Cosplaying is an amazing art form that combines crafting, sewing, and acting all into one. People can express their love for their favorite characters by replicating their appearance in their spare time. This is an awesome hobby that’s chock full of practical skills. However, it can seem like an intimidating task to start, especially considering how perfect many cosplayers look! Fortunately, like any interest, there are beginner steps for making your own cosplay that will start you out on the right foot.
Gather Your Essentials
The first step is to figure out what you need to create your outfit. These are the absolute beginner steps for making your own cosplay, regardless of what the final product will look like! Decide on what character you would like to cosplay as, then gather reference art of them. You may even want to do some focus sketches to make sure you understand all the details involved.
Make a list of the supplies you’ll need to start crafting. This includes varieties of cloth, sewing tools, scissors, glue, and similar tools and other garment-making supplies. Lastly, create or find a pattern that you will use to start the building process.
Understanding Sewing Patterns
At first, patterns can seem very confusing. They are essentially an instruction manual on how to build a piece of clothing. Part of the pattern will be reference images and diagrams showing the sections that make up the whole piece. For instance, a pattern for a t-shirt will show a diagram of a finished shirt, will point out the two t-shaped sections, and will explain how to connect the two pieces with the proper seams and collar.
Patterns also include traceable paper versions of each section that comprise a design. This is the most important part, as these paper sections will be used to chalk the cloth so you can cut the pieces accurately and consistently. With enough practice, you can even learn to create patterns and share them with the internet.
Practice Makes Perfect
The most important thing to remember about creating any type of clothing or worn art is that it’s not easy. Becoming skilled at cosplay takes patience and time. Starting small and using scraps to practice your skills is a great way to save money and get started right away. Let yourself get used to using a sewing machine, hand sewing, and assembling increasingly complex designs.
If you head straight for the most complicated character you can find before you even know how to thread a needle, you will likely end up frustrated. Just have patience with yourself and enjoy the learning process!