(WARNING: My internet decided that it hates me and won’t let me upload photos. :,( I will keep trying to get them posted, but I wanted to get this tutorial out there as soon as possible.)
Sometimes there are cosplays where the shoes are so unique that it is impossible to find them in stores (especially if you have an small foot like me.) Therefore, you’re best choice is to make/customize/edit (I can’t think if the correct word TT.TT) shoes that you can buy in stores. There are many ways to do this, such as painting the shoes, adding extra details, etc. One way to get the most out of the shoes, is to find one that will work for many different cosplays and make removable boot covers.
(I use the same boots for my Voltron Armor as well as my Raven from Teen Titans cosplays. I just have interchangeable boot covers.)
Easy Boot Covers:
Level: Basic sewing skills
Price: depends on the fabric and the shoes. Mine cost me around $20, because I had to buy the shoes. (Always look for sales!!)
Time: 1-2 hours at most
Materials: a 4 way stretch fabric in the color/s you need, thread to match the fabric, fold over bias tape, elastic, hot glue gun, a pair of boot/shoes, sewing machine, straight pins, and a marker.
Steps:
1.) Tracing out design. Lay out fabric (folded with ‘correct’ sides together.) Lay out shoe on the fabric and trace around it (If the cover needs to extend the boot cover past the shoes, then measure the circumference and length of your leg and trace it too.) Add about 1/4-1/2 inch seam allowance. Pin the pattern and cut it out. (You can always put the shoe on and then drape the fabric to pin it into the shape you need, but I don’t trust myself to put pins that close to my legs.)
2.) Sewing: Sew one side of the cover using a zig-zag stitch. Unfold it and pin the bias tape to the bottom of the cover (This will help prevent too much wear and tear from walking.) Leave about 1/4 inch hanging off the ends for when you fold the pattern back together. Fold over the top about 1/4 inch to make a clean seam and prevent fraying. Sew the bias tape and the top seam. Line up, pin, and sew the last side. Try it on the shoe. If it fits, then trim the remaining seam. If not, adjust as needed.
3.) Bottom of the cover: There are two ways to do this. You can either trace out a fabric cover and sew it to the rest of the cover, or you can use elastic. The fabric cover makes it all one color and style, but it will wear out faster, therefore needing to be replaced periodically.
To do the elastic: Put the cover on the shoe and then measure out how much elastic you will need. I place elastic at three spots, the front near the toe, near the middle of the arch, and the heel. Cut and burn the ends of the elastic (to prevent fraying) and sew it onto the shoe.
4.) Traction: With either method for the bottom of the shoe, you lose traction. Once again there is many ways to add traction to your shoes. A less permanent way is to spray the bottom of the shoe with hair spray, but this will wear off throughout the day or come off it if gets wet. Another way is to add little hot glue drops onto the bottom of the fabric/onto the elastic. This gives the shoe some more texture and the plastic hot glue will not slip on the floor as much as the fabric.
Voltron Armor Tutorial: Part Four! Knee/Elbow Pads
Part four of my Voltron Armor tutorial is going to be really simple: Knee and elbow pads!
Disclaimer: I do not pattern anything out. I just measure and then use reference pictures to sketch out the design.
FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES! (AKA use filter mask and work in a well ventilated area, cut away from yourself, use safety gloves and glasses, etc)
Materials: 5mm craft foam, scraps of 2mm craft foam, Glossy Mod Podge (or another sealant), white Plasti-dip ( or another foam primer), heat gun, box knife (or craft knife), acrylic paint in paladin color (red for Keith, etc), ½ inch black elastic, hot glue gun and sticks, contact cement, marker, ruler, paint brushes, scissors, lighter or matches, and sewing measuring tape.
Time to Complete: 2-4 hours
Steps:
(I will show you only the process with the knee pads, but it is the same steps for the elbow pads)
1.) Basic measurements: Length and width of knee/elbow cap.
2.) Basic Shape: Mark the basic measurements onto the craft foam (I use 5mm because this piece will be bending A LOT!) and then mark out the basic shape. The shape of the knee and elbow pads are like an extended diamond.
3.) Using a sharp box knife or craft knife, cut out the design.
4.) Heat seal and prime the piece at least 4-5 times. Because this piece is bending a lot (like I said before), you want to make sure that the primer and paint is not going to crack or anything.
