Make it cheap!

The title seems to be the thought behind my current project. But gladly, when talking about cosplay cheap doesn’t always mean bad. For cosplay, cheap could be lined together with words like innovative, clever or challenging. Well, I don’t know, but for me it has worked well. All together I have spent something like thirty euros to my project. For that money I have managed to construct almost all of the small accessories and pants, bought shoes and acquired most of the materials for a jacket. That’s what I need to start next besides polishing and finishing the items I have already made progress with.


The prop I’ve been putting together is a suitcase. This far I have used cushion board from recycling stack from my work place, half a meter of black cotton, beige curtain fabric from discount, pieces of dark brown pleather, some black rubber band and twenty four studs with glue and acrylic paints. I still need to attach slings, travel stickers and buckles and it should be close to ready.


Making the suitcase has been surprisingly easy. With the measurements you need to be accurate and at times you need to wait glue to dry completely before you can go on, but next to those and using massive amount of tape, piece of cake. If I ever need to do similar prop, I think I will choose poster board instead of cushion board. Some of the inner edges came up little untidy because the board got pressed in. Good thing is that the areas are inside the case and don’t show much.

Now that I think of it, I don’t know why I made the suitcase as operating one… It has never been opened in the series… Damn. Well, for me suitcase is functional even if it’s drawn. And now I have place where to put my stuff at conventions.

Studs for corner pieces painted and weathered with acrylic.

One budget solution occurred to me when I was faced with striping a pair of pants. I pondered between fabric marker and buying tremendous amount of ribbon. I didn’t like the result of the marker, it was bit messy for my taste and I also didn’t feel too good of spending money to ribbon 0,75 euros per meter when I needed almost fourteen. It would have cost almost as much as the fabric for the pants.

The solution is making your own ribbon from scrap cotton and sewing it on the pants before putting them together. It sounds elaborate, but is well worth it. I made stripes which were 0,5 centimetres width. Wider stripes should be easier to pull off and narrower ones should also be possible. I will post later how to do them. I just need to make samples before that, because I didn’t took any pictures when I was working on the pants.

Nicknacks coming together

It's a pipe! No... really.

Lately we have been working with the small stuff our costumes require. Yoki started working today on a giant safety pin, as I finished Joxter's pipe. I constructed the shape from modeling material, as the package titled. In the frame I used bent aluminium stick and cork from a deodorant container as seen above. The mouth piece is modified from rubber cork and piece aluminium foil.

I must say that the "modeling material" we are using at the moment smells horrible. Yoki stated that it smells like finger paints, but I strictly disagree. Normally I would have bought modeling clay, but in a rush I purchased this current paste of continuous puking from our local craft store. I'm never making the same mistake again... I'm glad that after I painted the pipe the smell got little milder. It will be really interesting to see, if I can resist the urge of gurning while being photographed.

Joxter's pipe and tobacco pouch.

I also suffered minor casualty, when I stuck the hot glue gun straight to my thumb. Now, I has a blister. I got it when I was working on Muddler's tail, which succeeded extremely well damages taken in concideration. The material on the tail and on Joxter's tobacco pouch is recycled leather. Same stuff is used on Muddler's "head" and ears. I will add pictures of them when they are finished.

Muddler's tail.

Pysphers: To Glow or not to Glow?

The answer is. To not glow. Due to stress and lack of time/money...we have decided to hold off the glowing part of our Pysphers. Right now we have too much on our plate as it is and need to work on what we really DO need finished for fanime. Our psyphers will unfortunately not glow this time!

We're all signed up for the Masquerade and will be #25. I'm pretty excited!! Our skit is already written out and we'll probably be practicing it by next month. Everyone has a lot to finish before the end of next month. It's going to get hectic in May but I have confidence that my cosplay group will pull through and we'll all look awesome by the time Fanime actually rolls around. O___O WE WILL BE EPIC. Okay, I don't know if other people will think so...but in our opinion? Epic. Who wouldn't like a group of 10 people, one stuffed animal mascot (Beetithy) all cosplaying from Odin Sphere? It truly is an amazing game and I hope our expression of love for it, really does show. :]

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Scissors are Progressing...

I finally had some time to really crack down on working on the scissors for my Souseiseki costume! The first step was making a pattern, which has involved a lot of sketching, erasing, measuring, and pencil lead (as it were) on hands. I measured a small picture I have of the scissors, then scaled it up to figure out the appropriate ratios. I think they're maybe even a little bigger than I had planned, but I think they look good this way. Giant props are fun!

I'm nervous about cutting out the foamcore, because I know it is going to be tedious. Since it's thick, I'll have to make several passes with the knife, and I have a lot of pieces to cut out. But, such is the plight of prop creation. Large amounts of effort are usually expended upon it. I think the results are worth it, though, ne?

I've been being lazy about the shopping post. It'll get up here some time this week, along with some progress shots of my costume. Hope everyone else's are going well. I'm starting to really feel the crunch... this is the last free weekend before BAMBAM two cons in a row! Agh. My wig isn't here yet. I don't have shoes. Aaagh...

... ._. I'll be fine! Do your best!

Scissors and Stuff!

My costume creation adventure begins this weekend with wig shopping and pattern making on Sunday. Before that, tomorrow, I'm off with my friends to the Museum of Science to see the Harry Potter exhibit. I'm very excited about it! I saw the Lord of the Rings exhibit many years ago when it came around, and was completely taken by it. I wanted to take photos of all the beautiful props and costumes, but they don't let you. Boo :<

Sunday, I'm off to my favourite, Dorothy's, to look for a wig. And in the surrounding time, I will be creating patterns for my giant scissors. I've got one of my cameras up and running again, so there will be all sorts of lovely documentation about it. Horray!

Oh, and one more thing. Months and months ago, my blog was mentioned on another, over at Star Costumes. I meant to mention it earlier, but completely forgot! Anyway, the article is here. Thanks for the mention, Star Costumes!

I hope everyone has a nice weekend!