Dog Walker

Total Time Needed:: Afternoon Or Evening

You won't have to remind your child to walk the dog this Halloween with this role-reversing pair of costumes. Smartly dressed in suit and tie, your little gent will have a howling good time taking his pretend pooch for a walk around the block.

Materials

Button-down shirt (little man)
pants (little man)
sports jacket (little man)
shoes (little man)
tie (little man)
eyebrow pencil (little man)
old briefcase (little man)
fedora (little man)
3 white tube socks (dog)
fiberfill (dog)

two 18-inch floral wires (dog)
scissors (dog)
belt (dog)
2/3 yard of black faux fur (or black felt) (dog)
glue gun or double-sided tape (dog)
1/4 yard of white or spotted faux fur (or white felt) (dog)
self-adhesive Velcro (dog)
black construction paper (dog)
permanent marker (dog)
sweatsuit (dog)

Instructions

Start with the little man: Have your child put on the shirt, pants, jacket, shoes and tie. Draw a thin mustache with the eyebrow pencil. Accessorize with briefcase (put a plastic bag inside for trick-or-treating candy) and fedora.
To create the dog's tail, stuff one tube sock with fiberfill. Twist the floral wires together and thread through the top of the sock, tip to toe. Bend the wire gently through the toe fabric and twist back in to prevent it from slipping out of the sock.
Cut two small lengthwise slits in the sock top and thread the belt through. Wrap the wire at the opening of the sock tightly around the belt. If desired, cut out and glue black faux fur onto the tip of the tail.
To make the dog's head, cut a 3-inch-wide strip of white fur or felt to fit around Dad's head and attach strips of adhesive Velcro to fasten. Cut two ears from black construction paper -- shape them like a flat-topped bowling pin, approximately 13 inches high and 4 1/2 inches wide.
Glue the paper ears to the back side of a piece of black fur or felt and cut them out. Tape the smaller ends of the ears, fur side up, to the inside of the headband.
Wear the headband so the ears flop out over the top. To make the paws, put a piece of cardboard inside a sock, then draw a paw print with permanent marker and remove the cardboard. Repeat with the other sock.
To create the dog's body, cut out a large black fur or felt oval with a 3-inch tab at the top. Attach the oval to the front of the sweatshirt with double-sided tape, then fold the tab inside the sweatshirt collar. If desired, cut out ankle and wrist "cuffs" from the fur or felt and attach with Velcro.
Have Dad put on the turtleneck, sweatsuit, sneakers, tail and paw socks. Draw a nose and freckles on Dad with the eyebrow pencil. Accessorize with the headband, cuffs, collar and leash.