How to Make a Straight Jacket for Halloween

A straight jacket can make a very effective Halloween costume.

Straight jackets, or straitjackets, are garments used to restrain people who are in danger of harming themselves and others. In popular culture, it is more commonly associated with insane people in mental asylums. These portrayals in horror films make a straight jacket a very good costume for Halloween. A basic version is quite easy to make and requires very few parts.

Things You'll Need

• 2 long-sleeve shirts
• Needle
• Leather needle
• Thread
• Stitch remover
• Scissors
• 6-8 black belts

Instructions

1. Purchase two white or cream long-sleeve, button-down shirts. One needs to be a size larger than the other.

2. Using the stitch remover to rip the seams, take off the collar, cuff buttons and front pocket from the larger shirt and the sleeves and cuff buttons from the smaller shirt.

3. Fold back the button seams on both sides of the larger shirt, and sew them down using the needle and thread. The buttons and the button holes should now be concealed behind the main body of the shirt.

4. Turn down the remaining material near the collar and sew inside the shirt. This will create the circular neck line of the jacket.

5. Slide the removed shorter sleeves over the longer sleeves so that they meet below the shoulder. Cut off the excess from the long sleeve, and sew the smaller shirt sleeves onto the end of the longer sleeves. This creates the extended arms which will tie around the back.

6. Sew up the cuffs of the shirt sleeves so there is no gap for the hand to escape.

7. Cut four of the belts in half, and arrange them on the front of the shirt where the buttons would be so that the buckled end and the holed side meet in the middle. Sew these in place with strong thread and a leather needle.

8. Attach another halved belt vertically along the back of the shirt.

9. Sew the remaining belt in two halves to the end of the sleeves.

10. Put on the jacket by putting the shirt on backwards and getting a friend to do up all the belts so the end of the sleeves are attached behind the back and the belt at the front holds everything in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Mark where the belts should go on with somebody wearing the jacket. This will ensure the belts will do up around the person in the costume.

• Extra holes can be made in the belts using the scissors or another sharp instrument.

• Make sure there is somebody at the end of the night to help you out of the costume.

References

• Curbly: How to Make a Strait Jacket