Make Steampunk Goggles on a Budget

Steampunk cosplay can get expensive in a hurry. Fortunately, DarrenWasHere.com has got you covered with this great tutorial on making steampunk goggles with stuff you can find at Dollar Tree. You’ll find step-by-step instructions with pictures, and there’s even a bit of a “post-mortem” on the tutorial where Darren describes some things he might do differently next time, and even some suggestions on different materials. This tutorial is a great starting point and would be easy to customize to match your own cosplay, so be sure to check it out and give it a try!

Cosplay at Figments and Filaments in Kansas City

From furry foxes to partying princesses, there was nothing but costumes and cosplay at the second annual Figments and Filaments convention in Kansas City this past weekend.

This lovely Artemis was a cosplayed and volunteer for Amanda Lynn Chainmaille Creations.

Category: Craft, Geek | Comments Off

April 26

Jupiter Power, Cosplay!

Sailor Jupiter cosplay by Geeky Seamstress — Cosplay photography by Aperture Ashley

I’ve mentioned before how cool the Female Geek Bloggers Google+ Community is. It’s through that community that I found the Geeky Seamstress. She is a cosplayer/seamstress extraordinaire – her blog is packed full of tutorials and costume notes on her various projects.

One striking project she completed was this fantastic Sailor Jupiter cosplay, which she debuted at Anime Fest 2014. Her blog post details her design process, including extensive customization. I bow to her sewing greatness – I’m lucky if I can sew a straight line for an infinity scarf!

What cosplay projects have you been working on, or are you most proud of? Share links in the comments!

Links of Interest

Category: Anime, Craft, Geek, Girly, TV | 4 Comments

April 5

Steam(punk) up your goggles

This past Halloween, my husband and I decided to go steampunk with our costumes, so I spent quite a few hours trolling the interwebs for ideas and props. I had great fun making a necklace, bracelet, and earrings to add to the look. I also loved the idea of steampunked-out goggles, but most of the ones I found looked pretty plastic-y and cheap, so I went goggle-less for the evening. <sad face>

I am pleased to report that I recently stumbled across a very do-able steampunk goggles tutorial by Susan Dennard, which, as one commenter put it, is “a billion shades of awesome.” I can’t wait to add a set of googles to my steampunk wardrobe! It’ll be even cooler to say I had a hand it making it myself.

What are some of your favorite steampunk pieces or tutorials? Link us up below!

Links of Interest:

Steampunk goggles tutorial by Susan Dennard
More steampunk crafts on GeekCrafts
More costumes on GeekCrafts

Category: Craft, Geek, Sci-Fi | Comments Off

October 19

Scott Pilgrim craft: Ramona Flowers hammer

At the cons I have attended, I see a ton of creative cosplay (people dressed up in costumes representing characters from books, movies, TV, manga, etc.). I can pretty safely guarantee I’ll see a variety of fandoms represented – almost always Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who. I always enjoy seeing other characters, however, and recognizing their references. Makes me feel a little self-righteous in my geekhood.

That’s why I was tickled to recently find this tutorial on a Ramona Flowers cosplay, from the graphic novel series, video game and movie, Scott Pilgrim. We have enjoyed watching the movie several times at our house, and my daughter has read the books. Mia did a great job breaking down the steps to creating the iconic hammer in her tutorial, right down to the bell on the end of the handle – great attention to detail! She also gives tips on how she was able to travel by plane with the hammer!

Be sure to check out other examples of Mia’s cosplay wizardry – such as Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, Fiona from Adventure Time, and Female Engineer from Team Fortress 2.

Category: Comics, Craft, Geek, Movies | Comments Off

July 6

Dresden Craft: Shield Bracelet

As an early Father’s Day gift this year, I took my dad to an author Q&A session with Jim Butcher, author of The Dresden Files series of books about Chicago’s first (and only) wizard private investigator. I prepared for the session by listening to a couple of the books (they’re narrated by James Marsters, who plays Spike on the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series), and really enjoyed them.

Butcher has a distinct voice in the books which also really came through at his author event – the Q&A session was very entertaining. About 500 people showed up, and the questions were quite varied. He talked a bit about his own background in martial arts, and how that played into Det. Karrin Murphy practicing aikido in the books. He also talked about his writing process, how he uses strong outlines, and never feels like he backs Dresden into irretrievable corners, because that’s the opportunity to do something really creative and interesting. Based on the three books I’ve listened to, I’d say he’s succeeded at that!

I saw only a couple of cosplayers at the author event – one woman (not sure who she was dressed as – it wasn’t Det. Murphy) and one pretty spot-on Dresden. If you’re looking to cosplay as Dresden, you might be interested in this shield bracelet project (pictured above) by SilverMoon Dragon. I love the layered look with the cloth strips, chain and coins. She also made an awesome crochet “Bob” from the Dresden Files – be sure to check out her other Dresden crafts on her blog.

Have you read the Dresden books? They’d make a great addition to your geeky to-read list!