If you want to make cosplays you need the right supplies to do it. You may have asked yourself what materials do you need for cosplay? There’s some really important staple materials to use depending on what you plan to cosplay. This includes materials like EVA foam, Worbla and fabrics. If you want to know more about these materials and other ones you need for cosplay you’ll find a good list below.
EVA Foam
EVA foam is a very commonly used material for cosplays. They’re great for things like armor and props or even helmets and masks. EVA foam is a flexible foam that can easily be shaped with heat, Dremels and box cutters. The material is also quite durable to handle wearing for cons and being a sturdy piece of armor. You can also combine them with materials such as Worbla for detailing, PVC pipes for structure or even cover them in fabric to make sturdy fabric cosplay pieces.
Worbla
Worbla is a thermoplastic material that works great for cosplays. This material can shape with just heat and wears sometimes a little more comfortable than EVA foam. However it can be a bit more expensive, thinner and fragile in comparison. Thermoplastics like Worbla is great for small details you’re adding to your cosplay or for breastplates and simple bracers.
Fabrics
When you want to make a clothing garment such as a dress or shirt for your cosplay you probably need to go with fabrics. However there is a wide variety of fabric you can use. Here are some fabrics that you can commonly use for cosplay:
- Cotton — This is a very commonly used material and you might notice most of your shirts are made from it. It’s ultimately very soft and lightweight making it comfortable to wear.
- Silk or Satin — Both of these materials have a glossy look to them and give your garment a more elegant look.
- Velvet — This fabric is super soft to touch. It also can be considered elegant with the garment it’s used for or it can be great for lining to make the garment soft.
- Chiffon — This is another lightweight fabric. Unlike cotton though it comes with a light shine to it.
- Crepe — This material can be a little more medium weight than others. Crepe has a more bumpy and wrinkled look to the fabric. This makes it great for blouses and dresses.
- Lace — This is a much more sheer fabric. It is very light with open weaves to create patterns. It goes great on top of other fabrics to create detail or for trims.
- Leather and Pleather — These both give a very cool look to your cosplays. However some people avoid leather and thus pleather is a good substitute.
- Muslin — This material is great for creating patterns and draping to make a prototype of whatever you’re sewing.
- Organza — This is another sheer fabric in varieties of colors. It’s very lightweight and can create incredible silhouettes to dresses.
There’s plenty more fabrics and you can find a great deep dive into fabrics in JediManda’s book Level Up! Creative Cosplay.
Other
Now these materials you may not necessarily need as frequently as the others. However these materials can also be good ones to try out and incorporate into cosplays.
- PVC Pipe — PVC pipes can add structure to your props that are large so they don’t fall apart. Or you can make it so they do come apart for travel and storage. You can learn how to incorporate piping into cosplays in my book.
- Wooden Dowels — These are also great for adding structure or for making cosplay arrows.
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