Worbla Armor - Embossed Technique

 Here's a sneak preview of the Diablo III Barbarian Tier 5 armor I am building. All of these pieces were made using a thermoplastic called Worbla.

One reason you might use Worbla instead of Wonderflex to create your cosplay armor is in the unique ways that you can manipulate Worbla.

Here's how I create a embossed look on Worbla armor. This technique is more cost-effective than layering extra Worbla on top. Instead, you are layering your less-expensive (and easier-to-cut) craft foam.

You need:

Sheets of craft foam (in two contrasting colors)

Worbla (available from cosplaysupplies.com or yayahan.com)

Heat Gun

A pointy wooden tool

Sharpie for drawing your design

Good scissors
Elmer’s glue
A surface to work on that the Worbla will not stick to (I use a piece of glass shelving from IKEA)

First, cut out your design in craft foam and glue it to your craft foam pattern piece. Then layer Worbla over the craft foam and use a pointed wooden tool to press the thermoplastic down around the edges of the design. Let’s see an example:

This is going to be a plate that wraps around the outside of my upper arm.

Here I layered my design in green foam over yellow. The yellow will become my pattern piece for an upper-arm plate.

First I heated a piece of Worbla, then stuck the pattern piece on it with the green design side against the shiny side of the Worbla sheet.

Then I flipped it over.

Here you can see that it helps to use contrasting craft foam colors because you can see the darker green design through the plastic.

Next, I used the pointy tool to press the heated Worbla down around the design shapes and get nice, smooth edges.

The Worbla cools and hardens pretty quickly so I heated and worked on one quadrant of the piece at a time.

After finishing the relief, I heated a second piece of Worbla and stuck it to the back of the craft foam. Then I pressed the edges together to seal in the craft foam (sandwich!) and trimmed the excess.

Save your Worbla scraps, you can heat them up and use them for decorations, like claws and scrollwork!

Lastly I heated up the whole piece and curve it into shape around my upper arm, then let it cool.

Here is the completed piece after adding the spike and painting it.

In this last image you can see the hand plate on which I used both the craft foam relief technique and also layered strips of Worbla for the edge details. Here it is easy to see the visual difference you get – with the relief technique you will have smooth, rounded edges, and with the layering technique you will have sharp edges., which looks great for border outlines.

Did you know? Worbla (or "Worbla's Finest Art") is made from renewable natural raw materials is also known as Rhenoflex RX 5050 which was originally engineered by a German company for the purpose of industrial shoe-making. You can buy it in the U.S. from cosplaysupplies.com or yayahan.com

Coffin in the Grass

I wanted to try out a wood stain so I stained a couple of coffin-shaped trinket boxes. I really liked how rich and aged it made the wood look.

Before I stained it, the coffin looked like this, just plain light-colored wood.

Start with a trinket box and sand it down before you do anything else.

The next step for this coffin was distressing the wood. I took a hammer, chain, and screwdrivers and gave it a good beating. It's good to do this before staining the wood, then you can get the stain down in those distress marks to darken them up. If you distress it after you stain the wood, you could end up with light wood showing through, and that ruins the effect of the stain.

I rubbed wood stain into the box both inside and out. Watch your fingers when staining! The oil from your hands can mess with the finish. If you have some latex gloves, wear them.

The coffin box was still quite plain after all the distressing and staining. I loved the look but it needed an artist's touch. So I used a fine-tip brush to hand-paint grass all around the base of the coffin.

Tips for painting grass: 

• Start with a dark green (tint your medium green with a tiny bit of black), then gradually layer on lighter colors
• Paint grass in clumps!Think crab grass. Natural grass can be varying in height and density of ground coverage.
• Vary the lengths of the grass, and let the blades bend in different directions and cross each other.
• The top of the grass should taper to a point. Practice your paint strokes, lightly using the tip of a fine-tipped brush.

A Bouquet of Tentacles

A vase of flowers becomes an excellent pencil holder, especially when your pencils are topped with handmade tentacles in a complementary color.

I molded these tentacles by hand (much as one would sculpt dough) and detail-painted them. I don't know how I came up with the idea, I just think tentacles are cool. They evoke monsters/aliens while bringing a pleasant organic shape to everyday decor.

Copper Patina Paint Technique

Copper looks really gorgeous when it ages, it turns a gorgeous aqua/turquoise color, which is a beautiful contrast against the orange of the metal. Why not duplicate that pattern with paint?

