[KusanagiRobin]

As the topic says...

We all rush to the typical places when we get ready to make our cosplays: Jo-Ann's, Hobby Lobby (if you have one nearby), other craft stores, thrift stores, hardware stores like Ace. We also use the typical materials: fabric, glue, spray paint, cardboard, styrofoam. But there's times when we have to get downright creative, either because it was strangely convenient, because of budget constraints, or because we just like to be different.

So what's the weirdest thing you've used while constructing your cosplay and/or props? Or what's the most unexpected place you found an item for cosplay?

And since I don't want to be a hypocrite, I'll share my list.

1. Thin, tiny metal rods from a broken umbrella. When making my Star Wand for my Sakura cosplay, glue wasn't helping to anchor the styrofoam star into the styrofoam circle, so I put the rods through the circle and into each corner of the star. It worked wonders!

2. A plastic cherry. After I took out the stem, cut it in half and put a thin layer of glaze on it, it made the perfect jewel for Sakura's Star Wand.

3. Arizona-brand tea aluminum can. After I cut out the bottom and top, turned it inside out and cut out a rectangle from the sides, I had the perfect flexible metallic piece for Temari's Sand Village headband. It definitely helped that I'm addicted to their watermelon tea, so I had plenty of spares in case I made a mistake.

4. I haven't made this yet, but I also plan to use two 2-liter soda bottles and cut them in half to make the Phantom Hourglass for my Link cosplay. *hugegrin* I can't wait to make that...

[gadgets]

a motorcycle for my devil may cry 4 outfit

[~*Yumi*~]

Probably the old squeaky ball I found in my great aunt's basement.
I used that for the four star Dragon Ball needed for my Kid Gohan hat.

[nouseforaname]

Automotive glue for my shoes.

[tatterpillar]

Athletic pre-wrap rolled into a ball to make a bun on my wig that didn't have enough hair.

[akiba64]

Plastic door stopper and rubber peg for a table leg for my Ghostbuster costume.

[Neko_master_Luna]

I had to make chest armor that looked like wood. So I used carbord, then covered it with a wood patteren contact paper, but it still was the wrong shade. Too light, so I used water color paint & was finally satisfied!

[CrimsonAnime]

Posterboard and paper to make Diva's crown for her Opera outfit...not sure if that's weird or just cheap....

[KusanagiRobin]

CrimsonAnime, on Jan 19 2010, 09:14 PM, said:

Posterboard and paper to make Diva's crown for her Opera outfit...not sure if that's weird or just cheap....

XD XD XD

It's innovative is what it is...

But yeah, I meant, like...WAY out-there stuff. Like, things you'd never find in a craft store in a million years (or unless it's a really cheap-o craft store).

[wolfedragon]

I ended up finding the perfect tie for me Ishida costume at a Jewel-Osco.

[Krystal]

A cow's spine. I had to sanitize it first though.

[KusanagiRobin]

Krystal, on Jan 20 2010, 09:22 PM, said:

A cow's spine. I had to sanitize it first though.

That's pretty out there, all right...

[Millions_Knives]

hamster ball =energy orb
floor laminate= reptile skin
roofing patch= skin
giant proportional energizer battery =gun
pimp cane =gem
industrial projector=blast effect
respirator= air and water tube
personal lubricant =none flammable water salable mechanical lubricant
peephole =peephole
hand held vacuum= cooling
dry ice=cooling
lamp shade= head decoration
toothpicks= joint pegs
pluming snake = spring

[KusanagiRobin]

Millions_Knives, on Jan 21 2010, 01:14 AM, said:

hamster ball =energy orb
floor laminate= reptile skin
roofing patch= skin
giant proportional energizer battery =gun
pimp cane =gem
industrial projector=blast effect
respirator= air and water tube
personal lubricant =none flammable water salable mechanical lubricant
peephole =peephole
hand held vacuum= cooling
dry ice=cooling
lamp shade= head decoration
toothpicks= joint pegs
pluming snake = spring

Ah, Knives...you never cease to amaze us--wait, personal lubricant? Interesting indeed....

[fntmalchemist]

Krystal, on Jan 20 2010, 08:22 PM, said:

A cow's spine. I had to sanitize it first though.

agreeing with songstresslenne, where the heck did you find that? do you have relatives that live on a farm?

as for myself....uhh
pop-rivets,
jar of apple pie filling.

