Headpiece

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 10:53 am

I need to make a headpiece for a certain
character, I have already worked out how to make it but the thing I'm
having trouble deciding on is how to get the crown to stay on the
headpiece without falling of. Headpiece 132820

It looks like this:

Spoiler:

My original idea was to make the crown out paper magic clay and then glue it to the headband but I'm worried about the glue melting and losing stickiness, same with double sided tape. Headpiece Icon_pale

I'm toying with the idea of attaching hair combs to the crown although I'm wondering if I'll be able to push them though my wig and hair without the headband getting in the way. I don't want to slide them under the headband as that would probably make it unstable. Headpiece Icon_pale

Besides, how the heck do you attach hair combs to a paper mache crown anyway?! Headpiece 586737

I thought about using ribbon but then you'd able to see where's it's tied and that would probably be too slippery anyway. Headpiece 88827

I've also thought about using craft foam so I can sew the hair combs onto it but this brings me to yet another problem.

How do I paint craft foam or paper magic clay/mache without the paint cracking? Do I use spraypaint or just normal paint with a brush.

I've already figured out how to make the headpiece (Headband and craft foam), I'm just not sure how to get the crown to stay on my head and what would be best to make it out of and the best way to attach it to my headpiece. Headpiece 586737

So if anyone has any ideas then throw them at me, this is a competition cosplay btw so it has to look good and stay intact. Cheers! Headpiece Icon_smile

By Cactiberry. 17/11/09, 10:54 am

Hot glue the combs on? 8D

By **JVCA**. 17/11/09, 10:56 am

You're wearing a wig, right? Sew it to the wig.

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 10:57 am

Quote :: Hot glue the combs on? 8D

Maybe but I'm worried that it will lose it stickiness hence why I'm trying to look at as many ways to do this as possible! Headpiece 132820

By azeria. 17/11/09, 11:00 am

Re painting craft foam; Gesso/Primer is your friend =]
You can get it from art supply shops (I assume)

~~lol, my limited painting knowledge~~

SOMEONE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG
I know that I'll need to use it on my foam board before painting.
But I'm just guessing with the craft foam =P

By **JVCA**. 17/11/09, 11:02 am

Hot glue sticks to uncoated craft foam very well - craft foam is a plastic, and the hot glue literally melts the craft foam slightly - usually if you want to remove hot glue from craft foam you literally have to rip it off.

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 11:03 am

Quote :: You're wearing a wig, right? Sew it to the wig.

Probably, I don't think I really want to bleach my hair that colour! Headpiece 132820

But can you really sew paper clay/mache onto things?! Headpiece 586737

I was thinking of making the headband out of craft foam, maybe I could make the crown out of craft foam too and sew it onto the headband. ~~Or the wig, whatever works best~~

However last time I made something out of craft foam (Beri helped/showed me so I can't take all the credit) the paint cracked. (We used arcrylic paint) Headpiece 88827

How do I prevent that from happening? Is spraypaint best or is normal paint better? Headpiece 586737

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 11:06 am

Quote :: Hot glue sticks to uncoated craft foam very well
- craft foam is a plastic, and the hot glue literally melts the craft
foam slightly - usually if you want to remove hot glue from craft foam
you literally have to rip it off.

Uncoated you say?! Headpiece 65988

You mean unpainted right? Hmmm, I wonder if craft foam comes in black Headpiece 586737

Quote :: Re painting craft foam; Gesso/Primer is your friend =]
You can get it from art supply shops (I assume)

I'll look into it, I'll be needing if for other parts of this costume (Ie: Armour >_<) anyway, thanks! Headpiece Icon_smile

By **JVCA**. 17/11/09, 11:09 am

You can sew through craft foam and paper mache, but you need a heavy duty needle for it. :3 Failing that, you can sew a square of felt to the wig and then hot glue that felt to the headpiece.

To get around the paint cracking with craft foam, you need to either use spray paint (which can still crack but it's much more difficult to do so), or you need to seal the craft foam using PVA glue - you can see how craft foam sealing works in this tutorial: http://entropyhouse.com/penwiper/costumes/helmsdeep.html

And yes, by uncoated I mean unpainted. :3

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 11:21 am

Quote :: You can sew through craft foam and paper mache,
but you need a heavy duty needle for it. :3 Failing that, you can sew a
square of felt to the wig and then hot glue that felt to the headpiece.

That sounds like an idea although I'll have to practice my handsewing first! *Is too lazy to handsew much* Headpiece 37781

Failing that I'll go with the felt. Which is best for the crown, Paper magic clay/mache or craft foam? Headpiece 586737

~~I'm a little worried about craft foam being floppy actually~~

I'll try spraypaint first and if that's not to my satisfaction then I'll try that sealing method from the tutorial and paint these by hand, thanks! Headpiece Icon_smile

By **JVCA**. 17/11/09, 11:28 am

I would say maybe use this tutorial for the crown? :3 http://www.jiajem.com/armor.html

By Static. 17/11/09, 11:33 am

I've used craft foam for headpieces before ( http://www.cosplay.little-noise.com/?page_id=31 ) and I used a hair comb hotglued to the crown to keep it on my head. It was pretty stable - the combs will go through a wig pretty well, and the lighter the crown, the less likely it is to fall off! In theory. Razz

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 11:35 am

Okay thanks, I'll try that. Headpiece 711668

How well do you think paper magic clay/mache will stick to a headband (Either plastic or craft foam) if hot glued on? Or to a piece of felt or a wig? I'm trying to think what would be best to glue it to although I'll sew it on if I really have to. Headpiece 586737

(Would rather not) Headpiece 37781

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 11:39 am

Quote :: I've used craft foam for headpieces before ( http://www.cosplay.little-noise.com/?page_id=31
) and I used a hair comb hotglued to the crown to keep it on my head.
It was pretty stable - the combs will go through a wig pretty well, and
the lighter the crown, the less likely it is to fall off! In theory.

Thanks, I still haven't dismissed the idea of using hair combs entirely yet either. Headpiece Icon_wink

My Euphemia buns had hair combs attached to them and the only way to get the stupid things to stay on my head was to push them right through the wig and into my own hair. Hurt like hell! Headpiece 875635

By Static. 17/11/09, 11:41 am

Felt generally hot glues pretty well, but won't paperclay be a bit heavy? If it's too heavy, I wouldn't trust hot glue to hold it; you'd probably be better to wire it or stitch it. But then you'd have to keep it on your head...I would say use craft foam or paper mache for both headband and crown.

By RainbowMoonDust. 17/11/09, 11:45 am

True, heaviness is something to take into account. Headpiece 586737

Luckily I have a year to make this entire outfit (Trust me, the headpiece is one of the easiest parts of the costume) so I have plenty of time to make mock ups! ~~And stuff up!~~ Headpiece Icon_razz

(It's my competition cosplay for Auckland Armageddon 2010!)

I'll try some of these suggestions, thanks everyone, this gives me plenty of ideas/possible ways of doing it! Headpiece Icon_biggrin

By **JVCA**. 17/11/09, 11:46 am

I think it'd hot glue on just fine - my Rosso shoulder armour has velcro hot glued to the underside (it was made with that JiaJem tutorial I sent you) and it's coping just fine. n_n

By ratatatcat. 19/11/09, 11:47 am

...A little off topic, I was just wondering because I want to ask something too, it's definitely okay to ask for advice on here for competition outfits? I asked about something like this last year, and I got a lot of people saying 'is this competiton' before anyone would help or not.

By Static. 19/11/09, 12:30 pm

Advice for comp pieces is fine - unless you're asking the judges Razz

which is a pain, because Michaela pretty much knows everything.

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