Tutorial: Making Mass Effect Armor Out of Foam

As there have been a few people interested in how I made this, I figured it would be good to get some instructions out for how to do this for yourself! The nice thing about building out of foam is that it is cheap and versatile. So let's get started.



Tools & Materials Needed:

- Utility Knife
- Spare blades for your knife (Or a blade sharpener. Very useful.)
- Heat Gun
- Hot Glue & Glue Gun (Or Contact Cement)
- Dremel (Or a rotary tool)
- Plasti-Dip & Paint (I prefer spray for both, but I did use a few craft acrylics)
- Masking Tape
- Computer & Printer (Or just large rolls of paper for free-hand templates)
- Pepakura Designer (If using the computer templates)
- Pens, Rulers, & Scissors
- EVA Foam (Can be rolls or sheets)

With all that assembled, you should be ready to start.


Step 1: Step 1: Templates and Patterns

 When trying to assemble patterns, it can be difficult to know where to start. Of course, if you have the drawing skills or are just looking for the challenge, you can free hand the patterns. Grab reference images of the armor from the game through any number of means (Google Image search, etc.) and then use large rolls of paper to draw them out. As you size them to your body, you'll generally be capable of creating the patterns that you'll need.

However, if you don't have that specific set of skills or know where to even start, you can download Pepakura templates from the internet. Pepakura Designer, computer software for PC, can be found here and the free version should sufficient. However, the license is only $30, so it can be a great investment if you plan on using this software often.

After scaling the templates to fit your body, just print them out and get to cutting them out. Then you will lay them on the foam and use the markers or pens to trace them onto the foam. After they are on the foam, you'll begin cutting and assembling pieces. Ensure that you are always using a sharp blade, as EVA dulls blades quickly.

An important issue to remember when using Pepakura templates: Not all parts are in the template, as they can be mirrored from the parts that ARE available. For instance, the entire left arm may be available, but there is no right arm available. Flip the pieces that are available and trace them out upside down. This will give you the right arm.

Step 2: Step 2: Assembly & Gluing

 Now that we are cutting parts out of the foam, it is important to remember that we cut as we build! Reduces clutter as well as confusion.

When cutting parts out of the foam, it is important to keep an eye on your reference images. This will allow you to know what the parts are suppose to look like in their final shape. Just because a part is made of a lot of little lines does not mean that it won't need to get treated with the heat gun and curved into shape before it is glued together. When looking at the pile of yellow foam that I had, it needed to be heated and then curved around a bottle until it was cool and held its shape. Then it was used to form the bicep and forearm armor.

After the parts are cut, but before full gluing, ensure that you have tested the pieces to ensure that they will fit correctly. If there are rough edges, the Dremel's sanding bit can be used to smooth out edges and clean up jagged cuts (like the kind made from a dull blade!). When everything is all snug and ready to be glued, the method of gluing will depend on what type of glue you use. If using hot glue, I will add a line of it to the center of the gluing edge and slowly roll the two pieces together. This will ensure that you have a clean edge with the glue leaking toward the internal seam (and thus, is out of sight).

When using contact cement, the attachment method is similar, but it is important to completely line up your pieces. Once they make contact, the foam will rip before the glue detaches.

These seams can be further reinforced with hot glue on the inside of the seams. This will build the strength of the pieces, while ensuring that the part looks good.

Step 3: Step 3: Detailing

 After the main construction is out of the way, it is time to start adding the small details that really make a set of armor pop. In the case of this set of armor, that would be pieces such as the lines on the thigh armor, the untextured chest strips, etc.

Smaller EVA Foam types, such as Foamies, can be used to make these details. In the case of the bands on the thigh armor, I utilized hot glue in order to simulate the texture from the game model. The Dremel bits are useful for carving in details like the forearm and torso lines.

Be creative and if you think of doing things like battle damage, etc then pull out the Dremel, slash with the utility knife, or whatever other types of additions you can imagine.

Step 4: Step 4: Sealing and Painting

 EVA Foam is full of tiny little air pockets. This is why it is used as cushioning for floors. So when painting, you can't go directly to painting raw foam. This is where the white glue and Plasti-Dip comes into play. Plasti-Dip is a spray rubber that will fill those pockets, as well as provide a surface for the paint to grab onto. So I use a couple of coats of white glue mixed with water (50/50 or until it is about the consistency of milk) and then after that is all dry, start with a few coats of Plasti-Dip. This will give you a firm surface to begin painting!