This post has been edited by fntmalchemist: 21 January 2010 - 09:38 AM

[Krystal]

My grandparents live next to a farm/ butcher. Just went across the street, got a spine, cleaned it, and BOOM. A decapitated head with the spine still attached for my Elfen Lied cosplay.

[BitingZombeh]

I've used a cd case to stabilize my Kairi keyblade. XD And I used that blue painting tape when I was paint a pair of shoes.

[Tokoz]

I made base shapes for wings out of corrugated cardboard, bamboo skewers, balled-up plastic bags and masking tape....

I also use a nearly-100-year-old sewing machine for most of the costume sewing stuff.

[ArtxIsxAxBlast]

One of my friends decided to create the most ghetto Sasuke cosplay ever cuz he likes to experiment and see how cheaply he can create a cosplay. This one is his cheapest one to date.


It involved a hoodie, a paper plate, toliet paper, tape, and a sharpie.
http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy140/A...ns/175_2276.jpg
http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy140/A..._2302invert.jpg

It was rather interesting and funny.

[Friskies]

fake banana's to make spikes on my sesshoumaru armor
butter lids for the top of my gambit boots


that's all i can think of currently ^^;;

[simonsaz3]

Krystal, on Jan 21 2010, 06:04 PM, said:

My grandparents live next to a farm/ butcher. Just went across the street, got a spine, cleaned it, and BOOM. A decapitated head with the spine still attached for my Elfen Lied cosplay.

Wow... how did I miss you last year?
=?

[chamgirl89]

red cowgirl boots for my Sailor Moon (aka Sailor Fail) cosplay. It was my first cosplay, didn't quite have the money, so...yeah. lol

[TwoTonedJester]

Broken windshield wipers, a portable ashtray/cup thing, and foam for a Portal Gun. Man that thing was rigged quick.

[Kuroi Yokan]

I had almost completely forgotten about this, but randomly remembered it the other day. But I once duct taped in feminine pads into the shoulders of a costume for make-shift shoulder pads when I realized at the last minute how bad it looked without support! Mind you, it was my second costume ever and it was already super ghetto, and heck, it worked for the weekend! XD

[obakasan]

And if anyone is *looking* for odd things to use for cosplay or prop construction make sure to ask. I accumulate the most interesting and varied stuff... Anyone need a "hose" from a Shop Vac? How about a "pickup funnel thing" from a hand held lawn blower/vacuum (makes me think of an Army of Two-type weapon...)? Odd military surplus items? Foam packing shapes (one chunk would make a neat chest piece for a Gundam/robot thype thing...).

[MetalGravy]

I don't know that I've used anything that out there (seriously personal lube I'm not sure I want to know the story behind that one ):


Keyrings + beading wire = Walter's (Hellsing) razor wire.
Cardboard paper towel rolls + electrical tape "= scabbards" for brooms (Roronoa Zoro - One Piece)
Cardboard paper towel rolls + duct tape + metallic wax stuff = "sleeve" for hook (Crocodile - One Piece)

[chainedbyroses]

KFC single-serve portion dish. They gove you funny looks when you come in wanting the dish but no food in it, btw. XD

Oh, and a Halloween costume bug/butterfly antennae headband.....from when I was 3/4 years old (...I have a small head. Yeah. XDD)!

[Aphex]

I remember I was making Vincent Valentines cape from Final Fantasy VII. (I gave up at this) but I didn't know how to keep the neck hooded area stand since it was always falling so I used a couple of glow sticks and wire.

This post has been edited by Aphex: 27 October 2011 - 03:18 PM

[KusanagiRobin]

Yay! My thread's still alive! And I just remembered something else I used: White-Out and tape. Okay, so that doesn't sound strange, but they were used out of desperation.

Story: when I was making my fan for Temari, after I'd painted over the original image on the fan (two giant green peacocks and some roses) with THREE cans of spray paint, there were still some little spots left, so I used White-Out to cover those. Before THAT, though, I'd just finished the last paint-over job and was carrying the fan in from outside, still opened, and I was ALMOST scot-free to my basement room when I heard a little sound: the sound that meant that the top of the fan got caught on a nail on a low-hanging ceiling beam.

Long story short, I almost set the fan on fire until I came up with a battle plan, got some tape, taped up the quarter-inch tear from the back, and patched up the front part of the tear with two layers of White-Out, which pretty much made the tear invisible. Let's hear it for ingenuity!