r/costumedesign

This should be my last year trick-or-treating considering I'm going to be 15 by then, so I would like to send it off with somewhat of a bang. The biggest detriment is that I'm poor, so I want to make it myself out of mostly what I already have around here. So I would like to ask for general tips. I want to be Sauron from the Lord of the Rings series. My first thought is cardboard since it is cheap and easy to modify, but I'm not sure if it would look very low quality. I want this to at least be movie accurate to some extent but I am aware that it might be difficult with cheap materials, which saddens me. I assume there is some budget since I am not getting a regular Halloween costume, but keep in mind that my family is poor. Please do not be rude to me, as I must ask now on reddit due to previous conflict. In addition, I wish you not treat me as if I am a 6 year old here. I can think. Now, to continue.. I am no material expert, but I'd think there might be something similar to cardboard with a similar price as well that holds up better? If it rains on that day, my costume will be ruined, no?

I’m the costume designer for a production of Into the Woods and I have a vision of aprons stained with flour for the baker and bakers wife. Does anyone have thoughts on how to do that without actual flour, and or in a way that won’t easily wash out

Hi all

There are a TON of posts in the queue. Reddit AI blocked a lot of requests for help.

I'm going to slowly start releasing them. They are mostly requests for help with Halloween costumes.

I'm thinking of making just a shirt and pants of cork fabric but since it's a stiffer material than normal clothes I'm wondering if it's feasible to wear it as such. So can I make clothes out of cork fabric, and if so, tips?

Hello all! First-time poster. I’m a crafty person in general (sewing, embroidery, diy decor, anything that strikes inspiration within me). Usually when I have an idea for a craft that may or may not work, I have no issue experimenting; however, I’m not currently in a financial place to buy the materials for my latest idea if it turns out to be a flop. So, I figured I would turn to the experts on this subreddit!

I’m putting together a Renaissance fair costume. I go harder than your average attendee because I’m passionate and it’s fun! Going for a sorceress queen vibe this year with a gorgeous gifted dress. I have everything planned out except for a headpiece. I thrifted a lovely two panel delicate scarf (not sure if the materials, possibly silk on one side and a thin cotton blend on the other?) that I would like to drape over my head and shoulders. I’ve been thinking of getting a tiara or intricate headband to place on top of it, but I much prefer to make pieces on my own.

Last night, in a sleepless state, I was struck with inspiration: I could use hot glue to make a headpiece that looks like gold metal lattice or lace, or some kind of melted-gold-dripping effect, as a top piece to sit on top of my head over the scarf. Here is the basic vision for the process: I would make a papier-mâché mold of my head with a layer of Saran Wrap keeping my hair and skin safe (or just get a mannequin head, but the first idea is cheaper and will be more accurate); lay more Saran Wrap over the mold; draw intricate designs on the Saran Wrap for where I want the hot glue to land; “draw” over the designs with hot glue, probably multiple layers, including space to add chains (for an adjustable fit) or charms (for weight to keep it in place); cure and add the finishing touches; BOOM, headpiece done.

Now, in my tired-but-awake state, I’m wondering if this would actually be feasible. Here are my concerns:
How to color the hot glue: I know paint usually chips. I was thinking of getting the kind of pigment that you rub onto your material. I’ve tried using metallic markers in the past, but the cured hot glue made the markers stop working quickly. I could also try to find gold metallic hot glue so that I wouldn’t feel the need to seal in the color, but I’m having difficulty finding metallic hot glue in the appropriate color with good reviews.
Sealing the pigment: as previously mentioned, I think i would need to seal in pigment on the hot glue to prevent chipping or flaking. Not sure what kind of sealing would be good for this, especially if the sealer also ends up flaking.
Prevent this project from damaging the scarf: this might be my greatest concern. The scarf is delicate, and I believe that sustained contact with hot glue may leave residue on the fabric that will be difficult/impossible to get off. I also worry that certain pigments or sealers might cause a similar problem. While this scarf was thrifted for a very low price, it is gorgeous, and I want to preserve it as much as I can for other potential uses in the future. I’ve been thinking I could make the hot glue design over a fabric backing and then cut out the negative space within the glue design using my craft knife; however, this might be difficult given the dome shape of the headpiece. Difficult but doable. As for pigment/sealers residue, I’m not sure how to work around this potential issue short of finding fabric-safe sealer.

Yes, this probably sounds ridiculous—I am ridiculous and I’m happy with that. Yes, I could probably just buy something similar—why deny myself the joy of making something original? (I might buy something at the ren fair, but I’d like to already have something when I get there). Yes, I could probably just make a design out of gold fabric, but I think I need the something with a little more weight and solidity to it, plus my hands hurt from the amount of sewing/embroidery/mini painting that I do already. Yes, I could just go with a different idea for a headpiece for my costume… I’m open to that, but I really want it to hit the specific vibe I’m going for.

Any advice at all is welcome! I’ve made hot glue crafts before so I think this will work in theory. I’m also open to suggestions about different materials to work with, so long as I can afford them. If I (we?) iron out the details in a way where this works without the issues i previously detailed, I will absolutely give progress pictures!

Thanks for reading. I look forward to hearing ideas from crafters of all types.

ETA: this does not need to be durable, it does not need to stand the test of time, and it certainly does not need to be perfect. I’m hoping to get at least 3 wears out of it, but it’s okay if I need to make repairs.

I want to make a costume I want it to take some time and I don't mind spending money so who should I make

So in around 3-4 weeks im gonna start working on one of my new oc costumes I just started working on the blueprints I will be showing them off in a few days if not a few hours (it wont be much so far :3)