After all the pieces are coated, then I will use some old newspaper or grocery ads and masking tape to isolate the parts that I want to paint a different color. This will allow you to add the white stripe without ruining the surrounding black parts. Once the paint is completely dry, you can then repeat the steps and then do the red stripe. I couldn't find a red that I liked in a spray paint, so I mixed a couple of acrylic paints and hand painted the red stripe. So any way that you want to paint that stripe is at your discretion. Then I drybrushed a bit of metallic silver onto all of the edges to show off some wear, as well as help the edges be more visually interesting. I also painted the hip pods, butt plates, and knee armor with the metallic silver as well.

After all is said and done, then you'll add a couple coats of clear coat in order to protect the paint job. I elected to use a gloss clear coat, as it gave the armor an awesome shine and looked great when photographed.

Step 5: Step 5: Final Costume

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X-Men: "Rachel Summers/ Phoenix" Costume Tutorial

 Rachel Summers (aka Rachel Grey, Phoenix, Marvel Girl, Hound) is the daughter of an alternate future counterparts to Cyclops and Jean Grey. The girl has super telepathic and telekinesis powers and was even host to the Phoenix force. Rachel spends some time doing some space stuff, but eventually finds her home back with the X-Men on earth.

This costume was made for my then-girlfriend for the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo of 2016. I enjoy making costumes that are unique, that challenge my skills set, and would compliment the wearer. Well, my then-girlfriend agreed to cosplay at Rachel Summers and little did she know that this costume would be what she wore when she became my fiancé.

*This costume involves a lot of sewing at a moderate skill level. My then-girlfriend actually got me a sewing class just so i could add clothing making to my cosplay skills. Ironically, no one else showed up to the class so i essentially got private tutoring.

Well, let's get started!

Materials

- yellow and red stretch fabric. (best if it is 4 way stretch fabric)

-red faux leather fabric

-knee high boots (thrift store)

- craft foam

- sewing machine

-EVA foam

- modge podge

-acrylic paint

-fabric pen

-worbla

-Heating gun

- exacto knife

-silver thumbtacks

-weights or fabric clips

- red thread

-yellow thread

- red fabric for lining

-fabric scissors

-pink insulation foam

-sander or dremel

-Jacket pattern (B6103 Butterick Jacket pattern)

-Leotard pattern (1036 simplicity batgirl pattern)

- red lipstick

-hoop earrings

-plastic buckles

-hot glue

-wood glue

-zipper

-silver metal ring

-silver metal snap fasteners

- seam ripper

- Red hairdye (optional)

Step 1: Leotard: Legs

 With any costume, i always look up a ton of reference pictures. Rachel wears a jacket, but underneath, she seems to wear a leotard. (pic 1)

1. When you take out your pattern from the envelop, sort out which are the legs and which will be the shirt. the template i used is listed above. (pic 2)

2. I started with the pants. In looking at the pictures, rachel as these yellow thigh designs. I was taught that you can actually draw your own design on the fabric pattern, so i drew two strips on the leg pattern for where i want the yellow fabric to be. once that is done, cut out the pieces of your pattern

3. If you need two of the same piece (i.e., two leg pieces, two sleeves, a left and a right side, etc), take your fabric and fold it in two, so you only have to cut the pattern out once.

4. take your pattern, place it on your 4 way stretch fabric. You have to position the pattern on the fabric correctly so the fabric will stretch in the right direction when putting on your body.. So, if you only have a 2 way stretch fabric (it only stretches 2 ways, instead of 4), then think that the fabric should stretch AROUND your thigh. It doesn't necessarily have to stretch to the height of your body, but rather around the girth of your body..

5.From there, you have to think, "well, if i have an entire red leg, and i cut out two red sections to replace with yellow fabric, i need some type of allowance so i can sew the fabric together".. I i added 1/4 inches on each side i cut. Most patterns already have a seam allowance, BUT if you are making changes to your pattern (like adding the yellow designs), you have to add your own.

6. Once positioned correctly, place your weights on top of your pattern so that it doesn't move when you are drawing it out.

