How to Get Started in Cosplay

Cosplay: The art of portraying a character through the creative use of costumes.

Okay. You've seen a ton of awesome cosplays floating around the internet, at conventions, or you just love all those amazing costumes in movies, video games, etc., and you're dying to get in on the cosplaying action yourself. That's why I'm here: to show you all the ins and outs of getting started in cosplay by making your very first costume!

NOTE: If you're looking for a pre-made (or mostly premade) costume, Etsy and Cosplay Sky are two of the best places I've found online to buy high quality, screen-accurate costumes.

>     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >    Step One: Choose a Costume

Probably the easiest part of the entire process, the beginning of every cosplay begins with choosing a character, and then choose a costume worn by said character. You probably already have an idea swimming around in your head -- perfect! Choose that one.

One helpful tip regarding this decision: it's best not to choose something *too* challenging or intricate for your first endeavor. Try to let the costume match your skill set.  So, let's say you want to cosplay Iron Man... unless you're really ambitious, maybe pare the idea down a little and go for cosplaying Tony Stark instead -- that way, you can just make an arm of the Iron Man suit to complete the look!

Here's the thing: no matter how easy your costume is to make, as long as you look good, you will be pleased with the finished product and your audience will be impressed. It's better to do something too easy than too hard -- at least for your first costume. Then, as your costume-making skills and abilities grow, you can begin to stretch them farther and farther to make super duper complex costumes.

>     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >   Step Two: Begin Planning

Though you might want to just jump right in and have at it, making a game plan for your costume will make everything much simpler and faster in the long run.

This process should include:

- Gathering reference photos. Scour the internet for the best high-resolution photos of the costume that you can find. Posters, movie stills, even toy versions of the character provide invaluable reference to help you in your build. I've found the best way to store these photos is to pin them all to a good ol' Pinterest board, designated for that express purpose.

- Making a list of everything you'll need to buy. You might be surprised by just how many things you'll need to buy to create your costume (and how much those things can cost), so it's important to have a pretty good idea of what you'll be needing to purchase. This will also make the next part of the process much easier.

- Creating a budget + calculating the cost of the costume. Now, your budget doesn't have to be calculated down to the last cent -- somewhere within $10 of the actual price is a good place to start. And since you've already made your list of things you need to buy, just add up the average cost of all those items and you're all set to go!

- Drawing sketches of the costume. This one is optional, but I highly recommend it if you're planning on making any major alterations to the original costume. It also helps you get a better idea of all the different aspects of the costume, since you have to draw each one.

- Deciding where you want to wear the finished costume. You might already know this, but if not, start thinking. It's so depressing to have created an awesome costume, only to realize you have no where to wear it. I recommend movie premieres, fandom conventions, or just a photoshoot as the best opportunities to do so.

>     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     Step Three: Research + Purchase Materials

So, now that you've got a pretty good idea of where you're going with your cosplay, start researching online and in brick-and-mortar stores for the things you'll need to buy -- which you've already made a list of! ;)

If you're looking for a few pre-made items, such as boots or weapons (the things that look best when store bought and screen-accurate versions can be easily found), the best places to start your search are Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, and your local thrift stores -- you'd be surprised by how perfect some of the second-hand items are for cosplay, plus they can lower your budget considerably.

Here are a few online stores that I've found to be perfect for finding great sewing materials, which will most likely take a large part in making your costume:

- Fabric, craft foam, notions, etc:
   ~ Fabric.com
   ~ Jo-Ann
   ~ Hancock Fabrics

- Sewing Patterns:
   ~ Simplicity
   ~ McCall
   ~ Butterick

>     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >    >     >  Step Four: Accessorize

This is such a fun and integral part of creating costumes that sometimes can be overlooked. Here are the main accessories that you'll be needing to get to complete your costumed look:

- Weapons. Does your character carry a weapon, and the place you're planning on wearing the costume at would accept you carrying that weapon?  Definitely consider making or buying one to carry and pose with you while you cosplay -- it'll add a special touch to your costume. Amazon, BUDK and Medieval Collectibles are great places to start your search for these if you want to buy them.

