cosplaycraft

[cosplaycraft]

Can I Make Living From Cosplay?

Absolutely! Cosplay is a growing industry. Major entertainment companies are now even recognizing cosplayers and many cosplay influencers are creating their own brands. 

One example of this is Tayla AKA Kinpatsu Cosplay. Tayla has created a huge brand off of cosplay. She started out just like many cosplayers. Since the beginning she has created each costume by hand and kept honing her craft. She took her cosplays to major conventions like Comic Con and shared her ideas with other. During the rise of YouTube she posted tutorials for free on how others can make cosplays just like hers. On Instagram she posted pictures of her wearing her creations. Her rise to fame wasn’t quick but her fanbase are loyal and supportive. Once her following was large enough she launched her own online shop https://kinpatsucosplay.com/. She sells prints of her in costume as well as patterns and tutorials for all sorts of props. Yet she still stays true to her roots and posts a lot of free content as well. Her following still continues to grow today as she inspires and teaches people. Tayla is a great example of what a dedicated cosplayer can become.

[cosplaycraft]

Why and How to Use EVA Foam

EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) foam can be one of the most versatile mediums in any cosplayers arsenal. EVA foam can be used for almost anything. First many people use EVA foam to create armor. This is done by making a pattern by hand or finding one on Etsy. EVA foam patterns follow the same kind of idea as sewing patterns. Armor is created by layering the foam together and you can cut a pattern or texture into the foam. EVA foam is a great choice for armor since it is very light weight as well! Mikaela Holmes Posted a great tutorial on Instuctables explaining how to create a pattern and put it together to make armor. https://www.instructables.com/Introduction-to-EVA-Foam/

EVA foam can be used to make shoe covers for cosplay. Shoe covers just slip over any shoes you want. That way you can wear your favorite running shoes while also looking like the character you are cosplaying. Say you want to do a super hero cosplay, EVA foam would be the best option for shoes because you wouldn't be able to just buy shoes and cobbling shoes is difficult. 

Finally, you can use EVA foam to create prop weapons. If you wanted to cosplay Captain America you would need his shield or if you want to be Thor you need his hammer. These weapons could be made easily out of EVA foam

[cosplaycraft]

How Do I Become a Cosplayer

Deciding to start cosplaying is very exciting. Becoming a cosplayer allows you to participate in an ever changing community both online and in person. Many cosplayers start out with the very basics. Some even just doing “casual cos,” where you just try to look like your favorite character while wearing your regular clothes. A major group of people who do this are Disney bounders. Another Tumblr account that is a good reference for this is https://disneybound.co/. They give a ton of inspiration for Disney bounds.

If you feel like you are already ready to dive right in then you must next decide how you want to cosplay. Many people like to buy costumes from specialized cosplay brands such as Miccostumes and Rolecosplay. They make cosplay for anime, video game, and movie characters. 

If you don’t want to buy from big businesses there is the option of buying costumes from an artist. There are many people who run shops on Etsy who create made to order costumes for cosplayers. Usually these costumes are of a premium quality but they come at a premium cost! Even the most simple costume can run you more than $90. These costumes can also take a long time to get to you since they are made to order. Yet the wait is well worth it! Many artists hand paint or even create their own fabrics. 

Finally, you could take on the task of building your own costume. This can be a daunting and time consuming task. You will have to learn many skills in order to create a true to life rendition of a character. People who make cosplays by hand have to learn skills from sewing to even welding. 

[cosplaycraft]

How to Follow a Pattern

So you have decided to create a garment with your own to hands, where do you start? The best place to start as a beginner is to buy and follow a pattern. A pattern is the base for your garment. It will show you where to cut, sew and fold. 

When you first open your pattern this is what it will look like. Get familiar with all the pieces. Many patterns have instructions with diagrams to show you what each line and symbol means. On my pattern when there are arrows on a line it means that you have to lay that end of the pattern on a fold of the fabric. 

Next find the line to cut on that corresponds to your size. Make sure you cut close to the line since you don’t your garment to be too big or have your seems come out messy. After cutting out your pattern pieces lay and pin them down to your fabric. Cut the fabric under the pattern. Then, after all your pieces are cut, look to the sewing instructions that came with your pattern. Usually pieces are labeled with numbers to let you know what piece goes with another. 

I made this mockup with muslin. I highly recommend using muslin on your first try! This first attempt came out a little messy but that is part of the process.

[cosplaycraft]

What is Cosplay?

In the simplest explanation it is costume play. 

But to be more specific, it is a way of creating art for your favorite characters from books movies and tv shows! 

Anybody who dresses up as their favorite character is then dubbed a “cosplayer.” A cosplayer doesn’t just dress up for Halloween. Cosplayers can dress up whenever they feel like it. Furthermore, the costumes they don are typically of an extremely high quality and typically are hand made.

Cosplay culture grew from fan meetups and conventions where people shared their excitement for pop culture. It began as a small number of geeks trying to show their love for a character (which for the most part it still is) but has now grown into a major industry in entertainment. Cosplayers today are a huge power on social media. Some have even been able to create their own brands from it. Others are hired by entertainment companies to come to events and promote their movie, game, or tv show!

Cosplay once was known as a thing just for Star Wars nerds who wanted to pretend to be their favorite X-Wing pilot but now every year the amount of people who cosplay grows.