Prop Tutorial: Shizuku (Hunter x Hunter) Vacuum Deme-Chan

Hey everyone!

Phew...finally I get around to post a tutorial for this prop that had me pulling my hair out! Shizuku's vacuum was supposed to be a pretty easy build, but my mistakes and my procrastination made this 1000% more stressful than it should have been T_T Regardless, I will show you guys all my steps, and advise you on things you could do better than I did. So let's get started!!

Materials Used

• Vacuum (thift store purchase)
• Cardboard
• Expandable foam
• Box cutter
• Masking tape
• Paper mache (newspaper and paper mache glue)
• Craft plaster
• Worbla 
• Fast Mache
• Wood glue
• Spray paint
• Acrylic paints
• paint brushes
• Acrylic Sealer
• Large Googly eyes
• Worbla scraps (for the eyes of the body)

Cosplay WIP: Shizuku (Hunter x Hunter) #2

Hello everyone :)

So the last time I updated you guys on my Shizuku cosplay, this is how my Deme-chan prop looked:

Prop Tutorial: Yamuraiha (Magi) Staff

"Sorry, but I'm a genius magician ^_~" -Yamuraiha

Hi everyone! It's time to show you guys a sort of tutorial on the staff I made for my Yamuraiha cosplay. This was the first staff I have ever made and the biggest prop I've ever made. I messed up a lot on it, but that only means I learned a lot from making those mistakes. I am here to give you guys some tips on how to go about making a prop like this. You might see that my staff does not break down into two parts (because I messed up on that part) so it makes transportation a little difficult. I am planning on remaking this staff at some point, so I will have a better tutorial for a two piece staff later on. Because this staff has such an organic shape, it is a rather easy beginner project.  Anyway, to the tutorial!!

Materials Used

• Reference pictures
• Large piece(s) of cardboard or poster board
• Writing utensil
• Box cutter
• 2 8" Styrofoam half orbs (they are sold by halves)
• Wooden dowel/stick/PVC pipe (for support)
• 2 cans of expandable foam
• Carving knife
• 1-2 rolls of masking tape
• Newspaper
• Paper Mache glue (I make this out of water, Elmer's glue, and cornstarch)
• Fast Mache (or plaster)
• Sandpaper
• 1-2 bottles of woodglue
• 1 can of pink spray paint
• Sealing spray

Tutorial

1. Find a whole bunch of reference pictures to help you decided on the shape of the staff. I used the photo below because Yamura's staff changes a lot from episode to episode, and frame to frame. This is the shape I liked the most, and the one I wanted to create.

What Not To Do When You Work On Cosplay #1: Expandable Foam

Hello Generation of Cosplayers! 

DarthNancy here ^_^

As you may have seen, Tuesdays are going to be Tip Tuesdays, days where we will offer general cosplay advice. Thursdays, however, will officially be What-No-To-Do Thursdays! This is going to be a segment where Discorda and I offer advice on what NOT to do. We have both learned a lot through trial and error, and we wish to share our bad experiences with you guys so you don't have to go through them! 

Today's topic will be... what not to do when using expandable foam!

Prop Tutorial: Candy Cane Miss Fortune Guns

"How do you like my guns? Shock...and Awe~ ❤"

Hello everyone! DarthNancy here!

Today, I'm going to show you guys how I made my Candy Cane guns for my Miss Fortune cosplay!

 ^_^ These were the first props I ever made 100% by hand and I am really excited to share the process with you. They are not perfect, but I am really proud that I was able to make these! I hope you will find this tutorial helpful :)