Men's Cosplay Armor
Handmade By JOANN
Have extra X-Acto® knife blades on hand and replace blades often when cutting foam.
Always allow glue, Mod Podge and paint to dry completely before proceeding to the next step. This is a project that will take quite a few drying and cooling periods.
Always use contact cement in a well-ventilated area and be sure to wear a respirator.
For painted metallic finish:
Apply layer of black paint using foam brush and allow to dry.
Using silver and gunmetal, apply highlights and shadows to breastplate with chip brushes using drybrush method.
When dry brushing, a little paint goes a long way. Start off with smaller amounts of paint and practice until you find a finish you like before tackling all of the pieces.
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
- Cosplay by Yaya Han EVA foam sheet - 24"x 40" 5MM (2 for breastplate, 1 for shin guards, 1 for gauntlets and knees)
- 1 Cosplay by Yaya Han EVA foam sheet - 24"x 40" 2MM (for details)
- Cosplay by Yaya Han EVA foam dowels - 15MM diameter x 24" L
- Tape measure
- Contact cement and extra brushes
- X-Acto® knife and extra blades
- Tailor's chalk, or similar marking utensil
- Metal ruler
- French curve ruler
- Mod Podge satin finish
- Painter's tape
- Heat Gun
- Respirator and filters
- Crafter's Choice chip brushes
- Foam brushes
- FolkArt metallic acrylic paint - Sequin Black (2 tubes), Gunmetal Gray & Sterling Silver
- Simplicity 4059 (for breastplate)
- 1 yd 1" wide black elastic
- Sticky-back industrial strength Velcro tape 2"x 4"
- 2 yds 1/4" wide elastic
- 2 sets 1/4" gunmetal 2-part eyelets
- Eyelet setting tool
- Hammer
- Armor templates
DIRECTIONS:
- For Breastplate:
- Using chest measurement, choose best size for wearer in pattern. Cut out front and back bodice pattern pieces from pattern for jacket view A (without peplum).
- Remove all seam allowances from pattern. Straighten front edge of bodice front pattern, using this location to also trim excess from chest, if necessary. Remove 1" from side seam of front and back pattern pieces.
- Trim shoulder width of pattern pieces to the “neck to shoulder" measurement of wearer. Use a French Curve ruler to create smooth line from new edge of shoulder through armscye of pattern.
- Make a mark 2" down from the center front of the neck. Using a French Curve ruler, create a smooth line from this mark to shoulder point.
- Cut 1 front and 1 back (both on center fold) using 5mm foam.
- Lightly mark line down center of front piece. Using French Curve ruler, draw three lines, approximately 1" apart and starting 2" from waist, that meet at the center front of breastplate (as shown in photo).
- Trim foam dowels to length of lines on front of breastplate, cutting one end at an angle, to meet at center. Use contact cement to glue dowels in place.
- Cut 12 joint details out of 2MM foam and twenty-four 1/2" wide “rivets" out of foam dowels
- Tape sides and shoulders of front and back pieces into a curved shape. Apply heat using heat gun until pieces are pliable, then allow to cool.
- Glue shoulders of front and back pieces together.
- Glue joint details at side seam of breastplate on front and back, just above placement of dowels.
- Glue 2 rivets to center of each joint detail, spaced 3/4" apart.
- Apply a layer of Mod Podge to outside of breastplate with foam brush and allow to dry.
- Paint breastplate with “metallic finish" explained in Joann Hack portion of instructions.
- Cut four 3" lengths of 1" wide elastic. Apply 1" loop squares of Velcro to each end. Apply 1" hook squares of Velcro inside of breastplate on front and back sides, approximately 4" apart vertically. This is how the wearer will get into and out of the breastplate.
- For Gauntlets:
- Take measurements of wrist, forearm length and widest part of forearm.
- On craft paper, draw the length of the gauntlet desired. At the top of this, draw a line going across in the length of the forearm width measurement. At the bottom of the gauntlet length, draw a line going across that is the wrist measurement. Connect the ends of the wrist lines to the ends of the forearm width lines. Create a point by extending center line by 1 1/2" and connecting with sides. Use gauntlet template as a visual guide.
- To create “trim" at top of gauntlet, extend top edge of pattern 1 1/2".
- Cut 2 gauntlet bases out of 5mm foam, 6 gauntlet trims out of 2mm foam, 8 joint details out of 2mm foam and sixteen 1/2" wide rivets out of foam dowels. Glue trims together in sets of three, overlapping each piece by 1/2" and allow to dry before gluing trims to base.
- Using painter's tape, fold each gauntlet into a curve and tape into place. Heat with heat gun until foam is pliable and allow to cool.
- Glue 2 joint details to each side of gauntlet, starting 1 1/2" from bottom edge, and spacing approximately 1 1/2" apart. Glue 2 rivets to the center of each hinge detail 3/4" apart.
- Apply a layer of Mod Podge to outside of gauntlets with foam brush and allow to dry.
- Paint each gauntlet with “metallic finish" explained in Joann Hack portion of instructions.
- Apply 5 gunmetal eyelets to each side of gauntlet (using 20 total), spaced evenly apart and 1/2" from edge. Lace 1 yd of 1/4" elastic through each gauntlet (like lacing a shoe), tie a knot at the top edge and clip excess elastic.
- For Shin Guards:
- Take measurements of ankle, ankle-to-calf length and widest part of calf.
- On craft paper, draw the length of the shin guard desired. At the top of this, draw a line going across in the length of the calf measurement. At the bottom of the shin guard length, draw a line going across that is the ankle measurement. Connect the ends of the wrist lines to the ends of the forearm width lines. Use shin guard template as a visual guide.
- Cut 2 shin guards out of 5mm foam.
- Using painter's tape, fold each shin guard into a curve and tape into place. Heat with heat gun until foam is pliable, then allow to cool.
- Apply a layer of Mod Podge to outside of shin guards with foam brush and allow to dry.
- Paint each shin guard with “metallic finish" explained in Joann Hack portion of instructions.
- Cut four 3" lengths of 1" wide elastic. Apply 1" loop squares of Velcro to each end. Apply 1" hook squares of Velcro inside shin guard on sides, approximately 4" apart vertically. This is how the wearer will get into and out of these pieces.
- For Knee Pieces:
- Cut two knee caps out of 5mm foam, 12 knee trims out of 2mm foam and thirty-two 1/2" wide rivets out of foam dowels.
- Glue darts in knee caps. Glue knee trims together in sets of three, overlapping each piece by 1/2". Glue to inside of knee top and bottom, overlapping by 1/2".
- Using painter's tape, fold each knee piece into a curve and tape into place. Heat with heat gun until foam is pliable, then allow to cool.
- Glue “rivets" on each right and left edge of knee and knee trim.
- Apply a layer of Mod Podge to outside of knee piece with foam brush and allow to dry.
- Paint each knee piece with “metallic finish" explained in Joann Hack portion of instructions.
- Cut four 3" lengths of 1" wide elastic. Apply 1" loop squares of Velcro to each end. Apply 1" hook squares of Velcro inside of center knee piece on sides, spaced approximately 3" apart. This is how the wearer will get into and out of these pieces.