Step 1: Brush on a layer of copper-colored paint. Let it dry.
Step 2: Using a wide flat-headed brush, dip the tip of the bristles in turquoise or aqua-colored paint. Apply over the copper in patches by touching just the tips of the bristles to the surface, dotting instead of brushing. This gives a more natural weathered look. Do this all over, wherever you want the patina look to appear.

I love painting trinket boxes. They are an excellent canvas for trying out new paint techniques. Plus they are great for storing thumbtacks and paperclips. Or really tiny treasures that you want to bury in your back yard.

DIY Fabric Labels - Handmade Method

This week we are sharing our techniques for making fabric labels (i.e. tags) to put on your creations.  So why would you want to put labels on anything?

1. If it's an item you are selling, you want the buyer/recipient to know where it came from so they can tell other potential customers where to get one.
2. If it's a gift or personal momento (quilts, etc.) you'll want to put your name and date on it for posterity's sake.

There are many different ways to go about making labels, so you should choose the method that makes the most sense for you!

First, I'm going to share the one-off handmade method. This is great for:

• quilts
• custom personal items (e.g. a ring bearer pillow for your friend's wedding)
• unique, handmade gifts
• artsy creations
• one-of-a-kind costumes or garments

Example 1: Hand-embroidered lettering on a quilt label

Find a coordinating scrap of fabric without a pattern on it, secure it in an embroidery hoop and use thick embroidery thread to create lettering. Trim it down to a square, press under the edges, then hand-applique it onto the back of your quilt near the bottom corner.

Example 2: Discrete hand-embroidered lettering in metallic thread

Hand-embroider the letters directly onto the back of your quilt, making sure you only go through one layer of fabric. Use a thread that coordinates with your quilt design but blends into the quilt. This gives you a discrete label that you can find if you look closely, but it won't be obvious from a distance.
Example 3: Hand-painted garment labels

Use fabric paint to paint lettering directly onto a piece of fabric. Use a serger to finish the edges, then stitch the tag into your garment.

There are some reasons why you might not want to hand-make your labels.
- it's time-consuming just to make one label
- if you need to make a lot of labels, they will not be uniform/identical
- legibility may be a challenge
- limited room for cramming in text

All of these reasons could make this method quite daunting. That's okay. SmallRiniLady has a Printed Method she will share, and you'll find that her method solves these problems very well. You'll want to use her method if you are making items to sell!

TARDIS Trinket Box

So, I had extra plain wooden boxes on hand and I was thinking, how can I make a wooden box totally geeky?

Duh. (Forehead smack moment.) The TARDIS.

If you don't know what a TARDIS is, go watch an episode of Doctor Who. It's probably available on On Demand.

So anyway, after smothering the box with all-purpose sealer, I started painting it blue. Then I had to figure out where to put the windows. I decided not to be completely literal with the TARDIS design but to work with the shape of the box.
To make the windows I lightly brushed on white paint in a couple of coats - I didn't want to go completely opaque because the windows needed some depth. Then I drew the black lines with a black Sharpie marker.

Then I thought, wouldn't it be fun if there was chalkboard paint on the top so I could write messages? So I taped off a grid and spray-painted on the chalkboard paint.

On the inside (which is not bigger, alas), I used hot glue to glue down a rectangle of white felt. This gives a nice soft padded bottom to the inside of the box, which is a nice touch for trinket boxes, especially if you plan to fill them with jewelry like a pendant, brooch, or cocktail ring.

 

Painted Trinket Boxes

This is a super-easy craft for any skill level! It's also an excellent introduction to wood painting.

Design ideas are endless... above I started with a plain wooden box, painted it brown, then gave it some Steampunk flavor with metallic copper and gold paints and a little brushed-on blue.

You find everything you need at your local craft store (both Michael's and JoAnn's carries these):

• small wood box ($1)
• 1 tube of All-Purpose Sealer (for preparing wood surfaces). Brand I used: Delta Ceramcoat
• Acryllic paints in desired colors (comes in tubes, about 89 cents and up)
• Paint brushes (for acryllic paint, use nylon bristles, not natural hair) - 1 detail brush, one 1/2-centimeter wide flat brush, squared or angled
• Sand paper
• Mod Podge (for finishing coat, if desired)
• disposable cup with water
• paper towel (for wiping brushes)
• a palette (can use a clean piece of scrap plastic or cover a small dish with plastic wrap)

Directions:

1. Sand down any splinters and rough spots.
2. Apply one coat of sealer to the outside sides and top of the box, let dry
3. Paint! Let dry between coats.
4. Finish with Mod Podge, if desired. Only apply Mod Podge to the top and sides, do not cover the inside or bottom because the surface can stick.

