Man Cut in Half Costume

This costume is a major hit because the boy in the picture is "beside himself" as one man says.

Total cost due to finding used clothing to buy was $15 or less.

1. Extra large dress/khaki pants ( any color but we chose black) that when pulled up come up to about your armpits

2. Large shirt a few sizes bigger than normal - we chose a long sleeved button down, but any long sleeved shirt would work. Also buy a second shirt (very close in color to go under this, short sleeved shirt so doesn't show). Thrift stores or stores like goodwill are great for these cheap clothing items.

3. You will want to find a pair of your own pants that are the same color as the large pants (we will explain why later). You will need a belt that will fit around the waist of the large pants.

4. Find a small box, similar to the waist size of the pants, to fill in the waist and hip area of the pants. We just used a cardboard box we had laying in the garage. A few zip ties will be needed later to help secure the box inside the pants.

5. Red fabric (small piece to cover the top of the box)

6. Your shoes or no shoes will work if you don't mind walking around barefoot

7. A small weight like a fishing weight to clip onto the shirt

Cut a slit in the pants horizontally right behind the knee large enough to get your foot and calf into.

Cut a horizontal line in the back of the long-sleeve shirt from shoulder to shoulder (large enough to get your head and arms through).

To secure the box, hold the box in place and make 2 tiny holes in the belt area of the pants using a knife about an inch apart in the front, back and both sides of the pants.

Then using the holes in the pants as a judge for placement, make small holes in the box so that you can feed the zip ties through the pants, into the box and back out into the pants to be closed and secured.

Once the box is secured, take a belt and belt the pants. This will help to hide the zip ties and make the pants look more believable.

Cover the box with the red fabric. You may want to cut a rectangular piece of the fabric a little bigger than the box. Cutting small slits where the zip ties are will help you be able to tuck the fabric inside the pants to be held on. If not able to secure it, you may need to glue it down.

Place the small weight on the right outside bottom ( this would be the direction based on if you are wearing the shirt) of the shirt.

Now to explain how to WEAR the costume.

First you will put on the short sleeve shirt and your smaller pants.

Next, put your head and arms through the slit in the back of the long sleeve shirt.

You want both the front of the shirt and back lower part below the shoulders to be hanging in front of your body. In the back will be the upper half of the long sleeve shirt on top and then the same short sleeve colored shirt showing through on the lower half.

Put on your regular sized pants. Then put your feet in the slits of the larger pants. Put on shoes or stay barefoot if preferred.

Pull the pants up straight on the left side of your body putting the pants next to you and securing it under your left arm by putting the right corner of the box under your left armpit.

Your left arm will look like you have your arm around the waist of the large pants. Move the top of your body slightly to the right and make sure the shirt is hanging forward and to the right side of your body to appear like you body is fully filling it.

The weight should help to keep the shirt pulled out and down.

There you have it...the boy cut in half who is able to fully walk to fully "sell" the costume and make it that much more believable!