Squirtle Squad
Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means trick-or-treating, parties, and costume contests all crowd into one big weekend. If you have been meaning to put together a Squirtle costume and suddenly realized it is already late October, good news: Squirtle is one of the easiest Pokemon to build at home. A blue base, a brown shell, a curly tail, and the right attitude get you most of the way there. Add a pair of pointy sunglasses and you have the Squirtle Squad, a reference every 90s kid in the room will catch.
This guide walks through a simple build you can finish in an afternoon, with options for kids, adults, and groups who want the whole evolution line.
Quick disclosure: this post includes affiliate links. If you buy through them, this site may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Most of this costume can be made from things you already own, and we will point that out where it applies.
Why Squirtle works so well as a DIY costume
Plenty of Pokemon designs are tough to recreate without foam-smithing skills. Squirtle is different. The design is built from simple shapes and three main colors:
- **Light blue** for the body, arms, legs, and tail
- **Brown and tan** for the shell, with a cream-colored belly plate
- **A touch of white and red** if you want to add highlights around the shell edge or details on the face
Because the silhouette depends mostly on the shell and tail, even a loose interpretation reads as Squirtle from across a room. That makes it a great choice for younger kids, who need something comfortable and quick to put on, and for adults who want a recognizable costume without days of work.
What you need
Here is a basic materials list. Swap freely based on what is in your closet and craft bin.
- A light blue hoodie or long-sleeve top
- Light blue leggings, sweatpants, or jeans
- Optional: a cream or pale yellow T-shirt or felt panel for the belly
- A sturdy cardboard box, a cheap round serving tray, or a lightweight foam sheet
- Brown and tan felt or craft paint
- Hot glue or strong craft glue
- Two wide elastic straps or old belt webbing for backpack-style straps
- A light blue sock or a tube of blue felt
- Polyester stuffing or crumpled tissue paper
- A safety pin or a few stitches to attach it
- Triangular dark sunglasses for the Squirtle Squad look
- Blue face paint (skin-safe, tested ahead of time)
- A small Squirtle plush to carry as a prop or treat-bag mascot
[→ Shop light blue hoodies on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=light+blue+hoodie&tag=squirtlesquad0d-20)
[→ Shop brown and tan craft felt on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=brown+tan+craft+felt+sheets&tag=squirtlesquad0d-20)
Step 1: Build the shell
The shell is the centerpiece, so spend most of your time here.
Cut the base. Draw a rounded oval on cardboard or foam, about as wide as the wearer's back and long enough to run from shoulders to the top of the hips. For small kids, a round plastic serving tray or a sled saucer can work as a ready-made curved shell.
Add curve. If you are using cardboard, gently bend it over the edge of a table to give it a slight dome. Foam sheets bend more easily; a hair dryer on low can help EVA foam hold a curve.
Cover it. Glue brown felt over the whole surface, or paint it brown. Then cut a slightly smaller tan or cream oval and glue a thin ring around the edge to create the lighter rim you see on Squirtle's shell. Add the hexagonal shell pattern with a marker or thin strips of darker felt if you want extra detail.
Attach the straps. Glue or staple two loops of elastic or webbing to the inside so the shell can be worn like a backpack. Reinforce with duct tape. Test the fit with the wearer's hoodie on, since the extra layer changes sizing.
Belly plate (optional). For the front, cut a cream oval from felt and pin or loosely stitch it onto the hoodie. A few horizontal lines drawn across it mimic Squirtle's segmented belly.
Step 2: Make the tail
Squirtle's tail curls into a little spiral at the end. The easiest version uses a long blue sock stuffed with fiberfill. Bend the end into a curl and secure it with a few stitches or a strip of clear tape inside the fold. Pin or sew the tail to the back of the pants, just below the shell. Keep it short enough that it does not drag on the ground or catch in doorways.
Step 3: The head and face
There are a few ways to handle the head, depending on age and comfort.
- **Hood only:** Wear the blue hoodie with the hood up. Simple and warm, and plenty for most trick-or-treaters.
