how to make zero the ghost dog

Zero From the Nightmare Before Christmas

Introduction: Zero From the Nightmare Before Christmas

This Zero from the Nightmare Before Christmas is easy and cheap to make. In fact, there's so little to it, we were able to make him while my partner and I were living out of suitcases in a motel room (so please don't judge us on the motel room decor in the photos).

Step 1: What You'll Need

• small toy pumpkin (I found some party favour whistles that were the right size)

Step 2: Build the Body

Zero is made much the same way as I made my glowing dress lamps : first you create a form and then you cover it in fabric and stiffen the fabric before finally removing the body form to be left with just the fabric shape. Zero's body is pretty simple, it's just a head on  the end of a long pyramid. Start by cutting a cardboard box in half diagonally. Secure the end with tape. For the neck, cut a plastic container to size and attach it to the body with tape. To build the head, cut off part of the pop bottle and wrap it in tape to make it more narrow at the open end. Add tear drop shaped cardboard sides and a strip of thin cardboard to round out the back. Build up the shape of the head with scrunched up paper and more tape. Be sure to properly shape around the eyes with strips of cardboard and more paper.

Step 3: Prepare It to the Covered in Fabric and Glue

Add a cardboard strips for the tail and to round out the back of the body box. Cover everything in plastic wrap. 

Step 4: Add the Fabric

For the main body, cut a triangle of  white fabric with a circle cut out for the neck. You can use very thin fabric for a more ghostly appearance, we just used the cheapest sheet we could find. Drape the fabric over the body and secure the neck with masking tape.  Wrap fabric around the head and trim it to size. Use string to hold the fabric around the head and neck. The fabric will absorb the glue better if you first dampen it with a little water. Damp fabric will also be easier to shape around the head. Mix glue with a little warm water and paint it over the entire thing. To raise the tips of his front paws you can use string taped to the walls or any other support you have handy (for the tail we used a stack of items from our recycling). Allow to dry and apply additional coats of glue until it will hold it's shape (we did 2 thick applications).

Step 5: It's All in the Details

Remove the fabric from the body form. Add wire to the front edges and "spine" to help hold the shape. Secure with hot glue. Use hot glue to attach the head to the body and trim any excess fabric at the neck. Cut 2 strips of fabric for the ears. Add wire along one edge of each ear and stiffen with diluted white glue. When dry, use a glue gun to attach to the head. Cut eyes out of black felt and a collar out of red felt. Attach with hot glue. For the pumpkin nose, trim a small plastic toy pumpkin to fit with an exacto knife and hot glue it in place.

Step 6: Hang Him Up in Halloween Town

Your ghost dog is ready to impress all the trick-or-treaters! Hang Zero up in your Halloween display with fishing line. To make him glow, shine a spotlight from below or fill him with little fairy lights. It you're lighting him up, don't forget to add a little orange LED to his nose! If you make your own Zero this Halloween (or Christmas or whenever) I'd love to see pictures! Please post them in the comments!

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35 Comments

Question 2 years ago on Introduction

what are the steps?

3 years ago on Step 6

3 years ago

This post was selected by Instructables staff for #ThrowbackThursday on our social media channels! You can see the posts here: https://twitter.com/instructables/status/118241551... https://www.instagram.com/p/B3dCMLWlte9/ Make sure to check your PMs for a prize! :D

Reply 3 years ago

Thanks! You guys are awesome!

4 years ago

sooo cute =D

6 years ago

How exactly do you remove the form from the fabric? I've made it up to the end of Step 4....and now I'm confused on how to take the form out? Thanks x

Reply 6 years ago

When it is dry you should be able to just pull the fabric off of the form (after untying/cutting any string holding the fabric around the neck). The glue doesn't stick to the plastic wrap.

That still doesn't make sense? I understand what you mean about pulling the fabric off, but surely the form wont fit through the gap where the neck is?

At this point in the process none of the seams should be sealed. The neck is only held tight by the string. When you cut the string you should be able to peel the fabric off of the form. You'll be left with 2 pieces of shaped fabric, the body and head, that you will need to attach in the following steps.

7 years ago

How does this hold up in the rain? Any suggestions to make it waterproof?

Reply 7 years ago

How it holds up in wet weather will depend on the glue you use. White glue won't last in the rain, but you can try to find a waterproof glue to help it hold its shape if it gets wet.

How do you think it would work out if I did a "top coat" of a clear sealant type spray paint, or just used that instead of the white glue coats in terms of waterproofing?

