When you have a daughter, there’s often a delightful excuse to indulge in all things pink. And what could be more girly or pink than cotton candy? The other cherished female in our household is our 10-year-old pomapoo, Emmy. She was my first “baby,” the one I dressed up before having human children. Emmy loves to be part of our activities, bringing her back to the old days. So, when the idea of a pink pet costume came up, I couldn’t resist. Her snow-white fur takes color beautifully, making her the perfect candidate for a cotton candy costume. Even though it’s Halloween Eve, I wanted to quickly share this costume tutorial with you. It was surprisingly easy and quick to create, and I had to laugh when several people asked if I bought it from Pottery Barn, with others even asking to buy it from me! It did take a couple of tries to get my little picky princess to wear the costume without fussing, so I’ll guide you step by step through the process.
Step 1: Creating the Pink Fluff
The first step was making the cotton candy fluff pink. I used shaved chalk to achieve the most realistic look. Spray painting the cotton would have made it stiff, so after a light spray test, I decided the chalk looked much better. I recommend doing this outside, as the chalk can make a huge mess!
After getting the fluff to the right shade of pink, I realized it might have been less messy to color the fluff after gluing it to the bodysuit. Live and learn! But once the fluff was pink, I began gluing it to the onesie, adding more pink and more fluff as needed. This part can be tricky since polyfil is hard to glue to itself. Just apply as much glue as you can, and keep chalking and shaking the costume until you reach the desired color. I used two different shades of pink chalk for a more dimensional look.
Step 2: Securing the Sides
Next, it’s crucial to make sure the sides of the bodysuit are well-glued. I hung the bodysuit up and glued the cotton as if the costume was on the child. This method helps ensure that the fluff stays secure and doesn’t shift when worn.
Step 3: Crafting the Headpiece
To make the headpiece, I cut an oval of pink felt and glued some elastic underneath to create a headband. I then took leftover pink fluff and glued it onto the felt, attaching a real cotton candy cone (leftover from her first birthday) at the top. Make sure to secure the cone with plenty of glue and surround it with fluff to prevent it from drooping or falling off.
Step 4: Adding the Finishing Touches
The last step was adding a fake spider web (the kind you buy around Halloween for decoration) to stretch over the body of the costume. I sewed it on around the neck and legs to contain the fluff in a nicely shaped ball. This step was crucial because Aniston hated having all the fluff in her face and around her neck. Once the fluff was contained, she was much more comfortable wearing the costume. The spider web is very thin and looks like candy, adding a nice touch to the overall look. Paired with pink tights and cute shoes, the costume was complete!
Step 5: Extra Details
I also added a few extra details to make the costume even more adorable. I puffed some blush on Aniston’s cheeks and used pink hair chalk in her hair. Sometimes it’s those little details that make all the difference. For Emmy, I used the same method to color her fur as I did for the costume. I shaved chalk over her fur and then rubbed it in, creating a pink doggie! For the area near her face, I used the chalk pieces to carefully color her fur. Emmy loved the attention because it felt like she was getting petted and pampered.
Final Thoughts
This cotton candy costume was a hit, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. It was fun, creative, and a great way to incorporate some girly pink into our Halloween festivities. Whether you’re dressing up your child or your pet, this costume is sure to bring smiles and make for some unforgettable memories!