- Footwear. Never go with sneakers or flipflops just because they're easy -- they'll ruin everything of the costume that you worked so hard on! Thrift stores are a great place to find shoes that you'll only be wearing a few times, and you won't feel bad altering a pair that only cost you $5. A note about characters that go barefoot: You will probably want to create a pair of "invisible shoes" (tutorial by "...And Sewing is Half the Battle!").

- Wigs. Now, I have a more lenient opinion on wigs than other cosplayers, but that's just because wigs can so often make a costume look worse rather than better, unless you want to fork out the $30-$80 for a high quality, synthetic, lace-front wig. With that in mind, it might be better to completely forego buying a wig and just go with your natural hair, styled like the character's as best you can. But, if you do want to buy a wig, Arda Wigs has rave reviews, and eBay can have some pretty good finds.

- Prosthetics. I've found that Aradani Costumes is the absolute best place for high-quality, inexpensive prosthetics, which can add a convincing touch to your cosplay and make people look twice. "Wait, did that girl have pointy ears??" ;)

>     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     Step Five: Create Your Costume

Now that you've got all the necessary materials necessary to make your intended design, it's time to put your sewing and crafting skills to the test!

Here's a few extremely helpful links to get you started in your crafting.

- 12 Things You Need to Start Sewing (Fab Grandma)
- Craft Foam Armor Tutorial (Penwiper Unlimited)
- Foam Board Weapons Tutorial (Fire Lily Cosplay)

Let me tell you something crucial for this step: Google is your friend. Don't know how to do something? GOOGLE IT. Chances are pretty good that someone else has made the same costume before you and wrote about their process of doing so. Reading about their build can be extremely helpful for your own, and they may have even made some how-tos for the creation of some of the more difficult parts of the costume. Plus, if you have a question about the costume, they might be able to answer it! Many cosplayers are very open to helping others with their costumes. You can also check out the RPF, which is a great place to find answers from experienced hobbyists.

>     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     >     > Step Six: Have fun!

You've sewn, crafted and bought everything for your costume, and now it's finally time to put it all together and show it off!! Enjoy literally stepping into your character's shoes for a day. :D

And with that, you've completed your very first cosplay. Bravo, and congratulations!!!

If you followed my little guide to make your first costume, post a link to it in the comments below so I can see your wonderful handiwork. :)

P.S. Let me tell you: if you don't think your cosplay turned out perfectly, don't worry, because I promise that you will only get better from here on out. Also, never compare your cosplays to others -- only compare them to your previous work. That way, you will only see the improvement in costuming, and you'll only be inspired to keep getting better. ^_^

Looking Towards The Future

The future is so close to the present, I can almost taste it. You see, as of a few weeks ago, I am finally signed up for classes for my first semester at Liberty University, and God has moved and is still moving so many mountains for those doors to swing wide open for me to walk through. Who would have thought, even a year ago, that now I'd be looking towards a degree in Cinematic Arts and a minor in Fashion Design?

"Many are the plans in the mind of a woman,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

- Proverbs 19:21 -

It's kind of mind boggling, honestly, when I look back on all that's happened over the course of the past several years, and seeing so obviously the work of God through it all.  Seeing how God has guided me to follow His will for me, and providing a way so I can.  Seeing that, it doesn't matter how crazy the dream seems or feels, but that God can fulfill any dream, big or small, if we are willing to trust Him and push forwards with our whole being.

"Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically,

as something done for the Lord and not for men."

- Colossians 3:23 -

But you know what's absolutely crazy?  In the midst of all of this, all of these incredible opportunities and possibilities looming before me, I am at peace.  If God decided to allow it all to be taken from me, if He decided to send me into a completely different direction, or even if He decided to bring me home to Himself instead, I know I'd be okay. My soul is safe in the arms of God -- I have been promised nothing more, and yet nothing less.

"Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul."

- It Is Well With My Soul -

I feel ready now, to head into the future one day at a time. Not because I'm adequate for the task, but because the God who guides me is beyond adequate. All I have to do is keep. following. Him. with my entire being, keeping my eyes focused on the prize ahead of me, and try to serve Him to the best of my ability in the mean time.