5.) Paint the pads the color that corresponds with your lovely paladin.
6.) Seal with your choice of sealant at least 5 times.
7.) Carefully, heat up the back of the pads and shape them to your knee/elbow when they are half bent.
8.) Measure out a piece of elastic that will stretch across the back of your knee/elbow. CAREFULLY, burn the ends to prevent fraying.
9.) Glue the elastic to the knee piece and then, using a piece of scrap 2mm foam, cut out a square and glue onto of the elastic to reinforce it.
10.) Cut and glue down a small piece of Velcro, just to make sure that the pad goes nowhere!
AND You are finished!! Nice and short tutorial for this one!
Two in a row?! You guys are so lucky! (I’m trying to make up for lost time.)
Voltron Armor Tutorial: Part Three! Calf/Shin Guards
Part three of my Voltron Paladin Armor tutorial is finally here! This part of the series will cover the shin/calf guards.
Disclaimer: I do not pattern anything out. I just measure and then use reference pictures to sketch out the design.
FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES! (AKA use filter mask and work in a well ventilated area, cut away from yourself, use safety gloves and glasses, etc)
Materials: 5mm craft foam, 2mm craft foam, Glossy Mod Podge (or another sealant), white Plasti-dip ( or another foam primer), heat gun, box knife (or craft knife), white and paladin color (red for Keith, etc) acrylic paint, hot glue gun and sticks, contact cement, Velcro, white zippers, plastic sheet protectors, light blue tissue paper, battery operated LED lights, marker, ruler, paint brushes, scissors, sewing measuring tape, and masking tape.
Time to Complete: 4-6 hours
Steps:
1.) Basic Measurements: This piece requires four measurements, the length of shin/calf, the circumference of the ankle, and the circumference of knee, and the width of the back of the knee.
2.) Basic Shape: The shape as a whole is very basic, the top is straight until it gets to the bottom where it will cut inwards to narrow it. The top of this piece is more complicated. The front has a “V” shape design that should cover the front of the shin, the back has a square cut out so the knee can bend (which will be divided in half).
3.) Cut out the design with a sharp box knife or craft knife. Using the heat gun, heat seal the pieces.
4.) Cut out a small piece of Velcro. Glue it to the middle of the back of the piece using contact cement or hot glue (Warning: hot glue by itself can melt in hot weather).
5.) Prime the piece with 3-5 layers of Plasti-dip or your choice of foam primer. Once that is dried, paint the entire piece white.
6.) Colored details: the top part of the shin piece is lined with the paladin’s color. Using the 2mm foam, cut out strips about 1/2-1 inch wide in the shape of the “V.”
7.) Heat seal, prime and paint these pieces with the paladin’s color (My armor is for Keith, so they are red). Glue them to the calf pieces, being careful with lining them up. Paint the top of the foam, where the details meet the big piece.
8.) Seal the entire piece with 3-5 layers of Mod Podge or your choice of sealant.
9.) Carefully, warm up the back of the piece with the heat gun and bend it to the shape of your calf.
10.) Closing: Like most pieces of this armor, they have the ability to be slipped on. Yet, if you want to make the process easier, you can add a closing to the back (I did this because it is hard to bend to put shoes on when all of the armor is on. So, I need to be able to pull these pieces over my shoes). After trying many different types of closings, I finally decided to use zippers. Get zippers that are the length of your calves (measure your calf, don’t just hold it up like I did. Mine was not long enough so I had to add a flap). Using hot glue or contact cement (or both), glue one side of the zipper to the inside of the piece. Unzip the zipper and glue it to the other side.
11.) Ankle Circles: (You will need four of these, two for each leg) The easiest ways of creating the little circle pieces that are on the bottom is to do the line method. Cut out a line about 1/4-1/2 of an inch wide and long enough to make a circle. Heat seal it and bend it into a circle. Glue the ends together. Copy the circle shape onto the 2mm foam. Cut the middle of it out, leaving about 1/4 inch rim (***Don’t glue on yet!)
12.) Light filters: Before gluing the top on, copy the circle shape onto the plastic sheet protectors and tissue paper. Sandwich the tissue paper in between the sheet protectors. Glue them to the circle piece and then glue on the top piece. Seal the sides with hot glue.
