Animesky-Cosplay: Animesky: Props Making Tips

Here's a hot sizzling new variety of topic for animesky fans, cosplayers and soon to be cosplayers. Animesky would like to give you some tips and ideas in making props, gear and weapons. We all know costume, props and performance is the most important thing about cosplaying, and without these three you won't be able to portray your character right. So now we are here to give you some ideas about how to make cosplay gears/props/weapon. These insights are based from what I’ve learned in my subject back when I was in college so I hope that it'll help you guys a lot in saving and spending "moolah" (money), and also on how to be creative in stuff in your surroundings, It’s like art attack or the Filipino version Art Angel.

Recycling is one of the method used in making such craft, it is called paper Mache, well how would that be possible? You can use boxes (karton), newspapers (dyaryo), old used folder, and wire (alambre). For putting things together like pasting you can use mighty bond, glue, double sided tape and starch mixed with water (almirol) this one is very important because this will be the foundation of your craft or props.

The pictures shown below are some tips on how I use the materials mentioned above. These pictures are random examples since I only got few shots of my work.

Tip no.1: Drafting

You have to make draft of your weapon/gear/props before hand, it is very important because it will be your guide until the very end.

Tip no.2: Preparing your materials

In Paper Mache, the materials you’ll need are the ff.

1. Newspaper

2. Old used folder/ Folder/ Karton

3. Starch

4. Wire (alambre)

Tip no.3: Applying the materials

You need to cut the newspapers with you’re bare hands, into little rectangular or any shapes.

Here’s an example of the cropped sheets of newspaper.

Tip no.4: Molding form

Remember the materials on tip no.2 right? The used folder and wire (alambre) I’ll be showing you example on how I molded a certain design using that materials together with starch (almirol).

In this picture I’m drafting a wing to be pasted in a folder for the pattern and strong build purposes (rinoa heartily’s shooting star weapon).

After that I pasted the wing draft in the folder. I putted some wires for the skeleton of the wing; I used a thick double-sided tape to apply the wire.

Here’s the part we’re you mold the newspaper into the wing using the starch (almirol) and the news paper, this one is not easy you need to know we’re you put the starch so pay attention guys.

You need to use you’re bare hands again with this step, and you’ll need to put the starch at the ripped news paper, and paste it according to your pattern, you’ll need to wait for a number minuets for it to dry. (For this part I want the wings to be strong so I decided to coat it 2-3 times.)

Tip no.5: Painting (fun part)

So here’s the fun part of making this weapon. First coat it in white acrylic paint, when I was studying my professor always reminds me that when it comes to painting you always have to coat it in white paint first before you paint you’re certain craft with colors. (In painting I suggest to use acrylic paint, but if the color you are looking for is not available you can use poster paint, or nail polish)

So there it is, the 5 tips on how to make a cosplay props/weapon/gear using the paper mache method, although there are a lot of ways in making a weapon this one is for saving money purposes at the same time recycling as well. I hope you guys enjoyed and learn a lot from me.

Here’s the finish product of the pictures I’ve shown above J… Enjoy!