"For to me, to live is Christ

and to die is gain."

- Philippians 1:21 -

Costumes Are Not My Life - From a Cosplayer

Once upon a time, in the middle of working crazy hard to finish my Captain America cosplay, I had a mental/emotional breakdown.  This was due to some combination of disappointment and stress, ending in the loathing of myself and my work-in-progress Captain America costume. After an encouraging one-on-one sesh with God and a good night's sleep, I was feeling much, much better. But not about my costume. The costume was still, in my eyes, dreadful. "Oh, why can't you just look perfect, already??? I've worked so hard on you... this is not how you're supposed to turn out."

As I was arranging the bodice on Sylvie (my dress form -- hush hush and don't ask questions) and made adjustments to some of the pins still holding the place of seams, it didn't look so bad anymore.  And then, it began to look even better when I reminded myself that I don't have unlimited money, time, or skills, [unlike almost every cosplayer in the media spotlight]. So, unless I get super obsessive about it, my Captain America costume is just not going to imitate the real thing as much as I'd like (plus, I was creating a female version, so it would never look exactly the same as the original -- hah!)

See, I don't even want to get super obsessive over costumes. Cosplay is not my life, and I never want to act like it is. Jesus is my life, cosplay is just a hobby through which I desire to give glory to Him and receive some simple joy in this crazy world we live in. Cosplay will never give me the fullness and satisfaction of spirit that Christ gives me, as I feel every time I start to put costumes before my relationship with Him. That situation is not pleasant, not the way it's supposed to be, and only leaves me feeling insufficient. But not so when God is in the proper place in my life, as "Number 1" -- He is the only one sufficient to fulfill all our needs: spiritual, emotional, physical.

So, cosplay is not my life... and neither are movies.

I had a realization today.  I've been worried lately that I like movies too much -- that they've been becoming an "idol" for me, that I've been replacing God with cinematics. It wasn't a nagging feeling in my spirit, but rather a nagging question in my intellect, which made me question the importance of my own question.  If becoming obsessed with cinematics was such an issue, then I thought I should be feeling insufficient and empty, like what happens when I put my costumes before God.  But I didn't feel that way, so I was left to ponder the question some more.

I imagined the Christian life as something like this: we're each given a picture to color, and we're given the freedom to color in the lines with whatever colors we want, adding designs, etc.  We only run into trouble when we start altering the base of the picture -- like, changing a horse into a giraffe, for a weird example. The colors we choose for our pictures are our personal interests.  Because, we're all created with different personalities, different looks, and different likes and dislikes.  Put simply, different does not equal bad -- sin equals bad, and sin is that which goes against the teachings given to us in the Bible.

My oldest sister is a piano teacher, my second oldest sister is a science nerd, I'm a film geek, and my younger sister is a fitness nut.  It would seem we don't have much in common, right?  But, see, that's a wrong assumption, because we totally do.  All four of us are the bestest of friends, and we can be that because we all love Jesus; we are similar in what really matters. We are all members of the family of God, He is our center, and every other part of our lives falls into place around that.

So, here's the finale, the thought I want you to come away with from all of this: Costumes are great, movies are great, whatever-your-personal-interests-are are great, just always remember to never forget who made you, who made the world you live in, and who gave his son to save your life. God. Jesus died for your life, so live it to the fullest, live it to the best of your ability...

but never, ever forget who gave it to you, and give back to Him by keeping Him at the center of your life.

Bridesmaid Dress to Pleated Skirt Refashion + Tutorial

So, this skirt's ancestor has been in my fabric stash for a while now... in the form of a very boring bridesmaid dress that I had thrifted for a buck one day last winter.  It wasn't until a couple days ago that I fiiiinally got around to turning it into something useful -- a fun, pleated skirt!

Cute, right?  I love the simplicity + the bit of retro vibe. ;) It's such a fun addition to le closet, and is totally wearable in all seasons (which is always a plus!).

And now I will walk you through how I made my refashioned skirt, and show you how to do it yourself!  If you want to make a pleated skirt with plain ol' fabric, I recommend this tutorial by Merrick's Art.

