"caged zookeeper Costume"

Costume Instructions

Costume Materials
Black Fur Fabric - Several Yards
Gorilla Mask (Making head was too difficult - we did purchase this one item.
Plastic ID badge
Zookeeper hat and shirt
Old Jeans and sneakers
Newspaper to stuff jeans to make them appear real
Wire to attach gorilla to cage
Cheap plywood and some wooden dowels
Drill
screws to drill dowels into plywood
scroll saw to cut semi-circle in bottom of wood and circle in top of plywood (to make cage lighter)
Foam for back of semi-circle (so that it did not hurt wearing it)
2 belts to be used as "backpack" for cage
Elastic for "Gorilla Pants"

Costume Instructions
First I make "Gorilla" pants using basic pant pattern and elastic.

Then I made "Gorilla" shirt - using black fur and an old black vinyl "changing table" cover.

My husband and father -in-law made the cage- Making sure it fit through the doorways! (We did not do this the first time and had to re-do it to make cage smaller!)

Have your child put the gorilla pants on and slip into the cage - putting it on "Backpack style" - Cover belts with the zookeeper shirt - add the hat and ID badge for real fun!
Put stuffed pants and sneakers in cage.

(Cage should already have top of Gorilla wired to it to make sure it does not fall off).

Note: Making the costume in this way enables the child to actually wear costume two ways - one as a cool illusion and great fun for a while - and one just as a gorilla - wearing the pants, top and mask - to trick or treat or for a long time.