Hello! Long time no post.
Here's a stream-of-consciousness post I've been meaning to make for a while. I made my first costume in '06, back when the fursuit/mascot making resources weren't quite as plentiful as they are now. This list is little tidbits that I feel would've been helpful when I made my first critter. Maybe they'll help another first-time builder.
Feel free to comment with more if you have ideas of your own.
Here's a stream-of-consciousness post I've been meaning to make for a while. I made my first costume in '06, back when the fursuit/mascot making resources weren't quite as plentiful as they are now. This list is little tidbits that I feel would've been helpful when I made my first critter. Maybe they'll help another first-time builder.
Feel free to comment with more if you have ideas of your own.
- Fur pile is supposed to go in a specific direction.
- A lot of fur is crap quality and you shouldn't use it.
- Sew the fur for a head together unless you're extremely good at hot gluing (which I'm not)
- Foamies craft foam sheets are terrible.
- Hot glue and sculpey don't mix.
- www.ThistoThat.com is a good resource for all things glue.
- Get an actual scale to properly mix resin or it'll end up sticky.
- Fur loops on a tail can get stretched out and worn. Nylon webbing is better.
- Don't use green foam for a head with white fur.
- Carve a head, go to bed, come back the next day. Fresh eyes are better for spotting mistakes.
- Fleece pawpads pill something fierce.
- Moving jaws are hard, but not impossible.
- Plastic mesh framed heads kind of suck (by today's fursuit building standards anyway)
- Spray glue is better for foam than hot glue is. You can carve through it.
- Scissors are good for fine-tuning a carving.
- Don't use your dressmaking shears for anything that isn't fabric. They'll dull.
- If you cut at a proper angle it is possible to cut fur with scissors.
- Hem your edges.
- Use heavy duty plastic sports zippers
- Shave the fur some before you put it on the head.
- A lot of fur is crap quality and you shouldn't use it.
- Sew the fur for a head together unless you're extremely good at hot gluing (which I'm not)
- Foamies craft foam sheets are terrible.
- Hot glue and sculpey don't mix.
- www.ThistoThat.com is a good resource for all things glue.
- Get an actual scale to properly mix resin or it'll end up sticky.
- Fur loops on a tail can get stretched out and worn. Nylon webbing is better.
- Don't use green foam for a head with white fur.
- Carve a head, go to bed, come back the next day. Fresh eyes are better for spotting mistakes.
- Fleece pawpads pill something fierce.
- Moving jaws are hard, but not impossible.
- Plastic mesh framed heads kind of suck (by today's fursuit building standards anyway)
- Spray glue is better for foam than hot glue is. You can carve through it.
- Scissors are good for fine-tuning a carving.
- Don't use your dressmaking shears for anything that isn't fabric. They'll dull.
- If you cut at a proper angle it is possible to cut fur with scissors.
- Hem your edges.
- Use heavy duty plastic sports zippers
- Shave the fur some before you put it on the head.