So, here's the dress that I started out with,  Pretty -- but also pretty boring.  I loved the skirt and the color, but that was it.  So, like I said: for a dollar, I couldn't really go wrong. ;)  Grab your own boring dress, and prepare to create!

1. Chop off the desired length of the skirt, leaving the bottom hem to save you some sewing.

I cut off a bit too much, as usual. :P

2. Rip out the entire center back seam, then pin it back together. This is in preparation for the zipper.

3. Rip out the zipper from the top of dress, which we will then reuse in the skirt!

4. Start pleating.  This is going to take a bit of trial and error to get the right fit and look, as the width of the skirt and the size of your waist will affect the amount of fabric you can take in with the pleats. I made 5 pleats total, averaging about 4 inches in width and taking in four inches each, with the inset between the last two on the zipper seam. To keep everything symmetrical, I used the seams on the skirt as references for places to make the pleats.

5. Once you're happy with how the pleats look, baste to secure.

6. Time to cut out our waistband. From the leftover bodice fabric, cut three pieces, fold in half lengthwise, then cut to a uniform desired width. I made mine about 1.5 inches wide.

7. Sew the two shorter back pieces to the longer front piece, pin to the skirt, and sew.

8. Lastly, put in your stolen zipper. If you don't know how to do this, follow this easy tutorial.

9. Don't forget to iron your new skirt out, and then you're finished! Enjoy your fabulous new skirt. :D

Special Feature: Cosplaying for Age of Ultron

The promised post, where I get to share you peeps' epic costumes worn for the premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Enjoy the awesomeness...

Faith (Leia, A Revival Warrior Princess), cosplaying Captain America:

Isabelle as Black Widow, Haven as Scarlet Witch, Henry as Quick Silver, and Marci as Bucky.

"It all started out as, "Wouldn't it be cool to dress up as Captain America from the Avengers for Halloween?" So, about three months before October 31st, I started making patterns and plans for this huge undertaking. First, there was some hoops to jump through: I had never sewn on Spandex before, and I made the most adjustments to a sewing pattern I have ever done -- but that was at least fun. Anyways, I got my fabric from Jo-Ann from their swim/active wear selection. I was easily able to get it done before Halloween. It was a lot of fun, most people recognized us and said, "It's Captain America and Bucky!" Then, several months later, due to Beth's awesome Captain America costume from Age of Ultron, I decided with about two weeks until the movie, to update my costume as much as I could to his new Avengers costume. Thankfully, I had fabric left over, and I added stripes on the shirt and pants, plus made arm guards left over from my Tauriel costume. It turned out great, and some of my friends and I went and saw the movie together. We all had an awesome time and got many stares, lol! Thank you Beth for letting me write a paragraph about my costume on your blog. Thank you all for reading!"

Bailey and Rachel, cosplaying Thor and Loki:

"Hi, Beth! I'm sending a collage of myself and my sister Rachel.  Thor's sleeves and shirt were made out of Duct tape, as were the gold strips on Loki's costume. Loki's coat was made of a Land's End dress, and the underclothes for both Thor and Loki were bought at a thrift store. Thanks for inspiring me!"

Sarah, cosplaying feminine Quicksilver:

Megan, cosplaying Scarlet Witch:

(From left to right) Lillie as Black Widow, Ella as Hawkeye, Grace as Steve Rogers, Chloe as Scarlet Witch, Juju as Thor, Callie as Vintage Cap, and Elijah and Alaina as The Twins:

"We had been planning months in advance for this! And now we basically don't know what to do with our lives now that it's over. :-( We laughed. We cried. It was amazing! The staff at the theater cheered for us as we left, and of course there was a couple people that asked to take pictures, which made us feel pretty awesome. XD XD We can't wait for next year! Bring it on Civil War! Avengers Assemble!"

