • Uneven ear placement resulting in lopsided disguise ears.
Assemble the Character Collar and Emblem
Cut an 18-inch length of 1-inch wide ribbon to form the pup collar strap. Glue a pair of adhesive hook-and-loop dots to the ribbon ends so it fastens easily with a breakaway safety release. Center your laminated game badge printout on the front of the ribbon and secure it with hot glue.
- • Badge sits flat and centered along the front of the collar ribbon.
- • Velcro overlap holds securely but releases with a light pull.
- • Fastening collar ends with knots instead of breakaway velcro.
- • Mounting the badge off-center relative to the neckline.
Fabricate the Giant Disc Token Pouch
Fold a 9x12-inch sheet of blue felt upward leaving a 3-inch top flap to create an envelope-style pouch sized for game tokens. Glue the left and right side seams using low-temp glue, leaving the top open. Affix a velcro dot to the top flap to keep game discs securely contained during rapid movement between drops.
- • Pouch pocket measures at least 6x8 inches to fit standard game discs.
- • Velcro flap seals tightly along the top opening.
- • Gluing the top opening shut by accident.
- • Making the pouch too narrow to insert or retrieve game tokens quickly.
Construct the Disguise Utility Belt Attachment
Cut two 2-inch vertical slits spaced 3 inches apart onto the rear wall of the felt pouch using scissors. Thread a 30-inch adjustable ribbon waist strap through these slits to make the pouch wearable like a utility belt. Attach hook-and-loop fasteners to the waist strap ends to provide an adjustable fit over any clothing.
- • Waist strap glides smoothly through the rear pouch loops.
- • Pouch sits firmly on the hip without flipping upside down.
- • Cutting vertical slits too long, which tears the felt backing when loaded with discs.
Perform Final Fitting and Game-Drop Movement Test
Slip on the puppy ear headband, fasten the badge collar, and secure the token utility belt around your waist. Jump, bend, and simulate dropping discs into the drop board to ensure the ears remain upright and the collar does not choke. Adjust velcro placements as needed for maximum comfort and full mobility.
- • Headband remains stable on the head during rapid side-to-side motion.
- • Token pouch is easily accessible with one hand while standing at the drop board.
- • Wearing the headband too far forward, causing it to slip down over the eyes.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by The Ellie Sparkles Show - WildBrain — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Fabric chalk? A dry sliver of white bar soap or a light pencil
- No Low-temp hot glue? Fabric glue or heavy-duty double-sided craft tape
- No Laminated badge printout? Paper printout sealed between two strips of clear packing tape