I don't know if a spray-on sealer would have enough hold power on its own to keep the fabric in the shape you want, but used as a protective coat over the glue, it might help it hold up in the rain.

I might try this with a little rotating counter balance to get him to shake and move

He catches the wind really well, so hanging outside of our house on fishing line, he's constantly moving.

Can you please please PLEASE contact me so I can purchase one? My arts and craft skills are worse than a 1 year old's, but, this would be for a very special event and would help make a young woman's very very happy. (I can give you more details in a private conversation.) Thanks a bunch - Joe

8 years ago on Introduction

Hi! I am trying to do this for Halloween. I was just wondering if there is any other way of sticking the parts together without having to buy a glue gun or hot glue?

Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

You could try sewing the pieces together with a needle and thread. I imagine it would be tricky but it might work.

you dont think white glue or super glue (like loctite) would do?

I'm sure that would be fine for the eyes and collar, but I don't know if that would work to attach the wire and hold the head to the body. You can always test it and try to borrow a glue gun if it doesn't work out.

Take This Zero The Ghost Dog Light-Up Toy For A Halloween Walk

Sure, you've got your severed arms ordered. You've got the animatronic spider dusted and waiting in the garage, ready to be positioned upon the roof. But do you know what important Halloween prep you have probably neglected thus far? Two words: Ghost dog. Yes, you have likely forgotten to add "purchase phantom canine with glowing snout" to your October To-Do list. Fortunately, the Disney Store has you covered, with this extremely cute Zero the Ghost Dog light-up toy , modeled after the beloved diaphanous dog from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I'd say Jack Skellington's cheerful phantom pooch is arguably the cutest character in the entire film. He's certainly cuter than the creepy Mayor with the spinning face. And if you have a little one (or a big one) who is a fan of the stop motion classic, this toy is sure to be a massive hit.

The dog's body is approximately 14 inches long, constructed of satin, and has posable wire ears. Press a button in its back, and magic! The nose lights up. Not only does it light up, it also has a fade mode, as well as a blinking setting, in case you're in the mood for a mini-dance party, and want to blast "This Is Halloween" and get down to the Zero strobe.

But I imagine the thing kids will really dig about this toy, is the leash. There's a solid leash that attaches to Zero's back with a self-stick strap, so that when you're holding the leash's handle, it looks like Zero is actually floating in front of you. (I know. Both spooky and adorable.) This thing will be super fun to "take for a walk" on Halloween, or any night really. For added amusement, you could also sprinkle your lawn with large mothballs, then hand your child a plastic bag and instruct them to go clean up the ghost poop. This will teach your child the value of both whimsy, and responsibly caring for a pet.

Zero could also function as a really cute little night light for little ones, now that I think about it. I'll be honest, Zero is really testing my vow to not purchase any more Halloween decorations this year . (Especially since there's also a Zero nightlight available right now.) I recently dropped $20 on a felt Venus flytrap from Target, and after staring at the felt plant with rubber eyeballs that will sit on my windowsill for one month then go right back into a closet, I promised that henceforth I would handcraft the rest of our Halloween decor. And there totally are how-to sites out there explaining how to make your own Zero. (But... who am I kidding? I know full well my handmade Zero will end up looking like pillowcase roadkill.)

The toy prices out at $28 on the Disney website , which really isn't very much for a glowing ghost dog, if you think about it. It's certainly a much safer bet than throwing a sheet over your Labrador and attempting to duct tape some LEDs to its nose. (Though if you try this, please do take video and post it on Insta.)

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Product Details

Zero Ghost Dog crochet pattern

he measures 7” tall when using a D hook

You will need Approx. 100g of red heart yarn/Light worsted A pair of safety eyes Stuffing 3.25 mm hook Tapestry needle

only available in english

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DIY Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween Props

I love Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas! For Halloween one year, I really wanted to make some NMBC characters and props from the movie. I couldn't find many examples, or really ANY help online...so I'm posting this to help/give others who are interested some ideas...good luck Click here to see my other Nightmare Before Christmas props

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Nightmare before christmas: zero's dog house grave stone tutorial.

21 comments:

looks fantastic! Do you know the brand of "Pink Foam"?

I made a post all about this foam. Please view my other posts to view this information

Found it on you blog!!!

Would hot glue work in place of caulk?

The foam melts with heat. In my experience the foam melt away in the hot glue sinks in creating holes. I would not recommend using it. However somebody had commented that they had success using a low-temperature glue gun. Honestly though it's just not the best choice. Please refer to my pink foam insulation blog post -K

I have a question. In your first pict of the tombstone, it looks shorter at the point and longer in other picts. did you do the point in 2 parts?

