DIY Dinosaur Costume Cage
This DIY Dinosaur Costume Cage is a MUST! Have you ever tried to trick or treat with young kids!? It’s all fun and games for about 3 houses – then you are carrying your kids for the next hour, as they continue to beg you to keep going for one more house!
Well, this is where using a wagon as part of your kids Halloween costume becomes important! So that is exactly what I decided to do!
I knew my kids would not simply ride in the wagon, and I wanted to make it a fun and exciting part of the adventure for them.
My kid absolutely LOVED it! They jumped in and out of their dino cage without ever asking to be carried! Win-win for Mom & Dad! This was last years wagon-costume and here I walk you through exactly what I did to make it. This year I have another idea in mind to transform our wagon yet again for a another fun filled night trick or treating for all.
Step 1: Buy your supplies
To create my list of supplies, I first measured the inside of our wagon. Our wagon’s inside measurements are 17 inches by 31 inches. With those measurements I laid out my plan for all the corners and where I wanted the vertical pipes to be. I wanted the total height from the seat in the wagon to the top to be about 30 inches tall. I needed to make both a base and top frame to hold the vertical pipes in place.
With my measurements and design, I determined that I needed: three 10 foot long 3/4″ PVC pipes; eight 3/4″ PVC 90 degree elbow joints; and twelve 3/4″ tee joints.
If you are in the market for a wagon as well, I would 10/10 recommend this one! We use it for everything from the beach to Halloween costumes; to carry kids or a load of stuff! Its folds up nice and compact too.
Step 2: Cut PVC Pipe
The easiest way to cut your PVC pipes is with a ratcheting PVC cutter. You could also use a miter saw but I found having this inexpensive tool much easier for me. When you are cutting your pipes to size make sure you factor in the about 1″ additional length which you will need to fit the pipe into the elbow or tee joint.
I cut the three 10 foot PVC pipes into 16 pieces at 6 1/2 inch; 4 pieces at 15 1/2 inch; and 6 pieces at 28 inches.
Step 3: Drill Holes for "Wire"
Using a drill with drill bit, drill the holes through the 28 inch PVC pipe. The holes will be used to created your cage wire.
I drilled the holes (measurements from the top of the pipe down) at 1 inch, 7 inches, 14 inches, and 21 inches.
Step 4: Spray Paint the Frame
I partially assembled my frame in two parts to make spray painting the parts easier. Using Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover Spray Paint in Granite, I set the frame up on some blocks and sprayed the entire frame until it was covered.
Step 5: Assemble the Frame in the Wagon
I assembled my frame as it was set for spray painting. Then I started by placing the base frame into the wagon; then attaching the top into the base.
Step 6: String the Cage Wire
For the cage wire I used black paracord. I wrapped some tape around one end and ran it through the pre-drilled holes. I left a gap in the paracord on the backside at the 15 1/2 inch space so that the kids could get in and out easily. Finally, I tied a knot at each end securing the cord in place.
Step 7: Decorate the Cage!
To decorate our cage I used some battery powered lights around the top of the frame and then printed off a Jurassic Park banner and a wattage sign to hang on the paracord.
Get your little dinos in the cage and you are ready to role!
Looking for more easy DIY Halloween ideas? Check out our Pumpkin Planters!
DIY Dinosaur Costume Links
*Disclosure: We only recommend products that we regularly use ourselves and all opinions expressed here are our own.
DIY Dinosaur Costume
Equipment
- Ratcheting PVC Cutter
- Scissors
materials
- Wagon
- 30 feet 3/4" PVC Pipe
- 8 3/4" 90 Degree Corners
- 12 3/4" Tee Joint
- Spray Paint
- Paracord
- Battery Powered Lights (optional)
Instructions
- Buy Supplies
- Cut PVC Pipe to Size
- Drill Holes for "Wire"
- Spray Paint the Frame
- Assemble to Frame in the Wagon
- String the Cage "Wire"
- Decorate the Cage!
Hello! Thank you for providing the pdf for the Jurassick Park decorations. How do I print it on multiple sheets so that it fits?
Hi Hayley! Once you have the file open, click print and then make sure in the settings under page size & handling you select Poster. This should automatically change the print out to print large over multiple sheets of paper 🙂 Please let us know if this doesn’t work for you!
How can I access the graphics?
Hi Teresa! You will need to submit your email and then confirm your subscription. The file will automatically download when you confirm subscribing 🙂
Thank you!! Our cage looks great and our 3 year old has been telling everyone he sees about it for the past week!! Appreciate you providing this information!!
I am so happy to hear that!! If you share any pics please tag us or send them to us! We would absolutely love to see how awesome your wagon turns out!! Instagram: @well_shetried email: wellshetriedblog@gmail.com