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.)
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
