10 Life Hacks for Cosplayers
From Novice to Master, there’s always something new to be learned.
1. Clear nail polish does the same job as Fray Check for a third of the price.
Fray Check is a nifty tool that, as the name implies, keeps your materials from fraying. For something that has a more precise application, dries with flexibility, and stands up better to washing, check out the cosmetics section of your favourite department store before the crafts section.
2. Wig caps never fit for stay in place? Make your own with old pantyhose.
The awesome folks over at The Cosplay Corner share a great and potentially life-saving tutorial right here!
3. Need to iron a hem in a hurry? Hair straightener.
Most hotel rooms do have an iron and board handy, but if you want the job done quicker, here’s some tips on how to speed up the process. Another benefit to this is that it doesn’t force your friends to weave around a big board during the morning rush to get costumes on.
4. Use wax paper to keep vinyl fabrics in place on your sewing machine.
Head on over to the lovely Hezachan‘s website for a full tutorial!
5. Keep glittery costume pieces and accessories from “shedding” with unscented hairspray.
Whomever said that glitter is the herpes of arts and crafts wasn’t kidding, so this trick is sure to make your fellow cosplayers appreciate you. More details here.
6. Not sure what kind of fabric you’re using? Burn it. (No, really!)
Burn tests are an effective way to figure out the fiber contents of your mystery textiles while also satisfying your inner pyromaniac. The fine folks at StartUp Fashion have a stellar how-to page on conducting these tests.
7. Use an old t-shirt, duct tape, and pillow stuffing to make a dress form customized to your measurements.
This tutorial is wonderful news if you’ve got unusual measurements or can’t afford a commercial adjustable dress form. Another great thing is that the use of pillow stuffing better imitates the softness and malleability of people’s flesh compared to the hard shells of commercial dress forms or mannequins.
8. Do vampire fangs on the DIY with fake nails.
Follow this great tutorial from MissInterpretCosplay and you too can be the subject of awkward office stock photos.
9. Sweat stains? OxiClean.
Bless your faces for this scientific breakthrough, ArtofManliness.
10. Wearing costumes with gloves can be a pain for smartphone users. Ease your pain with these DIY styluses:
Further proof that Instructables is the greatest website of all time. After finding out about this trick, I can neither confirm nor deny that I wrapped the end of a makeup brush in tinfoil and mass-texted my entire family about how clever I felt.
Now, go out there and make MacGyver proud!
