How To: Chia Pet Pet Costume, Plus 9 More Adorable DIY Halloween Costumes for Dogs & Cats

Halloween is only a few short weeks away, and most people are scrambling to get their costumes together before the big night. The secret to a great getup is all in the details, and including your pet in the fun can be exactly what you need to take your costume to the next level.

If you need an even better reason, dressing your pet up this Halloween can help other animals in need. Take a photo of your beloved little furball in his/her costume and submit it to the Monster Pet Rescue contest for a chance to win up to $10,000 for your favorite shelter or rescue organization. Each entry contributes a dollar to the final prize amount.

There are tons of pet costumes out there you can buy, but where's the fun in that? Here are 10 DIY Halloween costumes you can make at home for your beloved furry friend.

#1. DIY Lion Dog Costume

Make Fido feel like the king of the jungle by making this lion's mane costume. You'll need a werewolf mask, elastic band, an extra collar and some Velcro.

Check out the guide on Puppy In Training for instructions.

#2. DIY Harry Potter Dog Costume

Transform your pooch into Harry Potter this year with a homemade cape (complete with the Gryffindor seal, of course) and a pair of pipe cleaner glasses.

Find out how to make it over on All Free Holiday Crafts.

#3. DIY Doggie Dinosaur Costume

This super easy no-sew dinosaur costume is made from an old T-shirt or tank top and a few squares of felt. For a template and instructions on how to make it, head over to Martha Stewart.

#4. DIY Target Dog Costume

If you happen to have a white dog, you can get away with one of the laziest costumes of them all—the Target mascot dog.

It helps if you have a bull terrier for authenticity, but it works for any breed. Just give your dog a red bullseye and collar (or bowtie) and you're all set.

#5. DIY Nyan Cat Costume

Most cats are far too stubborn to dress up, but if you happen to have a tolerant kitty there's no better costume than Nyan Cat.

All you need to make it is a bunch of different colors of felt, which you can hot glue or sew together. Take a look at trailmixdiaries for more photos and inspiration.

#6. DIY Zebra Dog Costume

If you have a dog that's solid white or black, you can easily paint it into a zebra, skunk or tiger. Just make sure you use a type of paint that's washable and made for pets (like this one)—dressing up is fun, but keeping your pet safe is much more important.

#7. DIY Chia Pet Costume

This hilariously adorable Chia Pet costume could work for either a dog or a cat, and it's pretty easy to make.

You'll need a sweater that fits your pet, some fake greenery and orange felt. Head over to Inhabitat for the tutorial.

#8. DIY Princess Leia Dog Costume

If you've got some sewing skills, you can make a pretty convincing Princess Leia costume for your dog with some fabric and yarn.

The instructions for this and two other Star Wars costumes are available over on Make.

#9. DIY Bloody Knife Bandanna

If you want to include your furry friend in the fun, but don't have time to make an entire costume, this easy no-sew bandanna is perfect, and could easily work for a dog or cat.

The process mostly consists of a lot of cutting and hot-gluing, but it's pretty simple to do. You can find the instructions and step-by-step photos over on Sew DoggyStyle. Extra points if your dog knows how to play dead.

#10. DIY Doggie Martini Costume

If your dog's ever had surgery, you probably have a plastic "cone of shame" lying around somewhere. So why not repurpose it into a Halloween costume?

Just make some olives out of foam or rubber balls and spear them on a wooden dowel to turn your mutt into a martini.

Show Us Your Costumes

If you decide to make one of the costumes on the list, or have an awesome DIY costume of your own, be sure to upload a photo of your pet wearing it in the comments section! (Right after you finish submitting it to the Monster Pet Rescue contest, of course.)

Target Dog Photo via Akaporn Bhothisuwan, Martini Glass Dog Photo via Pets Adviser