Cool Homemade Lobster Zone Claw Machine Costume

I work in a bar/restaurant and the bar has a game called Lobster Zone. It’s a claw machine, but instead of trying to win a stuffed animal, you try to win a real live lobster, and if you succeed the kitchen will cook it for you. Patrons of the bar go nuts over this tank, shoveling in tons of cash to win a lobster dinner. Every shift I work there are always people playing the game and customers cheering each other on at the chance of winning.

Every year the bar has a Halloween Party and it is a requirement for the employees to dress up for the party, one perk is the best costume wins $100. So I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be so I Googled “Homemade Costumes” and this site popped up (coolest-homemade-costumes.com). I browsed the site and came across a claw machine costume and that’s when my brain started churning and I came up with lobster tank costume.

I had my friend help me make my idea come to life. We scoured the web looking for materials to use and found fake lobsters. Right away we ordered the lobsters and in the process we came across a goofy lobster hat and purchased it. We went to the local hardware store and bought all of the materials except for the lights that I bought from Target.

We worked on the costume for a couple of weeks, in fact we were still putting it together the last hour before the Halloween party shift. I luckily have a SUV so I was able to transport the costume. Once I got to work I put the costume on in the parking lot preparing to make my grand entrance.

I walked in and the bar was packed. I knew this costume was good, but I was very surprised how big the reaction I got. A standing ovation!! I even heard a whistle. I couldn’t believe it. I made my way out to the outdoor patio, the section I was working. I got behind the bar and attempted to bar tend and soon realized that it would not be possible to work in. So I took the costume off and placed it at the end of the bar where it stood on display. At one point a kid had won a lobster and when the order was ready I put my costume back on and hand delivered it. I’m pretty sure that kid will always have that memory!

I kept my shirt with the lobsters on and worked my shift. I cannot tell you how many compliments I got on my costume. Everyone loved it! The bar does a costume contest for the patrons with a $500 cash prize for best costume. Employees are not allowed to participate in the contest, but they have an employee contest with a $100 cash prize for best costume. Needless to say I won, hands down! I had many people tell me If I was allowed to enter the customer contest I would have won that too.

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