Olivia, cosplaying Black Widow:

Thank you so much to all you peeps who sent me your cosplay pictures to share; y'all make me so happy, and I love that I can share your costumes. :D Everyone of you looked so great, and I'm sure you had a ton of fun cosplaying for the premiere as such great characters!! ;)

And to you other peeps who didn't cosplay for the premiere, thanks so much for reading this post anyway. Literally each comment, like, and pageview gives me such joy, and I am so thankful for you. Y'all rock and that is that. ^_^

That Day I Went to a Renaissance Faire

Over a month ago, on Saturday, April 18th, a few friends (recognize them from my Captain America photo shoot??) and I went to a Ren Faire for the very first time. And it was awesome. :D

We drove three hours to get to the faire (which was well worth it;), and to pass the time, we took selfies, played brain games on Karis' ipad, and talked about lots of stuff -- mostly stuff pertaining to our favorite fandoms. ;D

Then, after arriving at the festival at about 12:00, we spent the rest of the day doing lots of walking, laughing, picture-taking, window shopping, etc... :D

Walking and taking pictures around the extremely extensive grounds...

We met a brave knight.

Karis and I got locked up in the stocks -- I was arrested for being an outlaw, and Karis for fraternizing with the outlaw.

Visiting tons of the little shops...

Amber and I parry with LARP swords in one of the "armory" shops. My favorites were the leather shops, which ranged from selling epic leather dresses, tunics, coats, to books, bracers, boots, etc etc.

Going through the "haunted pirate ship," and scaring ourselves silly...

The thing was so cheesy, but it was 3 bucks and we couldn't resist. It was the inside of a "pirate ship," pitch black, filled with things like skeletons and treasure hoards, strobe lights, randomly [loudly] falling items, and antics by workers, who would bang super loudly on the walls, run at us in the dark, yell, etc...

P.S. A huge thank you to the guy banging on the wall right after Karis jumped me -- that basically gave me a heart attack. xD

Meeting some orcs...

When we saw these guys, we knew we absolutely had to get a picture with them.  I mean, look at that guy's costume -- convincing, much??? :O Probably my favorite costume of all that we saw throughout the day.

Oh, and, no, I did not know the other orc behind me was there -- the next frame was me screaming. xD

We definitely should look much more scared than we do... xD

And watching a few shows, the favorite of which was the live jousting...

It was set up like a play, with the three shows throughout the day furthering the story of two knights jousting to win the hand of the princess.  It was quite a hilarious spectacle, with the evil knight getting drug through the mud behind a chariot, a guys' eye getting "ripped out," and men getting killed right and left at the climax battle.  Plus, Karis, Amber, and I totally hammed it up cheering for our team's knight -- who ended up being the winner, of coooouuuurse! :D

It was so fun to witness. Quite amsuing. ;D

And of course we had to get costume pictures in front of the arena while we waited for the joust to start...

Totally foreshadowing our next costumes (superheroes for Avengers: Age of Ultron):

Scarlet Witch, Captain America, and Peggy Carter go to a renaissance festival???

And lastly, a few details on my costume I whipped up for the faire... because you know I'm all about the costumes. ;D

It was inspired by elven archers, Tauriel, Legolas, a little bit of Hawkeye -- you know, that sort of thing. ;)  You probably recognize the bracers and boots from my Tauriel cosplay. ;D

I whipped up the dress/tunic from an ugly, awkward length skirt I found at the thrift for $2.50. I was only looking for fabric, since I knew I'd be completely changing the style, and the fabric of it was perfect -- forest/olive suede with a gentle drape, and just enough of it for a tunic. :D

As for making the dress, it was about a day's worth of time, ripping/cutting old seams, fitting new seams for the neckline, arms, princess-style bodice, waist, and skirt. It was a really fun project -- just the right amount of difficulty and need for creativity to be a challenge, without being overwhelming.  Because the fabric has some stretch to it, I didn't have to put in any zippers, buttons, etc, which made the build even simpler. At the suggestion of my oldest sister, Alissa, I ended up not hemming the neckline and hem, and just left the raw edge, which helped the time crunch I was under (about a week, from getting the idea to going to the faire). Since the suede frays minimally, I just used my shears to keep all fraying at bay, and there was no problem.  This look also lent a bit of ruggedness to the dress, which was kind of fun. ;)

