Spike Through the Stomach Costume

Intro: Spike Through the Stomach Costume

As usual I forgot to start documenting my costume from the begining so I have started when I remembered. Its all fairly straight forward but if you have any questions feel free to ask.

This costume is a nice effective quicky if youve left it too late for Halloween.

I hope you enjoy, this is only my 2nd instructible and any constructive critism is welcome.

STEP 1: Clothing

Find something you wouldn't mind being destroyed. This is a fun first step as you can do what you want to this garment. I chose a simple wrap dress.

I put the dress on and marked on front and back where I want my spike coming through. (as its a wrap dress I had to mark the inner front layer too.)

Once youve marked it, take it off and snip a hole the same circumference as your spike.
I used pinking shears because I happen to have them but you can just make a ragged cut.

Then I mixed some paint. I've used red and black acrylic (much more red than black) 
I used this paint around the holes an added some finger streaks and mud etc because my spiked person happens to be a zombie.

STEP 2: The Spike(s)

I have used the inside or a tin foil tube for my spike but obviously you can use what ever youve got. 

I cut my tube in two, one bit about 8 inches the other about 5 inches.  I then snipped around the bottom and fanned it out so that the tubes would stand on their own. 

I cut two ovals from card and stuck the fanned out base of the tube to each oval.

STEP 3: Painting the Spikes

I sprayed my spikes matte black first then while it was still very wet I lightly sprayed over it with silver.
This gave them a kind of garden furniture cast iron effect. Obviously add your own effect if you want to have a wooden stake etc. instead.

Then using the same blood paint as before I used a spatula to smear it on as if the body has drawn the blood along the spike. Gruesome but realistic. :-D

Its a shame but the photos don't show them properly. (I'm actually quite proud of how they turned out with such minimal effort  :-D)

STEP 4: Spike Girdle Thing

The spikes are attatched by a thick bit of elastic. If you havent got elastic, read through this to get the jist then utilise anything you already have.

I have sewn the length together to create a loop (reinforced with fabric at the join) then while the loop was around my middle marked where the spike comes through front and back.

At these two points I cut a slit then reinforced the slit either end with my sewing machine.

The plan is to feed the tubes throught the holes and they will be held on by the elastic.

I HOPE YOU READ THROUGH THIS FIRST BECAUSE I SHOULD REMIND YOU TO MAKE EVERYTHING FIRST BEFORE PAINTING AND TRY IT ALL ON IN ITS RAW FORM TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS. IT WOULD SUCK TO GET TO THE END AND REALISE YOUR ELASTIC DOESNT FIT OR THE HOLES ARE IN THE WRONG PLACE! sorry for 'shouting' but I wanted to get your attention.

STEP 5:

The idea is to put the elastic around your waist/chest/crotch then insert the tubes through the slits, put the clothing on over the top and there you have it. Ouch!

This is a final picture. I've posted it with just me with no further zombification because i wanted to post before halloween. The costume is actually for my sister so when she wears it with full makeup i will take more photos.

Comments

[Shadri]

Excellent costume, gnatquill! Here's my last-minute take:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Shadris-Spike-Through-the-Stomach/

[gnatquill]

That's brilliant! Its a very effective quickie, isn't it?

Happy (belated) halloween!
:-)

[shahz12]

its awe some im makin it 3 days before halloween

[trophywife]

oooooh yes, this will help Dr. Horrible and Dead Penny pan out nicely next year..... thanks!!

[denny]

I like the umbrella idea. I think we have a bad umbrella around that I could saw in two (three really) pieces. Also I'm thinking could take some pieces of chicken guts (or something similar) and have them hanging off of the umbrella tip. A wooden stake isn't bad either - I like that better than the metal spike concept. Also, you can buy beef/pig blood at a lot of ethnic food markets. Can't get much more real than that, can ya?

[gnatquill]

I was going to try using red glue sticks for my glue gun and spooge it all over but I wanted to keep it cheap.
Wouldn't the guts go off while you were wearing it? And blood starts to smell straight away!

I used the metal spike predominatly because I was sort of aiming to replicate the 'drunk girl' zombie in Shawn of the Dead.

[momofmedo]

looove it, this a cool last minute costume, I will surely do it next week

[gnatquill]

Thanks. Post some freaky halloween photos for us?
:D

[Procrastinateher]

I like it, very good. I love how well the bits line up to make it look real.

This is far too complicated considering, but if you're making an open-ended impale like that, it would be so cool to have some sort of optical illusion to make it look like you can see through the hole your 'pipe' would have made.

Or spraying the pipe with a little lacquer to add a bit of shine. Especially if you have lumpy looking bits of blood near the exit/entry wounds :P

If I use this as inspiration, I'm going to go either really easy and do a (closed) broken pipe end, or go crazy with a moveable body part impalement or something (which would also work very well with a zombie costume :P ).

[gnatquill]

I actually considered putting a small light at the base of each pipe to try and simulate seeing daylight through it but it wouldnt have looked good at the (dark) party.
I'd add it if I was going to use this costume on a daylight zombie walk or something though.

I'd also like to try it with an umbrella...maybe next year. :D

(Post pics please if you end up doing it.)

[combatcarl]

Maybe small mirrors at the base on each side to reflect in low light would help with the illusion of the pipe going straight through?

[gnatquill]

Oooh, that is a good idea!

I'm reluctant to take mine apart now but if anyone tries it, let us know how it turns out.

[Kiteman]

I love it.

You ought to make yourself a sign for over your workspace, though; Remember to take photos from the beginning!

In fact, you could make yourself an Instructable of making yourself a sign to make an Instructable. Just remember to leave a sign over your workspace...

[gnatquill]

Thank you so much!

A sign is a very good idea, but I'm not sure how interesting I could make an instructable of making an instructable sign! :D

[zombiefire]

great

[Screamo]

Cool :D