Canine Christmas - How to make a Santa costume for a dog

Big dog, small dog, round dog long dog; all can bewhole lot easier for you and doggie if you can just put
outfitted with a great Santa costume for the holiday.on and go with the greatest of ease.
First decide how elaborate you want to get. If youThe key is to keep the costume functional and fun for
want doggie to have the full on Santa garb think time,everybody. Remember to consider how long the dog
material and design. You might even think about a littlewill wear the costume each time. If you want the
pair of Santa booties to go along with the outfit. Afterdoggie to look cute when you go out to the store or
all some dogs will let you get away with anything. Ifjust in public, you might only be talking less than one
you want a simple wrap, think cut and sew patterns.half hour each time she wears it. If for instance you
Whatever you decide to do, you want a design thathave a plan to have people come over and you want
will be comfortable and practical for doggie to wear.the dog to be in costume during the entire party, which
Keeping that in mind it should be easy to clean andcan last up to several hours, that's a different story.
easy put on and take off. Although it might look great itGet into the spirit and throw in a cool Santa hat. Grab
has to be comfortable. When you make a Santaa red or white cone type hat and there you have it.
costume for the dog you are giving the gift ofThe costume can be another interesting holiday topic
everlasting love and the same unconditional friendshipfor guests, and if you are a true dog love why not
that doggie gives you every single day.deck the house with cool pictures of dogs in different
Chose a material like cotton or a blend that is light andSanta outfits. You can even add a couple of dog
breaths. Dog will need to sustain their own normalornaments to the tree for a nice touch. The family can
body temperature as much as possible so use aall join in and you do not have to spend a lot of time or
material that will not be a problem for them to wear.effort. How about silk or satin as a costume? When
Start with a large flat piece to make a pattern that willyou take time to make a Santa costume for your dog,
wrap around and include enough material to make theyou will create a unique experience and have fun
wrap for the chest and front legs. The basic design forspending quality time together with the family.
the costume wrap should be open on the back and inDoggie is the one family member who is always
the bottom for simple canine hygiene reasons.around and gets the attention of everybody. This is a
Once you figure out how large or small the materialgreat way to make a holiday gift that is special and
you need has to be, it's time to move on to the nextworthy of lots of pictures that you can send to
step, putting the whole thing together. The traditionaleverybody in your address book. Your pet will look so
Santa look is of course the red, with white trim andcool that even Santa will not know what to expect
black belt. You can accomplish this pattern with a redwhen he comes down the chimney.
cloth trimmed with white and a black sash sewn in theChristmas is the time of year to bring joy and
middle to replicate the belt.happiness to all. The pet is a family member who does
A simple clip and go approach really can work well.everything and does not expect a weekly allowance.
Use Velcro straps to hold the costume on. They areIn fact doggie is probably the only one who will not tell
practical and work great for short hair dogs. On theanyone else your secrets or try to make you feel
other hand if you have a long hair dog you might wantguilty if you do not do something you were supposed
to reconsider and go with a couple of snaps or even ato do. Return the favor and make a cool Santa
cute little sash that ties on the back. It will make life acostume that is sure to have everybody take notice.