Try these fun variations:

• Hot-glue a rectangle of felt to the inside bottom.
• Hot-glue a tiny mirror onto the inside of the lid.
• Use chalkboard paint on the top so you can write messages on it!
• Mod Podge a collage of pictures or scrapbook paper on the box.
• Paint a box blank, then add rub-on metallic paint to make it look like metal
• Add glitter! (apply with white glue)

Steampunk Squirt Guns

Has your summer been Steampunk'd yet?

This is a really fun and easy project! Here's what you need:

- Mini squirt guns! ( 3/$1 at Target dollar section, or 4/$2 in the party aisle. You can also buy them in bulk on http://orientaltrading.com )
- Small paint brush for acryllic paint (synthetic, not hair bristles)
- Black spray paint
- Acryllic craft paints in metallic colors (here I used silver, gold, and copper)
- Blue painter's tape

Painting Process:
1. Mask off the tip of the gun with blue painter's tape so you don't paint it. In some states it is illegal to paint over the plastic tip because it makes the gun look too realistic.
2. Spray paint it black on one side (I do this in my garage on a large piece of cardboard, well away from the cars!)
3. Wait for it to dry.
4. Spray paint the other side black.
5. Wait for it to dry.
6. Dry-brush on silver paint all over the gun. This gives it a metallic look. (Put paint on the tip of the brush, dab it off on a paper towel, then dry-brush onto gun over the black. Don't get too much paint on the brush).
7. Add details with gold, copper, or bronze paint.

Kraken Got Your Card?

It's a business card holder. No, really...

Kinda random, right?
I was thinking, for that someday when I have my own artist table I will need an eye-catching place to put my stack of business cards. What's more eye-catching than a couple of purple tentacles?

I had a bit of foam leftover from my [Staff of Infinite Mysteries] and Riven projects. I started by sketching a rough shape on the foam with a pen, then carving the foam with a hot knife. First I carved the shape with a long wire knife, the kind they sell to cut floral arrangement foam. Then I carved the details with a smaller, sharp, angled hot knife.

Then I attacked it with sandpaper.

When working with foam like this, you can cut a very rough shape, then fine-tune the shape with rough sandpaper and finish with a finer sandpaper. This foam is very easy to shape by sanding.

After sanding, I applied a quick coat of white primer.

Painting was an experiment with purple, black and white acryllic paints to get the desired look.

Business cards fit easily in between the grasping tentacles!

Steampunk Dragon Dude

WHY, HELLO THERE!

Meet my new friend. He began his life as one of the Color Blanks, lounging on a clearance shelf at Target, all pale and pasty white... until I brought him to life with acrylics and a paintbrush!

Will he soon be joined by new friends?

Help me name this little guy. Post a reply with your suggestions!

Riven Costume Finishing Touches

First I needed to make the bracer thing that Riven wears on her arm.

I started with an empty cranberry juice bottle, cutting off the top and bottom.

Next I took some plastic which was originally a snow sled and wrapped it around the juice jug, hot-gluing it in place.

I added some "fun foam" strips for dimension.

Then I painted it to look like metal. It is hard to hold a paintbrush and take a picture of yourself at the same time!

I finished this piece off by trimming the end and painting the brown part with the green rune.

I made a quick bodice from a corset pattern. I traced the pattern onto iron-on interfacing, cut out the interfacing, then placed them on the back of the fabric. This is a cheater way to make something fast but I wouldn't recommend it for "real" clothes.

I went on a road trip for a weekend retreat and wanted to make progress while we were gone so I hand-sewed all of the bodice pieces together. Don't worry, I wasn't the driver!

I finished the bodice at home on the sewing machine, adding the trim and a zipper.

It needed some buttons. I hand-painted some oval-shaped wooden buttons silver for the front details.

Remember my sword needed a handle? I finished that too! Since I was using scraps of foam I ended up having to make the whole sword in three pieces.

The pieces are held together with glue and CHOPSTICKS!

Okay so I won't be swinging this baby around, but it works for a prop I plan to handle carefully.

Time to paint it. What a disaster area on the craft room floor!

Looking pretty good. I continue to layer on paint until I'm satisfied with it.

I detailed the handle to look like wood and the hilt to look like metal.