Cos-playing
Stenciling on Leather or Vinyl Furniture with Rub n’Restore
As some of you may know from tracking my blog, I am an avid costume maker and DIY fanatic. It was while doing research for a common costume dillema (how to make second hand leather or vinyl pieces match an existing costume color scheme) that I encountered this wonderful product. Rub n’ Restire has been […]
Making a Victorian/ Steampunk Bustle
A Victorian Bustle is simply a dress train that was tacked upward toward the hips. Over time this became exaggerated until it was the fashion. However, it’s difficult to source or create a dress with that much fabric hanging off the back in a modern setting. The solution is to create a detachable bustle that […]
Creating a Victorian Bustle Pad
Mid to Late Victorian Era gowns were graced with a bustle, and while the profiles may have changed, the most famous and instantaneously recognizable is the backswept narrow profiled bustle. This means that the dress, usually very long, had its train swept up and tacked to the butt of the gown, creating a poof of […]
Creating An Embellished Victorian Gown
This entry is the first in a series for building a Steampunk or Victorian costume, but you may, if you wish, use the technique described for any kind of dress, including a wedding gown, bridesmaid gown, or prom dress. It is cute, easy, cheap, and just adds a bit of flare. Most women have a […]
Creating a Victorian/ Steampunk formal woman’s gown costume
Steampunk has been all the rage for the last few years, building up a huge fan base even among other fandoms and communities. Being a cos-player, I have always been impressed with historical accuracy, creativity, and detailed work, but I operate on a budget. I wanted to come up with a great costume, at a […]
Making an Appa Towel-Monster
Maybe you love crafting and sewing. Maybe you’re a hard-core Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon show fan. Maybe you really want to make a unique holiday gift for your favorite grandchild, neice, or nephew. Or maybe you just love towels with hoods on them. Whatever the case, this is a quick and easy sewing project […]
The Mysterious Stranger Costume Build; Part 8: Shoulder guards
In honor of Halloween…This is the final piece of your costume!! Yay! SHOULDER GUARDS: Materials: package of small balloons (can be purchased at dollar store, walgreens, etc. tons of newspaper or brown paper bags white glue or wood glue (sturdier) 2 small bowls resin two heavy duty lengths of cord about three inches in length […]
Mysterious Stranger Costume Build; Part 7: Gorget, or Neck Armor
This piece is the round plate that fits over the breastplate and wraps around the neck. In the claymation, this piece of armor is solid, however, when I attempted to make a solid piece, it strangled me, so I found another way of doing it that looks solid, but is flexible enough so that you […]
The Mysterious Stranger Costume Build; Part 6: Breastplate
Ok So we’ve come to the hardest piece: the armor breast plate. This is the most difficult because it has lots of prep and lots of steps, and needs to be precise, so be prepared for a mess and several days of labor. _________________________________ To fit this armor properly, you’ll need to have a mannequin […]
The Mysterious Stranger Costume Build; Part 5: Masks and Staff
This is an ideal for any costume requiring a mask, like a carnival or masquerade costume. the staff can be used with any mask, and can be painted any color! So if you need to learn how to build a mask, this is the place! If you’re here for the Mysterious Stranger Costume, you may […]
The Brain Squirrel Monologues 