- **Felt eyes on the hood:** Glue two large felt eyes (white with a red-brown center) to the top of the hood so it looks like Squirtle's head. This keeps the wearer's face clear.
- **Face paint:** A light wash of skin-safe blue face paint finishes the look for adults and older kids. Test a small patch a few days ahead to check for reactions.
Step 4: The Squirtle Squad upgrade
If you want to turn a cute costume into a crowd favorite, add the sunglasses. The Squirtle Squad first appeared in the anime episode covered in our [guide to the Squirtle Squad episode](/blog/squirtle-squad-anime-episode), and those sharp triangular shades have been a fan touchstone ever since.
For tips on finding the right style, our breakdown of [where to buy Squirtle Squad sunglasses](/blog/squirtle-squad-sunglasses-where-to-buy-official-and-custom-replicas-in-2025) covers frame shapes and what to look for in replicas.
[→ Shop triangle shades on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=triangle+shades+costume+sunglasses&tag=squirtlesquad0d-20)
Group and family variations
Squirtle is the start of an evolution line, which makes it perfect for siblings, couples, and families.
Wartortle. Use the same base with a darker blue hoodie. Add fluffy white ears made from faux fur or white felt, and a big fluffy white tail made from a stuffed faux fur tube. Wartortle's shell is the same basic shape, so you can reuse the template.
Blastoise. Go with a navy or deep blue top, a larger and bulkier shell, and two cannons. Paper towel tubes or short sections of foam pipe insulation, painted silver, make convincing cannons when attached to the top of the shell. This is a fun option for a taller family member.
The whole Squad. For a bigger group, everyone dresses as Squirtle and wears the triangular sunglasses. It is low effort per person and reads instantly in photos.
If you want a refresher on how the line fits together, our [Wartortle and Blastoise evolution guide](/blog/wartortle-blastoise-evolution-guide) covers the details.
Safety basics for trick-or-treat night
A homemade costume is only fun if it is safe. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's [Halloween costume and decor safety tips](https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2013/Halloween-Safety-Tips-for-Selecting-Costumes-and-Decor) recommend a few habits that apply directly here:
- **Visibility:** Add strips of reflective tape to the shell rim and tail, and carry a flashlight or glow stick. Dark costumes are hard for drivers to see.
- **Materials:** Choose fabrics and wigs labeled flame resistant where possible, and keep loose felt pieces well glued.
- **Fit:** Make sure the costume does not drag on the ground and the shell does not block movement or vision.
- **Sight lines:** Sunglasses look great for photos, but they reduce vision at night. Push them up on the forehead while walking near streets.
- **Face paint:** Use products made for skin and test them ahead of time.
[→ Shop reflective safety tape on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=reflective+safety+tape+costume&tag=squirtlesquad0d-20)
Short on time? Buying instead of building
If the weekend gets away from you, there are officially licensed Squirtle costumes and kigurumi-style onesies, especially in kids' sizes. When shopping, stick with reputable sellers and look for official licensing details on the listing. Unlicensed knockoffs are common around Halloween and can arrive in poor quality or the wrong colors.
A Squirtle plush can also turn a simple blue outfit into a costume in a pinch. Small and medium plush in particular double nicely as costume props, since they are easy to carry in one hand along with a treat bag.
[→ Shop Squirtle onesies and costumes on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=squirtle+costume+onesie&tag=squirtlesquad0d-20)
Final tips
- **Do a test run.** Have the wearer walk around, sit down, and climb stairs in the costume before the big night.
- **Pack a repair kit.** A few safety pins and a small roll of tape fix most mid-party problems.
- **Take photos early.** The shell is at its best before a night of trick-or-treating, so snap pictures before you head out.
Squirtle has stayed popular for nearly three decades because it is cheerful, a little mischievous, and easy to love. A homemade costume captures that spirit better than anything bought off a rack. Grab some blue, a cardboard box, and a pair of shades, and the Squad is ready to roll.