Is there anything cuter than animals dressed up in funny, fuzzy or silly costumes? I don’t think so. Halloween has always been a favorite holiday for me. I absolutely love dressing up in clever costumes. But now with another dog in the family, I’m suddenly obsessed with finding adorable, clever or ironic costumes for my two pups, Slinky the dachshund and Rosie the Yorkshire terrier.

My sister and I were actually both searching online for fun costumes we could buy for all of our dogs (she has an adorable mini schnauzer named Lexie). While there were some adorable and even affordable options, I thought it would be fun to do a little more Pinterest research for some DIY options, too. There are great ideas for dogs, cats and even animals like horses, hedgehogs, ferrets and lizards, too. Here are a few of my favorite ideas. For even more, visit our Halloween board on Pinterest.

Stick to a theme

Does your family build Halloween costumes around a theme? Do you like to incorporate every member of the family into your costume? Why not add in your pets to your fun theme this year. There are so many great ideas to play with.

Create a complete “Wizard of Oz” theme this year, complete with either a real-life Toto dog or go for the less obvious by transforming your golden retriever into an adorable Cowardly Lion. The tale Little Red Riding Hood comes to life when you dress up your German shepherd as the Wolf. Or, maybe your pooch is an extra fuzzy Grandma instead.

Got a small breed dog? Go for a new twist on “Scooby-Doo” by dressing him or her up as the Mystery Machine. Don your favorite Shaggy and Velma costumes and cruise around the neighborhood with your pup-sized Mystery Machine.

Character fun

Halloween is the best time to pretend to be someone else — superheroes, legendary movie stars, past presidents, even cartoon characters. Why not let your pets dream of being someone or something else for Halloween as well. Does you tiny teacup pup dream of being a race horse? Does you Great Dane think he’s human? Is your Yorkie a pretty princess? Let those dreams come true.

Is your puppy super fluffy? Transform him into an adorable “Star Wars” Ewok. Transform your mild-mannered kitten into a roaring lion with a simple furry mane. Grant your Whippet’s racehorse dreams by affixing a “Jockey” to his back and watch him race to the finish line.

Other fun, clever character ideas include, Where’s Waldo complete with pipe cleaner glasses and red and white hats and scarf, Harry Potter, Batman and Robin, Minions, Ghostbusters, Darth Vader, Pikachu and even a not-so-frightening Freddie Krueger.

Completely unique

I think these were my favorite costume ideas — the unique, ironic, completely original, and hilarious. Think of the unexpected and break out your craft supplies and start working on your ideas. You can make the costumes as simple or elaborate as you want, just something your cat or dog will manage to tolerate, at least for a few minutes for photos!

Does your dog have a medical cone from a recent, um, procedure? Use that cone to create a dirty martini glass. Just create some stuffed olives on a skewer and you’ve got a great costume. Take an old dog sweater and glue a whole lot of silk greenery on it to create a real-life Chia pet.

Are you addicted to Pumpkin Spice Lattes? Transform your pet into the cutest Starbucks coffee you’ll ever see. Just stencil the Starbucks logo onto a cardboard tube and create a hat out of a coffee lid to complete the look. Is your Pomeranian a total fluff ball? Turn her into a bath scrubby, complete with an adorable mini rubber duckie. And, if you want to go simple, print out a “Ty” logo, affix it to your pet’s collar and create your own living Ty Beanie Baby.

– Jennifer Durrant