7. Using your fabric pen, draw the pattern on your fabric

8.Take your fabric scissors and cut your pieces out. As you are cutting, take more of your fabric clips and start clamping your fabric pieces together so they don't move. Remember that since you folded it, you should have two of the exact pieces you need (Left and right leg)... Don't forget to cut in all the little grooves and indicators that illustrate where to line the pieces up when close up the leg.(pic 3)

9. sew your yellow designs to your red pieces so you have a full leg piece (pic 4)

10. Once you have both legs constructed, sew them both together and that should give you pants! (pic 5+6)

Step 2: Leotard: Shirt

 The process is the same as the legs, but just applied to the shirt

1. I was fortunately enough tho have a black shirt laying around so i took some chalk and drew the pattern directly onto it while the person was wearing it. this is so i could see where things would have to sit. (pic 1 +2)

2.take the shirt off, put the template onto of the black shirt and draw out your alterations on the pattern itself. (pic 3)

3. draw on your fabric, and make sure to add a 1/4 inches allowance to any side you are altering to compensate for the area you sew together.

2. For rachel summers top, she has this weird pattern around her front. I laid out the pattern on my fabric, cut out the pieces, and sewed it al together. You can se the fabric clips all around the cut pieces (considering i needed two of each (pic 4-9).

3. for the back, i added a long zipper. this way, the person can get inside and the jacket will cover it. (pic 10)

3. Once you have the top done, sew the top to the legs you made. (pic 11). It is important that you lock stick our pieces at the beginning and end of sewing two pieces together. to lock stick with a sewing machine, sew into the fabric, reverse a little bit, and sew again. Do this when you start and end each piece and that way, it won't unravel.

4. Once done, sew on your sleeves (pic 12)

5. I also made a collar for this. There was no pattern so i just improved a bit. don't forget to add a zipper. This zipper is completely for show on the follow. (pic 13)

6. I took a metal ring and attached it to the zipper. I also took metal snap fasteners and attached them to the front of the shirt. (pic 13+ 14)

Step 3: Belt and Boots

 Belt

1. cut a strip of foam from your EVA foam to whatever length you need it to be for a belt. I think i made the width 1.5 inches.

2. I used a pice of paper to create a template of how big i wanted the pocket to be.

3. I used the template to cut out as many pockets from EVA foam as i needed to fit around the belt. I went the extra step of sanding off the tread from the back of the eva foam. I like doing this because it allows for the pocket to sit flush against the belt strap.

4. From there, i created the top flap of the pocket by cutting out another piece of foam.

5. I used an exacto knife to cut in the grooves. the trick is to only cut partial way through and the apply heat from a heating gun to open up the cut. (pic 1)

6. I added some small black clips to the back of the belt so that it could fasten and no one would see it. (pic 2)

7. used worbla to create the bucket. (pic 1)

8. Because EVA absorbs paint, i prepped it by heating it first with the heat gun and then applying modge podge

to it. I painted the whole thing brown and then added silver thumbtacks to each pocket as a button (pic 3)

Boots

Step 4: Boots + Kneepads

 1. take your knee high boots and put them on. i like having boots that have the zipper along the inside.

2. Take a hair dryer or heating gun and warm some craft foam. It will then bend and mold to your boot within reason.

3. Cut the shapes along the natural seam of the shoe as you glue your pieces.

4. Later, take a thin piece of foam and glue it over the seams to make it appear as one solid boot. (pic 1)

5. make a template of your knee pad from paper and then cut it out of EVA foam (pic 2)

6. use a heat gun to soften the EVA foam and then shove it into a bowl to create the kneepad shape. (pic 3)

7. I added several layers of foam to create some depth.

8. Once satisfied, glue kneepads directly on boot onto the boot (pic 4 + 5)

Step 5: Gloves and Gauntlets

 Gloves

1. To make your gloves, put your hand on a piece of paper and spread your fingers. Draw out your glove. remember to give yourself a little leeway so that you have some fabric to sew on.

2. now take your drawing, but this time, cut off the thumb portion from your drawing.

3. cut out the templates from your fabric for the hand and thumb (pic 1)

4. sew the hands together and then sew on your thumbs. The thumb portion is difficult to sew on with a sewing machine, so you make have to hand sew it.

5. took some craft foam, cut out circles, covered them with worbla, sprayed them silver and glued them onto the knuckles.

6. took EVA foam, cut out a shape for the back of the hand, modgepodged it, painted it, and glued it onto the back of the hand. (pic 3)

Gauntlets

1.1) Get your scratch paper and cut out a rectangle that will be the length of inseam of your elbow to your wrist.. the width would be enough that it can overlap.(pic 4)

2) wrap the paper around your forearm. Adjust as needed for the length. You want a good ranger of motion here.