13.) Carefully, heat seal the piece. Cover the light filter with tape. Prime and then paint the piece white. Seal them with Mod Podge Glue them to the leg piece, leaving a small part of them overhanging the piece. (This will allow you to insert the LED lights.) (Note: Make sure the circle pieces are glued down firmly or light will shine through the cracks.)
14.) Cut out a strip of 2mm foam that is about 1/2-1 inch wide and long enough to wrap around the ankle. Heat seal, prime, paint, and seal the strips. Glue them down, cutting them when they reach the ankle circles.
15.) Threading LEDs: Wind half of the LED string into a circle. Insert it into one of the ankle circles.Thread the wire along the bottom to the other half, and insert the remaining lights. Thread the rest of the wire up to the top, where the battery pack will be located. Glue a small piece of Velcro to the battery pack and then to the foam. From here, you can leave the wire free hanging, or you can glue or tape it down (Make sure your switch is facing up, unlike mine).
AND you’re done!!
Sorry it took so long to get this one posted. “Hell” week and Finals week of college kicked my butt and then my internet connection quit working for a bit.
Part two of my Voltron Armor tutorial series is going to be the thigh pieces. Enjoy!!
Disclaimer: I did not pattern this out. I simply took my own measurements and then sketched out the design.
FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES! (AKA use filtering mask and work in a well ventilated area if using things such as spray paint or contact cement, cut away from yourself, safety glasses, etc)
Materials: 5mm craft foam, glossy mod podge (Or another sealant), white plasti-dip (or another primer for foam), heat gun, box cutter (or craft knife), white acrylic paint, hot glue gun and sticks, contact cement, Velcro, battery operated LED lights (I got mine from amazon), plastic sheet protectors, light blue tissue paper, marker, ruler, paint brushes, scissors, sewing measuring tape.
Time to complete: 5-6 hours
Steps:
1.) Measurements: The thigh pieces actual require quite a bit of measurements. They are: length of thigh, top of thigh, bottom of thigh, width of front of knee, width of side of knee, space from butt to bottom of hip. (Note: Measure both thighs separately! Do not be like me and assume that they are the same.)
2.) Basic shape: In order to get the flared shape that the thigh piece requires, I measured out the base piece to fit around the smallest part of my thigh (the bottom thigh) and then took 1/2 inch off. I divided the side of knee width in half to help place out where the knee holes will need to go. The highest part of the top should sit near the bottom of your hip and the bottom part of the top should sit right under your butt.
3.) Spacer: For the spacer piece (the piece that will make this fit the largest part of your thigh), minus the bottom thigh measurement from the top thigh measurement (Ex: 18-12=6 inches.) This measurement will be the top part of the spacer and the bottom should be the 1/2 inch. (To get the right angles, simply trace out the length of thigh, mark the top and bottom measurements and then connect the lines using a straight edge)
4.) Cut out the light holes. The thigh pieces has two light holes that are just two long rectangles that fit on the uplifted part of the upper thigh (Can be seen in picture above.)
5.) Light filters: Cut out two rectangle (that will cover both light holes) out of tissue paper and plastic sheet protectors. Glue the tissue paper to the plastic sheet protectors and then glue those pieces together, leaving the top open. The end product should look like a small pocket.
6.) Glue down the light filter pocket. Also glue down a small piece of Velcro in the middle of the thigh piece to help hold the armor on.
7.) Glue down one side of the spacer, then heat seal the entire piece and bend it to fit around the thigh. Try on the piece before going any further. After it cools, glue down the other side of the spacer.
8.) Prime the foam with your chose of primer (I used about 2-3 coats of plasti-dip), paint the whole piece white, and then seal it with your chose of sealant (I used about 5 layers of glossy mod podge).
9.) Stringing lights: take the battery operated lights and wind the string in a loop as wide as the pocket. Insert the lights into the pockets and then string the remaining wire throughout the thigh piece (I tape down the wire so that it will not get caught on anything but is able to be removed.) Glue a small piece of Velcro to the battery pack and to the thigh piece in a place where you can reach it (mine is on the inside of the knee.)
And you’re done!
Other Voltron Armor Tutorials: Belt, Calf, Knee Pads
This is a tutorial over how i made the Belt for my Voltron Paladin Armor. It is made out of craft foam and has the ability to light up. Since there are so many parts to this armor, I will be breaking it down into many different tutorials. This one shall cover the belt. Enjoy!!
Disclaimer: I did not pattern this out. I simply took my own measurements and then sketched out the design.
FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES! (AKA use filtering mask and work in a well ventilated area if using things such as spray paint or contact cement, cut away from yourself, safety glasses, etc)
Materials: 5mm craft foam, 2mm or 3mm craft foam, glossy mod podge (Or another sealant), white plasti-dip (or another primer for foam), heat gun, box cutter (or craft knife), acrylic paint (white and gray), hot glue gun and sticks, contact cement, Velcro, battery operated LED lights (I got mine from amazon), plastic sheet protectors, light blue tissue paper, marker, ruler, paint brushes, scissors, sewing measuring tape.
Time to complete: 4-6 hours
Steps:
1: Take basic measurements. Depending on where you want you belt to sit, you will need to measure the circumference of your waist or hips. (Reminder: take in the fact that your foam has some depth to it. You may want to add 1/4 inch/ 5 mm to your circumference) You will also need to measure how big you want the side/hip pieces to be (Since mine is on my hips, I measure out the width and length of my hip bones so that it would sit on them comfortably). (Make note of at what measurements your sides are at. The octagon shape should cover most of your sides)
2: Mark out the measurements onto the foam and then use them as guide lines to draw out the basic shape. Make adjustments until you are happy. Then, using a sharp box cutter or another crafting knife, cut out your belt. Glue the pieces together as need. (For gluing: I use both hot glue and contact cement. Don’t use hot glue alone if you live in a really hot place or plan to store this in a hot place. The hot glue will melt)
3: Time for the little pocket thingy! Using your measurements for the hip/side octagons, draw out an elongated hexagon. Cut out a rectangle near the top. Glue on a piece of thinner foam to the back of the hexagon. (This creates a false backing. This is just a detail and is not a necessity if you do not want to do it).
4: Using your heat gun, heat seal all of your foam. While it is still warm, bend the belt to the shape of waist/hips. Bend the hexagon shapes slightly and push the sides in to give it a pop up look.
5: Glue the hexagon-pocket things down. Glue down the top, then gently push upwards a little before gluing down the bottom. Then glue down the sides.
6: Buckle... (this quiznacking piece took me three tries to get it right) Draw out the diamond shape onto the foam and cut it out. Cut out a small rectangle near the top (this will be where you insert the lights) Using the same diamond shape, extend the sides to make little tabs.
After cutting these tabs out, cut one side of each piece at a slight angle (the angle side of one piece will connect to a straight side of another)
Glue these together. Trace the back shape out on the plastic sheet protector and the tissue paper. Glue the tissue paper in between the sheet protector. (This will act as a filter for the lights). Glue this to the top of the buckle and then glue the top to the back.
7: Glue the buckle to one side of the belt. Glue a small piece of Velcro to the buckle and then to the other side of the belt.
8: Prime the whole thing! (I used about 2 coats of the plasti-dip) Paint the pieces, the belt white, the pockets and buckle gray. Seal the paint (I used about 5 layers of glossy mod podge) (if you need to/want to, you can sand down any rough edges before you paint anything)
9: Roll the stringed LED lights into small loops (I made three to spread them out more) and insert them into the back of the buckle. Then thread them around the inside of the belt to the side or back. Using Velcro, attach the battery pack to the belt. (I taped down the wires so they can be removable but wouldn’t fall down or get caught on something)
And then you are done!! You have now finished the belt of the Voltron Paladin Armor!! YAY!!
Other Tutorials: Voltron Armor: Thigh, Calf, Knee Pads
My bass is another one of my recycled material props. This one cost me about $10. (The entire cosplay cost $23) A tutorial for the bass will be posted soon. I also plan to remake this bass into a actual working bass guitar.
Tutorial for the gloves in this picture: https://aim-n-create.tumblr.com/post/166800161987/trial-and-error-blog-gloves
Tutorial for body paint: https://aim-n-create.tumblr.com/post/168740611502/easy-body-paint
Most recent props. Poltergust 5000 from Luigi’s Mansion, and Luigi’s hat
My props are made out of recycled materials. I only buy something if it is absolutely necessary. This prop cost a total of $6, including batteries for the lights.
The Poltergust is a very basic prop with only two working pieces, the lights. I plan to upgrade it in the future. (tutorial to come)
The hat is a basic pattern of four circles. Two larger ones for the hat piece, a medium one folded in half for the bill of the hat, and a very small one for the logo.
