As a cosplayer with five years of experience, I’ve also tried my hand at making my own costumes and cosplay props during my time as a cosplayer, and I’ve had some success and experience in doing so. Today, let me tell you about some of my experiences in making cosplay props (all of the following are my own and other users’ experiences).
About Glue
There are many types of glue with different properties, but there are many materials that can be used universally. Generally we use 502 glue, UHU, latex, hot melt glue and so on.
I’m sure you are already familiar with 502 glue, so I don’t need to say more. Let me introduce UHU, the glue used for building models. I didn’t know about UHU before I started making props, it looks like something you can blow bubbles in when you’re a kid, like a little toothpaste package, UHU is almost all-purpose for soft materials, and it’s much better than 502 which becomes brittle after drying. Because it has a smaller opening for the packing tube, it can be glued finer than hot melt. As a result, UHU is now my favorite glue.
Emulsion doesn’t exactly stick to things, but rather acts as a blending agent, mixing it with lime or paper clay. After it dries, it can be sanded with fine sandpaper and painted.
In addition, hot melt adhesives are a very widely used, but little known “hot” adhesive. It is used in all aspects of our daily lives, for example, the clothes we wear need to be bonded with hot melt glue. Many people also like to use hot melt adhesives in the production of cosplay props.
Regarding paint coloring
When it comes to painting, it’s a convenient and economical way to paint props, but its biggest drawback is that it’s very air polluted! Also, there are no very effective precautions, only try to find a well-ventilated place, wear a mask, but still pay attention to the spread of smell to disturb other people. There are many brands of spray paint, different brands of the same color will have slight differences, poor quality spray paint will be easier to fade, so try to choose some quality brands.
When you are going to spray paint, be sure to pay attention to the distance and not to spray too thick. It is best to apply three coats of paint, the first two coats of color, and then a layer of varnish as a protective layer (if you want a matte finish, this step can be skipped). After each coat, it is best to dry it in the shade and leave it untouched for a day, or it may leave a mark. If you are painting the blade in the scabbard, I would recommend one coat if the scabbard is tight, because the paint will be thick and will fall off easily when rubbed. The smoother the material, the more likely it is that the paint will fall off. Steel pipes are typical, and they will rub off if they hit something hard. We didn’t find much of a solution to this, so we had to be as careful as possible.
Sometimes props need to be repainted, but if the parts are already assembled, you need to block out the parts that can’t be contaminated. If the area is small, it is recommended to apply it by hand, use acrylics and then apply a layer of varnish, not too thick, or it may crack; if the area is large, if you need to use tape, paper art tape is a good thing, never use double-sided tape.
If a freshly painted prop needs to be transported and moved, I would wrap it with something to protect the paint from rubbing off. I recommend using cloth rather than newspaper, especially for long distance transport. Wrapping in cloth is the best way to protect the prop from being ruined in the process.
Making cosplay props is a fun process, and I enjoy watching them transform from an unrelated material into something we can use for cosplay. If you’re still struggling with cosplay props, why not give them a try? In today’s information-rich world, it’s not hard for you to find tutorials on how to make props, so go find them! If you don’t have the opportunity to make your own cosplay props, I recommend you check out Cosplaylab, where you can buy the cosplay costume you want. Check it out on Cosplaylab!
Article Submitted By Community Writer