As for all the accessories: as I already said, the bracers and boots were the same I used for my Tauriel cosplay -- the boots I bought online, and the bracers I made from upholstery leather, dyed darker with shoe polish, embellished with an elvish design with a Sharpie marker (bahahha), and laced with suede string through brass grommets embedded in the bracers. I already had the braided belt, and I picked up the belt around my waist from a thrift store for 50 cents. And lastly, the leather pouches were the same upholstery leather, darkened with shoe polish, which I originally made for the first draft of my Captain America cosplay, but didn't end up using. They ended up working perfectly for the costume -- plus, removed the need for a bag: I kept my phone in the larger pouch, and money in the smaller one. Perfect, right?? xD

Overall, it was an absolutely *smashing* day, and I can't wait to go to another renaissance faire soon! ^_^

Avengers: Age of Ultron + A Call for Cosplayers!

ATTENTION: Important announcement for all my cosplaying followers!!!

I'm going to put together a blog post that will feature Avengers: Age of Ultron cosplays MADE/WORN BY YOU!

Send submissions to adventuresofanelvenprincess@gmail.com , including one picture of you/your group's cosplays, just to keep things simple (if you want to make a collage, that's totally cool!). Include whatever names you want to credit for le cosplayers and picture. If you want, and I totally encourage this, add a little paragraph with information on the costumes and experience! :)

Make sure you email your submission by Thursday, May 28th, as they will be posted midnight on Friday, May 29th.

I look forward to seeing and sharing your costumes!!! :)

Now, back to your regular programming. ;)

Today, it is time for my very last post concerning Age of Ultron. Basically, I had two last pictures I just had to share with you guys, and I figured I could share some of my fangirl-y thoughts on the movie to go with. ;D Oh, and also, this will be a no spoiler post, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, feel free to proceed. ;)

EXCITE

But before the photoshoot and the movie, I had to get ready... and I filmed the whole thing, sped it up and condensed it into 2.5 minutes, and now present to you a little behind-the-scenes look at what happened before I stepped in front of the camera. ;D

As for the movie experience, we went to the very first showing available at our favorite semi-local cinema: Thursday, April 30th, at 7:00pm in 2D, in case you wondered. ;) The whole theater was packed out, as you would expect, and it was such a great crowd. Everyone laughed so hard at the funny parts, there was definitely some audible sniffling at "THAT ONE PART," and almost everyone stayed for the mid-credits scene (literally only a family with kids left), and there were still quiet a few people who stayed with us for the non-existent post credits scene (hey, we had to make sure Joss Whedon wasn't lying! ;D)

And the movie... oh gosh I don't even know where to begin. The three new characters, Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff, and the Vision were all amazing, and I loved each one so much. There were so many absolutely hilarious lines and quips and antics, which were just perfect.

Okay basically Avengers: Age of Ultron (besides some choice language) is really, really awesome and I love it and it so totally lived up to the hype and it better make a ton of money or I will be upset because it deserves at least 1.5 billion. ^_^

Oh! And one final picture: us three with the paid cosplayers at the theater. That Iron Man was totally legit, and the guy dressed as Winter Soldier Captain America and I totally got a pic together (tho I'm not sure where that disappeared to.. :P). ;D

Okay okay, now, what did you guys think of the movie???????

Captain America Cosplay - The Photoshoot

I literally am completely blown away by you guys' reception of my fem Cap costume. Seriously!!! Like, what on earth y'all are amazing. I know I've said that way too much already. But it's the truth so it's worth saying a bunch of times. ;)

And now, I'm super excited to share with you a bunch more pictures from that photoshoot downtown, the afternoon before Avengers: Age of Ultron. And, ya know, if you want, feel free to pin, tweet, share, whatever. You would totally make my day. ^_^

Captain America Cosplay: Finished.

BONUS: Mah fellow cosplayers and I, Karis as Peggy Carter and Amber as Scarlet Witch. Oh! And you should definitely pop over to Karis' blog, where you can see the pictures of her cosplay from our shoot (pssst they're very cool).

First Full Look at My Fem Captain America Costume

Yesterday, it all went down at the premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In a word, the whole experience was AMAZING. But there is tons more to say on that later, in another post, when I actually have some time to write coherently. ;) For now, I hope you enjoy finally seeing le finished costume... :D