Armour building, thermoforming, Pepakura and accessories

A lot of costumes may include some aspect that might appear metal or have some other shiny hard surface. This might be a full suit of armour or something as simple as Edward Elric's plate on his jacket. A lot of the much simpler accessories in this area can be adapted into much more ambitious projects and with experimentation it can be easy to pick up new ways of making things.

I was originally going to discuss Armour building and accessories in separate sections but considering how much of it overlaps I might as as well throw in everything that involves making shiny things!

We will statrt with materials that can be Thermoformed. Thermoforming is basically manipulating plastics and foams using heat. Using a hairdryer, heat gun or an oven hob, it changes shape and can be shaped by hand. If you are unhappy with the results, just heat it up again and reshape it.

One of the more basic materials happens to be Craft Foam. Craft Foam can be found in most craft stores and can be painted and layered with cheap fabric and other materials to be strengthened. Ideal for beginners and simple crafts, Craft Foam is really cheap and very easy to use. Please look at my blog post for a more in-depth introduction to craft foam.

A favourite among cosplayers for heavy armour projects happens to be Eva Foam. Eva foam comes in a variety of thicknesses and some are even textured.

A step up from the Foams are what are happens to be known as Thermoplastics. Plastics such as Worbla and Wonderflex are ideal for moderate to heavy armour work, and are perfect for accessories such as crowns. Like paper and Craft foam they can be patterned and cut with scissors or a scalpel.

Working with Worbla-Hikaru's headset

Polymorph (also known and Friendly plastic) is also a thermoplastic but unlike the previous plastics mentioned it comes in the form of off while granules and is ideal for more curvier projects. They can be heated the same way as other thermoplastics or even heated in hot water. When it becomes clear thats when it will be ready to work with. KobraCast comes in the form of a rolled bandage.

Pepakura, or Papercrafts, focuses on making costume parts using paper. Do not be fooled, Pepakura can be really complex and with the right preparation can bring jaw dropping reactions (seriously! Google it!). By folding paper and covering it with resin, full Halo armour can be made!