Hey tawni! its just an optical allusion bc of the angle. It is the same length in all the pictures. -k

Hi there, What dimensions are your tomb stone? What brand/kind of caulk did you use? What kind of glue did you use? Did you use water repellant sealant on it? My congrats your tomb stone out great? Do you sell any pieces. I live in La Mirada, CA and would be interested in just zero's tombstone..... Thanks, Vlad........

Hello Vlad, the tomb stone is about four feet tall, and twenty inches wide at the widest point. These measurements are approximate. I used the caulk itself as the glue to hold the two foam house pieces together, as well as all the shingles and the dog skull&crossbones. After I glued all the pieces together I used the caulk to fill in any seams or visible gaps and cracks. I bought my caulk at Home Depot. The brand is DAP and it was just the regular white typical caulking. You can weather proof your foam creations with "Drylok". Then paint on top of it. It is found at hardware stores. Thank you very much for your compliments ! My Zero tomb stone is not for sale at this time. Thank you for your interest. Please feel free to ask if you have any other questions. -K

Thank you So much, you were very helpful, I'll pick your brain once in a while if you don't mind. Thanks again for your advice and time. Vlad

You had mentioned in your supply list glue, what do you use it for and what brand may I ask???? Last did you free hand. Zero's skull and bones? Is the skull foot long and bones to???? Thanks again. Making it for my kids for next Halloween..... :)

Glue was used in assembling the card board roof structure. Step # 3

I used wood glue and had to sit there holding it waiting for it to dry. I would have used HOT GLUE, but it was late at night and I was out of glue sticks!

blue prints have been posted here!

If I were to send you white construction paper 4' x 4', would you be able to see me a diagram or blue prints of the tomb stone with Zero's head and cross bones it old really help. My kids are counting on me and I don't want to screw up S "daddy is perfect and can do any thing''. I don't want to let them down and I want to make it perfectly. You understand. I'll pay you for your time and troubles. Once I have the template and measurements, the rest should be easier. Finally were Zero's. Skull and bones. Sculpted and free handed and his eyes scooped out and painted black or not scooped out at all. Sorry to put you thru this but my kids keep asking me to them one and I don't want to let them down, you understand. Thanks once again very kindly, Vlad, [email protected]

Vlad, I will email you re: blue prints

Apologize for the grammar it's 3:30am and I'm very tired. ; }

Thanks again, you're very kind.....

Kristie, You have an amazing blog! For Christmas, I decorate our yard in NBC. Here's a video of my latest pieces. I'm building 3 large Jacks in a box http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7xY81g48Vk

Joseph, OMG... I watched your video. Your jack- in -the- box is amazing. It is great how it moves up and down. Very crafty. Thank you for sharing. -K

I love everything you have on here

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Nightmare before Xmas “ZERO head” eva foam DIY kit

$ 48.99 $ 34.99

Featuring all the laser cut EVA foam parts parts you need to make your own light up Zero floating ghost dog prop from the Nightmare before Christmas movie  ^_^ … follow along with the GiveWave Studios YouTube tutorial for the steps to putting your DIY kit together.

NOTE: kit comes with EVA foam parts, 3d printed nose & LED packet ONLY !!! everything else should be sourced by the buyer

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SEE HOW THE ZERO DIY KIT PROP IS MADE

Want your own Zero to walk around with in your Jack Skellington or Sally cosplay? or maybe even hang Zero from the ceiling as a festive halloween decoration ^_^ …

Well GiveWave Studios is here for you with this awesome DIY kit to make your very own floating ghost dog ^_^

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS: • DIY kit/Finished Prop head dimension roughly 14” x 6” • Finished Prop Assembled overall dimension 52″ L x 35″ W

NOTE: Fabrics ( red/white ) Nylon webbing or Steel wire are NOT included in this kit and are the responsibility of the buyer to procure.

• Youtube Assembly Tutorial • 8x laser cut 5mm foam pieces • 1x hand cut 2mm foam piece • 1x hand cut 10mm foam piece • 1x LED string light • 1x 3D printed pumpkin nose piece

** DISCLAIMER ** This is NOT an officially licensed product.

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• Protagonists
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Edit source
• View history

In the movie, Jack finds the door to Christmas Town while he is taking Zero for a walk. Later, when Jack wants to take off to deliver presents, Zero has to light the way because of the thick fog, similar to Santa and Rudolph. At the end of the movie, Jack and Sally kiss each other as Zero looks at them and flies into the air, transforming into a star.

