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- If you used hot glue to attach plastic to something, don't leave it out in the hot sun when you spray paint... let it dry in the shade. Hot glue melts in the heat. (duh!)
- Three words: Industrial Strength Velcro.
- DON'T PROCRASTINATE (like we listen to this. but if you can manage it, it really does help)
- Try on your costume before the con.
- It never hurts to have tin foil on hand.
- Nail polish is surprisingly useful if you don't have time to go out and buy paint or varnish...
- Don't try and operate power tools at 2 in the morning after staying up until 4 the night before.
- Get your materials early, especially the hard-to-find ones. Rush shipping can kill (or at least eat up your con money).
- Group cosplay is more fun!
- US Plastic Corporation--One place to buy plastic (polystyrene) for armor-making
- Armormaking for the Fiberglass-Phobic--This is the method we used to make our Saint Seiya armor. Very good tutorial.
- Anne Liese's Fibers and Stuff--Very nice tutorial on making traditional hakama pants (the pants samurai wore over the kimono) and fairly simple.
- DIY Sewing Body Double--If you do alot of cosplaying/sewing, especially by yourself, having a body double makes things soooo much easier. Even for stuff like armor-making, it's extremely helpful. This tells you how to make one, and it's fairly simple. Also, I would recommend making a stand for it, too.
- AsianIdeas.com--Useful site for cheap tabi socks ($4) as well as some shoes and other stuff.
What the hell is up with the spider?
First of all, it's not a spider, it's a cheetah! With eight legs. Late one night, the night before we were leaving for A-kon 16, the three of us were frantically trying to finish Saint Seiya armor. Suddenly Vallen screamed and pointed, because she had spotted a tarantula. She ran out of the garage, Xan jumped up on a chair. After we all calmed down, we were discussing this interesting development, someone asked if tarantulas were fast. Xan replied, "It's like a cheetah...with eight legs!"