Putting together a cosplay, whether it’s for a specific event or just for fun, is one of the best things about being part of a particular fandom. If you’re really into attending conventions or other events related to your favorite movies, comics, or other media, creating an amazing cosplay is a great way to always arrive with a bang. It’s not for everyone, especially if you don’t want to spend a lot of time putting your outfit together. But if you enjoy being creative and possibly getting a bit crafty, it can be an extremely fun thing to do. Plus, people will admire your creativity and skills, especially if you can create an accurate look for one of your favorite characters.
It can take a lot of planning and time to make your cosplay, so the earlier you can start, the better. It’s often a good idea to leave several months for planning and putting everything together, although you can finish your project quicker in a pinch. If you’re thinking about planning and creating a cosplay, this guide can give you some tips to reach your goals.
Image from Pixabay – CC0 License
Think About How Much Effort You Want to Put In
Before you get started, you might want to think about just how much effort you’re willing to put in to create your desired look. Are you prepared to spend hours sewing, gluing, and putting everything together on top of all the planning you will need to do? Or would you rather buy some elements you can easily combine to create the look you’re going for, without having to make too much from scratch? Some people might enjoy cosplay but don’t really want to sew themselves a whole outfit. How much work you want to do can affect which character you choose and how you plan your cosplay.
Budget
How much money you can spend is also going to make a big difference when you’re planning a cosplay. It can quickly get expensive if you want to include lots of elements, especially if you’re planning on buying some stuff ready-made instead of making it yourself. Creating a budget will help you to avoid spending too much while making sure you have the money that you need to achieve your goals. Before you set a budget, it can help to do a little research to work out how much you might need to spend. Of course, it depends on quality, how complicated you want your outfit to be, and other factors.
Do Some Research
A little bit of research can go a long way when you’re planning a cosplay. You might have already decided on a character, or you might want to explore a few different options before you settle on who you want to dress as. If you have picked a character, perhaps you feel like you already know them inside and out. But it’s useful to do some additional research to find some good reference images, both from the source material and from some other cosplays that might help to inspire you. You could save, bookmark or print some reference images that will help you to design your cosplay.
As well as researching the character, you might want to do some research on how you’re going to put your cosplay together. You might already have some useful skills that will help you to create your outfit, but there are possibly some new skills and some tips and tricks that are going to be useful too. It’s a good time to gather some ideas and start working out exactly what you want to do.
Image from Pixabay – CC0 License
Do a Drawing
Drawing what you want to make can be helpful if you want to nail down exactly what you want your cosplay to look like. You don’t have to be good at drawing to make a rough sketch just to get the general shape and aesthetics of what you’re looking for. While this isn’t an essential step, it can help if you want to adapt the character’s style into something that you’re capable of making.
Make a Shopping List
The next thing that you will want to do is probably make a shopping list of the things that you need. This can include a range of different items that you might require to put your cosplay together. If you’re planning on doing some sewing, the first thing you might want to look for is sewing patterns. Even if you haven’t done much sewing before, these can often be easy to follow. There are also lots of sewing communities online where you can ask questions and get advice.
There are plenty of costume sewing patterns out there, which could give you exactly what you’re looking for. Sometimes you might need to get creative and think about how to adapt a pattern to what you need or how a pattern that’s not necessarily intended to be used in one way could still be what you need. If you wanted to make a cape, for example, you might find a fashion cape that’s the ideal shape and could be made into the garment you need with the right fabric and embellishments.
You will also need to look for different materials and tools to use for making your cosplay. Some tools that you might require could include things like a sewing machine, fabric scissors, glue gun, ruler, marking and measuring tools, and some hand sewing tools like needles. Your materials will depend on what you want to make and could include a range of different things, from fabric to different embellishments, fastenings, and more.
Make Hair and Makeup Plans
As well as what you’re going to wear, you will also want to think about what you’re going to do with your hair and makeup. It’s definitely worth planning these things in advance, especially if you’re thinking about doing anything like dyeing your hair. There are lots of things to think about, and you’ll want to be careful if you’re planning on any semi-permanent changes. It’s one thing to dye your hair in blonde balayage colors for a cosplay, but it’s different to dye your hair bright red or get a drastic haircut. If you don’t want to make any changes to your hair at all, you might want to consider a wig. This is a convenient way to change your hair without having to cut it, dye it, or style it differently.
If you’re planning on doing some makeup to go along with your cosplay, you will definitely want to practice it before you officially reveal your look. You don’t want to be struggling with it before you’re due to go to an event. Start by planning what you want to do and making sure you have the right products. You might need costume makeup to achieve the look that you want. The same goes for anything you want to do with your hair or a wig. Practicing before it’s time to officially do it will help you to make sure you can get it right on the day.
Image from Pixabay – CC0 License
Learn Some Crafty Skills
Once you have everything that you need, you might have to learn some new skills to put your cosplay together. If it’s your first time sewing an outfit, you might want to start with something simple. One of the most important things you can do is to spend some time preparing before you dive in and start sewing. If you’re using a pattern or tutorial, read or watch it a few times to make sure you know what steps you need to take. If there are any sewing terms you don’t understand, look them up before you get started so you don’t get confused halfway through.
One of the best ways to learn some new skills and get some good tips is to watch video tutorials. You can find plenty of them on YouTube, as well as other social media sites. You can follow along with someone else who will show you how to achieve what you want to do. Being able to watch someone else do it can be a lot easier than having to follow written instructions, especially if those instructions don’t come with clear pictures.
There are lots of things you can do without having much experience or skill. Some basic sewing isn’t too difficult, and you can also make various elements of your cosplay with some other crafty skills. If you’re able to wield a pair of scissors and a glue gun, you can get a lot done.
You might want to practice some skills before you start putting your cosplay together. Try making a practice run of your outfit before you make the real thing, especially if you’re planning on using expensive materials. It’s better to make mistakes when you’re practicing and identify ways you can improve instead of messing up on the final product.
Planning a cosplay can take a lot of work, but spending time preparing can help you to make sure you end up with an epic look at the end.
