A blog sponsored by Costume Craze.   We love costumes. Period.

June 2nd, 2010

Alice in Wonderland House Costume

by manny

alice-in-wonderland-house-costume-1

Earlier today I posted a Mad Hatter costume, and it seems only right to post an Alice costume as well. ThatCostumeGirl has put together a fun “no-sew” Alice in Wonderland costume. This looks great!

Here’s a handy list of materials and supplies needed. To view all photos, be sure to visit her Gallery.

Box, at least torso size
Paint and/or contact paper
Hot glue
Duct tape
Remnant fabric in yellow or blue
Remnant 4-6 inch ruffle in white
Tights/knee highs in white
Black shoes/ankle boots
Moss, straw, or model house roofing tiles
Box knife or scissors

alice-in-wonderland-house-costume-2

[via ThatCostumeGirl]

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

May 12th, 2010

What the Heck is a Wireless Dance Costume?

by manny

I came across this really interesting Instructable about how to make a Wireless Dance costume.

This looks really cool, and they’ve done a great job explaining how to make one. I’ll admit though, I’m still confused about what exactly a wireless dance costume is for. Hopefully someone can enlighten me in the comments below.

By running wires and pressure sensors throughout the costume, a computer can map the dancer’s movements. As we can see in the video, the dancer is able to generate sounds. I can hear a piano sound generated by the pressure sensor, and when she moves her arm she makes R2-D2ish noises.

So what is the point? To allow dancers to make their own “live” music while dancing? Based on what I’ve seen, I think a whole group of dancers wearing these sensors would sound very chaotic.

So please, Dear Readers, help me understand. Thank you.

Wireless-Dance-Costume

Time-For-Sewing

Setup-XBee-Modules

[via quasiben]

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

May 7th, 2010

How to Make a Realistic Zombie Bite

by manny

George Romero, the KING of zombie movies, offered a challenge to guys at Backyard FX: Make a realistic zombie bite for under 50 dollars.

Well, they managed to make the effect for less than 20 dollars! And it looks disgustingly real. This is a great tutorial, but consider yourself warned!

[via ToplessRobot]

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

April 27th, 2010

Kingdom Hearts: Organization XIII Cosplay Guide

by Chajiko

EDITS: OK, I’ve found some more places to get things, so I’ve updated the information on where to find coats, Axel’s wig and Zexion’s wig, as well as more general wig-getting places, and the one thing I forgot to throw into the mix–black gloves!

When I first came up with the idea to post this, it was with the intent of providing an easy Cosplay route for people who don’t want to spend a great deal of time getting a cosplay costume together.  I think I’ll be able to accomplish that, but at the same time I may even have something to offer you cosplayers with a little more time and experience, so please read on!

One of the hard truths of cosplay is that it’s going to generally either cost you time or money—or both.  I’m one of those who’s more willing to spend money than time, so I tend to commission costumes rather than make them myself.  This post is generally geared in that direction.

The Cosplay spotlight today is fixed firmly upon Kingdom Hearts II’s Organization XIII.  If you’re not familiar with them, I suggest checking out Wikipedia.

The nice thing about cosplaying one of the members of the notorious Organization XIII is that you can either stick to the basics or go all out, and convention goers will generally still know who you’re dressed up to be.  The base of ANY Organization XIII costume is, of course, the characteristic black coat (with the GIANT ZIPPER).

There are about a billion different versions of this coat available on the internet now.  This ebay seller is my favourite, as she makes a cotton version of the coat I haven’t found anywhere else—AND it’s made to the measurements you specify!

There’s also a pleather version of the coat available from the same seller.  I have owned the cotton one for four years running now and love it—it makes a great coat for normal wear!

CottonPleather

There are people in the States who make these coats as well, and I was lucky enough to stumble across these guys yesterday. They do custom coats as well, and have the advantage of speaking English and not having to ship overseas! I’ve not been a fan of the faux-leather coat, but these guys–they make it look GOOD. Be ready to spend a little more, but it seems to be well worth it.

The next main part of the outfit is the black boots.  I wear a pair of English riding boots, but any low-heel black boot will do.  Remember that you may end up walking a good distance in these—pick something comfortable!  

