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Making a costume can seem like a daunting task to many, but for those who dream of dressing up as something that isn’t on the current ‘popular’ list, it’s the only way to go. As a veteran cosplayer (costume play) who cannot sew and owns no specialized equipment, I’ve come up with a few ways to make stunning homemade costumes on a small budget. Here are a few methods for making a costume that don’t require much skill or hundreds of dollars:
The Rules
I’ve come up with a short list of rules that make the process simple, which come from years of experience in cosplaying.
1. Choose a character that has many costume incarnations.
Think about Zelda, from the “Legend of Zelda” video game series. Zelda’s dress has been featured in various shades of pink, white and purple. The multiple incarnations of the character make it easier to find materials that fit your budget. Only three items are needed to ensure that others will recognize a Zelda costume: long, blonde hair (real or synthetic); pointed ears; and a triforce clasp. Anything else can be adjusted for your needs, skill and budget.
2. Never aim for perfection.
Have you ever looked at someone in a costume that was almost dead-on, but there was just this one little detail that was off? That’s the problem: when you get close to perfect, eyes are drawn to the imperfections. Aim instead to do your best, but don’t sweat the mistakes.
3. Break it into smaller projects.
This is especially true when dealing with video game or anime characters. These outfits are designed to look cool, not to be functional. Looking at the costume as a whole can make it seem too difficult, but breaking it into smaller parts will make it simpler to work on.
4. Give yourself extra time.
It never fails. Something will go wrong with your costume. I make costumes for myself and three children twice a year (Halloween and a comic book convention), and I start months in advance. Something will break, something won’t turn out the way I had planned, or someone will have a 2-inch growth spurt a week before the event.
Now that we have some basic rules, let’s talk about ways to build a costume.
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Upcycling
Upcycling is the craft of taking a used material and repurposing it for something else, and it happens to be a great way to build costumes. Sometimes it’s even as simple as a trip to the thrift store. One of my favorite homemade costumes was Mal Reynolds from the cult TV show “Firefly.” I found a reasonable replica of his brown duster, red button-up shirt, khaki pants and brown knee-high boots in one trip to Thrift Town. I found a cap gun at K-Mart and had a complete outfit in under an hour.
Sometimes it will take more time and effort, though. The secret is to keep an open mind. Instead of looking for exact replicas of your chosen character, find similar shapes. If you need billowy skirt, check the dress section for something you can cut. Consider substituting leggings for tight pants, and don’t exclude aisles for the other gender.
If you can’t find something in the specific color you need, check for the item in white or another light color and dye it.
A tip on dying: use hand dyes rather than washing machine dyes for deeper colors. If the first dye attempt is too light, wash the fabric without soap, let it air dry and try again.
Duct Tape Fabric
Duct tape costumes are extremely easy to make and require no sewing. The trick is to make duct tape fabric. This requires four pieces of wood molding, a razor blade, four nails and, of course, duct tape:
1. Build a wooden frame. Mine is made from square molding pieces found at the hardware store. It can be whatever size you want, but I have found that 18 inches by 36 inches is usually perfect for any project. Nail the pieces together to make a rectangular frame.
2. Lay strips of duct tape on top of the frame, across the smaller opening, sticky side down. Make sure to overlap them just enough for the pieces to stick together. When the tape is all completely covering the top of the frame, flip it over so the sticky side is facing up and the duct tape is resting on the floor.
3. Lay duct tape across the strips attached to the frame, going in the opposite direction. In other words, these strips should be longer than the first strips you cut. Again, make sure the pieces overlap just a little bit.
4. When this is complete, use a razor blade to cut the material out of the frame – I have found that titanium-tipped razor blades give the cleanest edge.
5. You now have a sheet of duct tape fabric to use. Use a sharpie to make cut lines and a razor to cut. More strips of duct tape can act as hems or as a way to connect multiple pieces of duct tape fabric.
6. To see a video of me making duct tape fabric, go to: www.dailylobo.com and scroll down to the Featured Multimedia section.
Liquid Latex Ears
Since I mentioned Princess Zelda’s pointed ears, I thought I would include an easy way to make elf-like ears. For this you will need a bottle of liquid latex, a length of ribbon or string, makeup or paint near your skin tone, scissors and a non-plastic spoon.
1. First, tie the string around the handle of the spoon; we’ll need this for later.
2. Hold the spoon by the handle and paint liquid latex onto the tip of the spoon to about midway up. I’m talking about the end you would normally put in your mouth.
3. Hang the spoon from the string somewhere where the latex will not touch anything else. The excess latex should pool at the tip of the spoon.
4. Once the first layer has dried, apply another layer. It will take around a dozen layers to get a sturdy thickness.
5. After the final layer has dried, slowly peel the latex away from the spoon, starting at the wide part of the spoon. The latex should come off easily. You’ll notice that what you have looks like a whitish ear tip.
6. Position the tip over the top of your ear. Once you have it where you want it, take it off and trim the edges as needed for the best fit.
7. Paint the ear with either makeup or paint.
8. To attach the ear, apply more liquid latex to the inside of the ear tip and place it over your ear. Pinch it in place until it feels secure. Add a little bit of latex to the outer seam as well.
9. There are three ways to hide the seams of your ear. First, you can put hair over it. Long hair or a wig can easily cover your ear, but leave the tip sticking out. Second, you can get a decorative ear cuff to hide the seam, but this is my least favorite solution. Last, use theater putty at the seam. This will need to be smoothed out and painted as well.
10. To see a video of me making an elfin ear tip, go to www.dailylobo.com and scroll down to the Featured Multimedia section.
My last bit of advice for anyone interested in making a costume is to be unafraid. The above are just a few examples of how to make costume parts, but there are plenty more out there. Don’t be afraid to experiment and figure out what works best for what you want.