Out where I live, there is not a wide options for cosplay body paint. All the was offered near me at a affordable price was Walmart grease paint and cream paint. If you ever used these, you know the problem. If you have not, count yourself lucky and do not touch them. If all else fails, the cream paint can work if needed, but it is not ideal (it takes a lot of time and a lot of sealing for it to last at least 2 hours). Therefore, I started to look for other options.
Option 1: Order from online. Online has many options and colors that you can pick and chose from. Yet, this works if you have so money and time to spare.
Option 2: Make your own. I have just recently started doing this and I love it. While there are some very detailed and extensive recipes out there, I use a very simple one, but it is not for the faint of hearts.
It is literally two ingredients: 1. BB cream (or another foundation) 2. Eye shadow in color you need. (Warning: graphic makeup abuse)
Steps: Crush up eye shadow and mix into the foundation. Set with powder and seal with sealing spray.
Tada! That’s it. Very easy and works great. A very small amount covers a very large area and once it is set and sealed, it does not smear, transfer, or crack.
(Hint: if you are using a darker foundation [anything that is not Ivory or lightest tone], remember that it can change the color. Such as, if you are trying to achieve a gray color, you may have to use a mixture of blues since the foundation has orange coloring in it)
I was needing a pair of yellow, elbow length gloves for my upcoming cosplay, but I was unable to find affordable ones that would get to me in time. Therefore, I decided that making gloves could not be that hard....I was wrong. My first problem was the fact that all of the stores near me did not carry ANY 4 way stretch fabric, which is key for gloves that are stretched four ways. My second problem was the fact that my hands are freaking weird and normal gloves will not work for me since I have long, skinny fingers with knuckles that jut out. After 5 hours, and three re-starts, I finally got a pair of gloves that work. SO: here’s how I did it.
Time needed: About an hour
Cost: $2
Materials:
1/2-1 yard of fabric (If you can get 4-way stretch, get it . I used a satin fabric for mine.)
thread
needle
sewing machine
paper
pen
Step 1: Making a pattern
(Since my hands are fucked up, a normal pattern would not work for me. Therefore, I had to make my own.)
Lay hand out on piece of paper, with fingers spread as far as they will go.
Trace around hand and arm to the length glove will be.
Add 1/4 inch seam allowance.
If your fabric is not a four way stretch, measure the biggest part of the arm it will go over (mine was my elbow). The whole arm will need to be this size (also make sure it is close to the size of your palm).
When cutting out the pattern, cut along the seam allowance line. Then cut off the fingers (this will allow you to get the fingers to be the right size and also adjust the dip between the fingers). The thumb will need to be cut in a curve shape to allow for greater movement.
Step 2: Cutting out pieces
Take your fabric and fold it in half, with the ‘right’ side together on the inside of the fold.
(If the fabric is long enough) Lay out the arm and palm piece right next to the folded crease.
Pin down the pattern and cut out the piece. Repeat the following steps twice for each piece. Make sure all of the pieces are cut on the fold crease so that way they are connected and will only need one side to be sewn. (This cuts down on the sewing and also helps with sizing ‘cause humans are 3-D and the pattern is only 2-D)
Step 3: Sewing
I sewed the individual pieces with my machine, but then sewed them together by hand since my machine and I do not get along well when tiny spaces are involved.
Remove the pattern and pin the fabric again, with the ball of the pin facing away from the seam (this will allow you to sew over the needles if necessary).
Place the machine needle so it is close to the 1/4 seam allowance line. Back stitch first and then follow along with form. (Go slow around the curves of the fingers to make sure you don’t accidentally cut them off).
Once all of the pieces are sewn, it is time to attach them. With all of the pieces still inside out, line up the edges of one side of the glove and the fingers and carefully sew them together. (Be careful not to sew the two sides together). Repeat this step until all of the fingers are sewn on.
All of the fingers, but the thumb, will now have a space between them, where the two fingers meet. Pull the palm of the glove outwards and line up the two edges of the fingers that have not been sewn. Sew them together just like the rest.
Make sure to try on each piece after you sew it to make sure it fits the way you want it to. Adjust as needed.
Step 4: Finishing touches
Trim to edges around the seam.
Try the gloves on. Look for any holes or missed edges. Fix these if necessary.
For a more finished look, hem the ends of the gloves.
And you’re done! You now have your own custom fit gloves.