Shineyblack boot CostcrazeMensbootWalkermens

The next basic piece is a pair of black gloves. Personally I prefer leather, but various fabric options work as well. Vinyl is also a good second-fiddle to leather.

If you’re not too concerned about being a specific character, guess what—once you have the coat, gloves and boots, you’re set!   Off to the con you go!  For the rest of you who are interested in being a specific member of the original Organization XIII, this next part will cover each character in more or less depth.

I would like to point something out, however, before we start: character designers are all guilty of the suspension of reality.  It’s all fine and good to doodle out a character and his insane, gravity defying hair or absurd weapon, but translating it into real life is sometimes extremely difficult, if not downright impossible.  What I’m trying to achieve here is not necessarily an EXACT likeness, but rather enough of a resemblance to provide verisimilitude to an already convincing costume.

Number I: Xemnas, the Superior of the In-Between

xemnasart

The fearless leader of Organization sports long luscious silver locks, styled in a fairly gravity defying manner.  He weilds two lightsaber-esque laser swords that seem to sprout from his palms and is generally a giant pain in the butt without even the shreds of a sense of humour. 

A specifically styled Xemnas wig is available from Cosplay Station:

(more…)

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

March 30th, 2010

LED Bike Helmet Party Mohawk

by manny

Here’s a very cool DIY light-up party mohawk, using a bike helmet and LED lights. Perfect for parties, and perhaps riding your bike at night.

You can learn how to make one yourself by following this handy tutorial.

Awesome!

led-bike-helmet-party-mohawk-1

led-bike-helmet-party-mohawk-2

led-bike-helmet-party-mohawk-3

[garote.livejournal via Fashionably Geek]

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

March 18th, 2010

Threadbanger’s Mad Hatter Costume Tutorial

by manny

I posted a Mad Hatter costume tutorial last week, and here’s another one by Threadbanger. It looks like they had a lot of fun making this instructable.

I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of orange wigs and top hats this Halloween. When that day comes I shall futterwagon… vigorously.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

March 17th, 2010

Costume Design: Adapting a Male Design to a Female Body

by Chajiko

One of the things costumers and designers have wrestled with for a long time is the adaptation of a specific look to either a specifically male or specifically female context.  This isn’t difficult when you have a general idea of what you want and the resultant male and female versions reflect that general idea, but things get a little trickier when you’re trying to take a specific male character and turn it into a female costume, or vice versa.

I want to show off a project that I’ve been working on so far in defense of my extremely vocal presecution of the “make-it-a-mini-skirt-and-voila” process of “female-izing” costumes.

I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with this fellow:

Original VincentDirge Vincent

Vincent Valentine, of Final Fantasy VII fame (owned by Square-Enix, not me!).  His is a costume which has been replicated over and over and over by (giant dorky) fans like me!  As you can see, his design has already undergone a little original tweaking from the original 1997 official game-art (by Nomura Tetsuya) to the 2006 game Dirge of Cerberus which features Vincent as the main character (Official game graphic version).

As a general rule, guys have no problem imitating this costume.  It’s built for a guy, and even if he’s not RIDICULOUSLY thin, it can still look really good.  Girls, though soooo many of us adore Vincent, find ourselves quailing a little at the thought–though some are still brave enough to try it.  In a moment of insanity last year I ordered this costume from a seamstress on Ebay, thinking that I could make it work.  What I got in the mail a few weeks later was a pair of skin tight pleather pants that fit me smack at the natural waist, a costume shirt, glove and cape.  The real problem was (as my female readers already know) the pants.

I finally figured it out!  HIPS.  The problem is HIPS!!  No woman, no matter how small, can look like the above picture if she has any kinds of curves at all (Sweeping statement?  Oh yeah, you bet).  I set out, then, to make a version of this costume that would not only capture the essence of what is our much-loved Vincent Valentine, but would also not make my pants look like I had forced two pigs into leather sacks and strapped them to my waist.

This was the resultant concept sketch:

Girl Vincent

I admit I got a little crazy with the buckles.  I love buckles.