3) Since the paper is around your forearm, you can cut it to fit your arm pretty snug.

4) cut the template out of your EVA foam. (pic 5)

5. add layers of EVA foam around the top and bottom of he forearm gauntlet to give it some girth. (pic 3)

6) Close the gauntlets using little plastic buckles.

Step 6: Elbow Pads

 1) take your measurement and cut out the template from a piece of paper.

2) transfer that piece of paper onto the fabric and cut out (pic 1)

3) sew ends together (pic 2)

4). for the elbow pad itself, draw out a template and cut out of EVA foam. I made two layers to give it some bulk. (pic 3)

5) sand off the tread from the back of the EVA foam.

6) prep the foam, modgepodge it, paint it, and then glue directly onto the elbow

Step 7: Jacket

 1. Looking at rachel's jacket, it looks like a short sleeve leather trench coat with these tails at the bottom. (pic 1 + 2)

2. get out your jacket template from the envelop and lay them all out. The original jacket template looks like pic 3. It is listed as butterick B6103 (pic 3)

3. The jacket i need was going to be significantly longer than what was provided so i had elongate the template. So first, i cut the piece at the waist line of the templates (pic 4)

4. I measured how far i wanted the jacket to go down and then took scratch paper and elongated the template pieces so they were the sizes i needed. (pic 5)

5. draw the pieces onto your fabric, cut them out, and sew them according to the original jacket instructions.However, I did not sew the pieces together from the waistline down, which gives you the tails of the jacket (pic 6)

6. I also sewed in a liner on the inside in the event someone could see inside the jacket. i did not want the white showing. (pic 7)

7. For the tails themselves, I took more of that faux leather, used the same templates and covered them up. I used the little sewing clamps to hold them together (pic 8)

8. When sewing the tails, i just worked down each one and tucked the fabric inside of itself. (pic 9)

9. Also, i did not need to have full length sleeves for the jacket.

10. The jacket should be technically done at this time. Pic 10 and 11 show the front and back

Step 8: Shoulder Armor

 1.looking at rachel's jacket, she has these spiked shoulder armor pieces. 3 layers with 3 sides in descending size. (pic 1)

2. draw out your template on paper and cut it out of EVAfoam. (pic 2)

3. use a bowl and a heat gun to create the concave of that will fit around the shoulder. (pic 3)

4. i did this 6 times, and glued the shoulder in layers. ( pic 4)

5.I used pink insulation foam and cut out different sized spikes. You can do this with an exacto, and then gently rub them with sandpaper to get them smooth.(pic 5)

6. cover the spikes with worbla to make them nice and hard. (pic 6)

7. I took my worbla'd spikes and placed them against the EVA shoulder armor and used a sharpie to mark off where they would be.

8. i took my dremel and created a shallow hole in the armor so that the spike could sit inside of it.

9. Then i took some craft foam to make a layered circle around the top spike.

10. to attach the shoulder pieces to the jacket, i used metal fasteners. (pic 7).

11. i sewed together a few straps. one short one that would sit at the top of the shoulder pad, and a longer one that would fit around the arm itself. (pic 8)

12. i took the corresponding fastener and attached it to the jacket itself, 1 at the top of each shoulder, and one on the inner part of each sleeve. (pic 9 + 10)

Step 9: Makeup, Hair, Jewelry

 Make up

1. Rachel has these lines across her jaw line. We ended up using red lip stick. It's a fairly good solution, but be cautious about smudging it. (pic 1-3)

Hair

1. Rachel seema to have different variations of short hair, based on the artist who draws her. Sometimes it is really red, and sometimes it is more of a red-ish orange. (pic 1-3)

2. If possible, i advocate using your own hair and getting a haircut and a box of dye.

Jewelry

1. a few of the pictures had rachel with no earnings, but i found one with her wearing big hoops. those seemed to go well with the outfit. (pic 4)

Put it together and you should have Rachel's accessories done. (pic 5 + 6)

Step 10: FINISHED!

OK! That should be it! consider some fun poses. We figured that since rachel was a telepath, should should be holding her head for something. (pic 1)

Consider finding some X-men cosplayers, specifically Cyclops, Jean Grey, or Cable.

This costume was a lot of fun as it was a new challenge for me in learning sewing. But it was well worth it as I proposed to my fiancé in her Rachel Summers cosplay at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. If you are interested in other costumes, please click here: cosjj.com