Cosplay Tricks and Tips

By squeakk. 15/10/12, 05:14 am

Do you guys have any little hints or tips that make cosplay and sewing easier?

Using paperclips, or bobby pins, to pin down a pleated skirt while ironing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CUJuAB5pdQ&feature=related
Using clothes pegs to hold wonderflex/glued parts of props in place while drying (Thanks goes to Mischa for this tip!!)

By Mandie_Chan. 15/10/12, 05:44 am

^Oh wow that paper clip idea for pleats is genius! Wish I was told sooner ^_^;

-Ironing pattern pieces before putting them onto your fabric. Helps to make sure the pattern is fully stretched out and also 'clings' to the fabric helping it sit really well ^_^

-For cosplays with more than one layer, sketching a rough design for each layer. I do this all the time for gijinkas/lolita style/anything with more than 2 layers. This way I get a better idea of the amounts of fabric/lace/extras as well as having visual guide as to what is left to be done. *visual based learner here*
~~my sketches are totally just stick figures~~

By Le_Saboteur. 15/10/12, 08:01 am

Use non stick baking paper instead of newspaper/card/cutting board if you're going to be painting or gluing anything! It will pull right off and nothing will rip/pull funny 8D

By Rolly. 15/10/12, 03:12 pm

Ironing hot glue with some baking paper in between - melts it down and smooths it like nothing else! I did this with one of my props one year; it smoothed the hot glue filled edge down pretty nicely, and just peel off the paper once it's cool!

Could also work for glueing stuff together, smoothing out lumps in polymorph pellets, maybe (not tested yet!).

I love this trick.

By **JVCA**. 15/10/12, 03:17 pm

Measuring tapes are the same width as standard sean allowances on commercial patterns (1.5cm/ 5/8")! Any time I need at add seam allowance now, I just use the measuring tape placed along the edge of the seam as a ruler.

By SpamTomatoSpam. 23/10/12, 01:39 pm

If you need to do some sort of applique but you don't want to/are unable to pin it or glue it to your fabric, just sellotape all the edges down and sew through the tape and pick it off afterwards.
This is a bit time consuming, but it's good if you want to applique non-woven fabric like vinyl and don't want pin holes in it. Make sure you use thin not-too-hardcore tape though, or you might gum up your machine needle.

If you are making a costume from a PC game, there is a high chance there will be a way to extract the character model from the game data and open them in a model viewing/editing program so you can rotate it and see every angle and tiny detail. You can probably do this with many non-PC video games too, it can just be a bit trickier to find somewhere to download the model from.
But yeah, I have done this for a couple of costumes now, and it makes your life SO MUCH EASIER when you don't have to constantly load the game or hunt for screenshots, and can instead just look at the model. Sometimes it can take a while to find the appropriate software but it is DEFINITELY worth it.

You can make a prop gun or other weapon look a hundred times more legit/awesome just by attacking it with some sandpaper for a while. If the gun is black (or pretty much any non-metal colour), you can make it look much more realistic by getting a silver permanent marker and very lightly tracing along any corners or edges, so it looks like the paint has worn off and metal is showing through. This takes about two minutes and makes a huge difference.

When I am laying out a pattern on my fabric, I like to work on a carpeted surface, because then I can stick pins vertically into the carpet through the paper and fabric just to hold everything in place while I figure out how I'm going to arrange stuff.

By **seraphik**. 23/10/12, 01:51 pm

seconding the model viewer comment from above! ^^^^ it is AMAZING being able to zoom in on all the detail. people usually religiously upload high detail, high res screenshots from pc games if you can't do model viewing (esp for mass effect, etc.)

By Rolly. 23/10/12, 01:54 pm

Continuing on with the appliqué thing - you can glue it down with glue stick. It washes off afterwards! And you can peel it off and re-stick it down if you need to.
You can also use coffee filters or computer paper as stabilisers, too.

By Pyro. 23/10/12, 02:08 pm

If you're stencilling a design onto fabric, use either Duraseal or freezer paper for the stencil-- Duraseal can be stuck right down onto the fabric 3-4 times and stays in place, and freezer paper can be ironed on for the same effect-- both of these will ensure your pattern doesn't move while you're painting, and they're great for doing custom patterned fabrics.

If you're short on pockets while wearing a cosplay, you can still shove keys/cellphones into pants/pantaloons with elasticated bands around the knee to keep them on you.

If you have any make-up you want to keep in place, invest in fixing spray! It'll keep any make-up in place all day, as long as you're not actively rubbing at it and trying to remove it, and there's enough for about 30-40 wears in a 500ml bottle.

Bring a small bag of basic make-up supplies to cons with you-- mascara, eyeliner, nail polish remover, etc. These can be just as helpful to people as sewing supplies, as I've discovered this weekend!

If you're wearing a long wig for a con, don't forget to spray it with silicon spray before wearing it-- this'll go a long way in keeping it nice. It's also helpful if you're styling a long wig, so you don't need to worry about tangles!

By Pura. 23/10/12, 04:06 pm

Use nail polish to seal tricky edges of fabric to stop it fraying! It works like a charm (: Clear nail polish, this is. It can change the colour of the fabric some times, so try make it as discrete as possible Razz

I used it for sealing holes punched in for eyelets and such.

And nail polish as paint! It looks awesome. Like for gems and stuff, it gives it a nice shiny finish (:

Use a white pencil for marking fabric if you're lazy like me. You'll finally have a use for that dumb white colouring in pencil they give you!

Actually, I could have a whole tone of general sewing tips cause of my course Razz

I might make a more detailed post later on with general sewing stuff Razz

. With pictures and what not. (It's a bit late now, haha)

By chiken_skratch. 04/11/12, 10:13 am

If your using chicken wire for the base of props of anything get a strip of duct tape and wrap it around the first two thirds of every fingers. This way when sneaky wire edges go to stab you you have something in the way to stop it. I've tried using thick gloves before but I dont get the full movement of my hand and can't get my fingers into small wire spaces. The duct tape has saved my fingers soooooo many times

By azeria. 23/11/12, 04:38 am

Found this on tumblr (:

clicky

By Pura. 23/11/12, 07:38 am

azeria wrote:: Found this on tumblr (:

clicky

This is everything I do in my course (: It really does help, the small things!

By Mischa. 28/11/12, 03:40 am

Oh yeahhhh!!!

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