Now–what we have here really isn’t that different from the original, and that’s what I was looking for.  I’ve borrowed liberally from both versions of the character design and included a few of my own touches, but the costume is still essentially Vincent.  The main difference lies in the trouser style and the width and positioning of belts.  I dropped the waist-band of the trousers to fit at the hip (a very modern fit–I’m sure we’ll all want something different in ten years) and widened the two belts to really chunky things, rather than the thin sleek belts Vincent sports.  Also, instead of a pleather or leather fabric for the trousers, I’ve opted for a low-sheen black denim. 

Why do all these things?   The drop in waistline is not only more comfortable for those who are used to modern, hip-riding trousers, it also allows the torso to appear lengthened, creating the illusion of fewer curves (some of the younger cosplay crowd get around curves by binding their chests, but I frankly find this to be totally barbaric and I refuse to participate).  The problem with low-waisted pants is that they usually hit at the widest part of the hip, which can make the hips look even wider, if you’re not careful.  To help counteract this, chunky belts are added–this draws the eye away from the line of the trousers over the hip and gives the observer the idea that the width is the result of the belts themselves.

Lastly, the change in fabric from a high-gloss to a low sheen eliminates awkward highlights.  Pleather is really a very reflective material, and nothing can make something look curvier than a dramatic set of highlights showing up in a picture from the flash.  Black denim absorbs light, and as everyone knows, black makes anybody look thinner!

This costume is currently about half done, so I’ll leave off here with the promise that I’ll post the rest of it as I get finished, including the golden glove/claw that I’m working on.  What I really wanted to do with this post was prove that you can take a male costume and make it not only feminine, but attractive as well WITHOUT resorting to the tired, old and totally uncreative minidress or miniskirt designs.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

March 9th, 2010

Mad Hatter Costume and Makeup Tutorial

by manny

Danger Studios has just uploaded a Mad Hatter costume and makeup tutorial. This kid does a great job, and there’s bonus dancing at the end of the clip. It’s fun watching everything come together – awesome costume!

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

February 15th, 2010

How to Make Felicia Day’s Codex Staff

by manny

Are you familiar with the character Codex, from The Guild web series? She’s played by talented actress and celebrity geek, Felicia Day.

Here’s an awesome video showing how to make Codex’s cool staff. Last year, the crew from The Guild produced a music video and they all wore costumes based on their video game characters. Felicia Day’s costume and staff were a huge hit among fans.

Felicia Day made the above video with special effects guru Greg Aronowitz, showing the step-by-step process of making her staff.

Very cool! Be sure to head over to BarnyardFX for the full tutorial.

codex-staff

The Guild Costumes

[via BarnyardFX]

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

February 4th, 2010

Lady Gaga Video Glasses

by Allison

What a great way to top off your Lady Gaga costume!


Instructables member the_gella put together a pair of  video glasses for under $20!

Read the full how-to over at instructables.com and check out the_gella’s other cool projects on her blog, Soft Circuit Saturdays.

gaga2

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

January 25th, 2010

Avatar Make-up in Ten Seconds

by manny

Can you put on make-up as fast as this guy?

LOL, this video is pretty funny. Thanks to gina for the tip!

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

January 22nd, 2010

Homemade Fairy Costume

by manny

homemade-fairy-costume-1

What a great homemade fairy costume! This costume was posted by Firepixie in the FaerieFashion community on Live Journal.

She made this out of various fabric in her “fabric closet” and I think this is top notch work. Great job!

I love that all I actually bought for this costume was the tulle for the underskirt. Everything else was already in my fabric closet (and yay, now there’s more space in there, hooray for using up old stuff!)

I sewed bells on the points from the top, and cut / tore the tulle layers to make a really flowy woodsy look. I glued on little flowers all over the skirt on different layers, and added the flowers and jewels on the top and the back, put some ribbons and gold rope here and there and the whole effect is really textured and interesting.

homemade-fairy-costume-2

It’s important to note that she got the gorgeous wings from The Fancy Fairy, who arguably makes the best fairy wings on the Web. Definitely a site worth checking out!

fairy-wings

[via FaerieFashion]

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post