• 2 The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge
• 3 Zero's Journey
• 4 Long Live the Pumpkin Queen

The Poem [ ]

Zero emerging from the graveyard in Burton's illustration for the poem.

Zero first appears in Tim Burton's original poem , who is described as "the best friend (Jack) had". Zero feels sad after going unnoticed by Jack, attempting to cheer him up but coming to no avail. At the end of the poem, Zero turns into a tissue box for Jack to wipe his tears with.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge [ ]

Jack and Zero in Oogie's Revenge .

Zero appears in the sequel video game Oogie's Revenge , where he first appears out from his grave in the graveyard and approached by Jack. He helps Jack find the Hanged Men by flying in the graveyard and barking to alarm him when he sees one. Zero doesn't make many appearances in the game, only assisting Jack in two levels.

Zero's Journey [ ]

Zero returns as the protagonist of the sequel comic book, " Zero's Journey ", where he gets lost in Christmas Town after an accident in Jack's House. He first appears sleeping in the comic, but wakes up wanting to play with Jack. He first gets ignored, but convinces his owner to stay for a game of fetch, where Jack removes his rib bone and tosses it around the room. Zero chases after it and nearly causes a mess in Jack's study, wearing his night cap after falling into a pile.

Jack throws his bone one more time, accidentally bumping into his desk and dropping his portal device. He also incidentally opens up the portal through Halloween Town , which Zero flies through in an attempt to catch his rib. He chases it through the graveyard and into the forest , where he finds the rib in the middle of the holiday doors . Much like his owner, Zero becomes fascinated with the Christmas door and goes through it, and gets lost in Christmas Town.

The reason he appears as the main character is because, according to a message left by creators TOKYOPOP, they "always wished there were more scenes with Zero. He was always there for Jack, floating along, a loyal companion."

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen [ ]

• Interestingly enough, it is implied in the movie that Zero still needs to breathe, as when you see him asleep in his basket in Jack's tower, part of his sheet-like body around his chest moves up and down.
• When Zero is happy, he can wag his "tail", or flip in circles happily.
• It’s a common misconception that Zero’s nose is a red bulb exactly like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, however it was always a small Jack ‘O Lantern as is evidenced in behind the scenes images of the original puppet and subsequent merchandise and media.

Gallery [ ]

• 2 Oogie Boogie
• 3 Jack Skellington

• forum posts

patterns > Pink Crochet Designs > Zero Inspired Amigurumi

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Zero Inspired Amigurumi

This Pdf Explains How to make each tiny piece of zero the ghost dog.

Zero is perfect for all Nightmare Before Christmas Fans!

Difficulty : Beginner

Materials 

Crochet Hook : G / 4.00 MM  Yarn : Red Heart in White  Yarn : Red Heart in Orange  Yarn : Red Heart In Red  Yarn Needle  Black Felt  Pins  Stitch marker but I prefer paper clips Finished Size : 5 1/2 Inches Long

Note : All yarn is medium 4 , Worsted weight

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Have Fun & God Bless

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Crochet Zero Ghost Dog Amigurumi Free Patterns & Paid

Crochet pattern for Zero the ghost dog plush, and more than a plush, a puppet, a lovey at the same time. Inspired by the movie Nightmare before Christmas. Ideal for kids who like to be a character or a Halloween accessory. If you may need  Halloween decoration  ideas and  party treats  that you won’t miss, just click the link and you will get inspired for your Halloween party more exciting this year. Beginning the holiday spirit for me is to watch or think about watching Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. This pattern is made using Blanket yarn so he’s sturdy as well as cuddly. I intended this to be a floor decoration for Halloween or Christmas.

You may love: Amigurumi Little Ghost Plushie Free Crochet Pattern

Click the link below for the FREE crochet pattern:

Zero Ghost Dog by Carolyne Brodie

Click the link below for the PAID crochet pattern( IMAGE ):

Zero lovey by Jamie Payne

Click the link below for the FREE crochet pattern( IMAGE ):

Zero from The Nightmare Before Christmas by Mishymishy

Click the link below for the PAID crochet pattern:

Zero the ghost dog by LesTuquesDeStephanie + Purchase Directly

Zero the Dog by Alesha Carpenter

Click the link below for the FREE crochet pattern

Zero the Ghost Dog by Hillary Thompson

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