It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this and that, oh and this doohickey too!
Since I mostly talk about cosplay and gaming here, I thought it would be good to create a resource page for these things. Both deciding what game to get next and where to start when cosplaying can be daunting tasks. Hopefully this page will help clear up these things and more!
Full Disclosure: Some of these links contain affiliate links. Purchasing items through these links will provide some monetary reimbursement to me, but will not increase the price you pay. My recommendation of these items has no bearing on whether or not the links can be affiliate links. I’ve tried many things, been to many place, and completely recommend these 🙂
Cosplay Tools
Fabric
- Vislon Zippers – Haven’t had a snag yet with these.
- Aleene’s Fabric Fusion – Useful when you just don’t want (errr… don’t have the time) to sew.
- Aleene’s Fabric Fusion Tape – Arguably one of the most useful things to have when on the convention floor next to a bottle of water, your wallet, and external charger.
Foam Armor
- Rhino Glue – Stronger and quicker than the typical superglue you can buy in stores.
- Silver Sharpies – Since most of the foam I buy is black and I’m going to cover it anyway, this works quite well to distinctly mark the foam.
- Industrial Strength Velcro – Useful for so many things, including snapping two pieces of armor together.
- DAP Weldwood Contact Cement – Glues foam together easily and nicely.
- EVA Foam – Seems like pretty much everyone uses this nowadays for foam armor. I use the ¼ to 3/8ths of an inch.
- Wagner Heat Gun – The perfect of amount of heat when and where you need it.
- Elmer’s Color Change Wood Putty – Sometimes you just want things to dry in an instant. That never really happens, but with this wood putty, at least you know when you can start sanding it as it turns from purple to white.
Painting
- 3M Respirator – Don’t risk your health while making things.
- DeWalt Safety Goggles – A nice fit and works well with the 3M Respirator.
- Krylon Spray Paint – Stays on, doesn’t clog, and doesn’t bubble like some other spray paints I’ve tried.
- Liquitex Gesso – Great for filling out uneven spots on foam or thermoplastic. Works much like wood putty. Thicker has tended to be better.
- FrogTape – Works like a charm. Just make sure to seal the tape on the edges.
Construction
- Gorilla Tape (Heavy Duty Duct Tape) – What won’t this hold together?
- X-ACTO knife – There are many types of craft knives but I’ve found this one to be the most helpful.
- Printable Flat Sphere Pattern – How I made the structure for Ball Guy and my Bokoblin mask.
Plastic Work
- Fletcher Terry Plastic Cutter – Cuts acrylic well. Depending on the thickness, you might need to score more.
Mask Making
- WED Clay – I forgot where I found out about this, but this provided the basic structure and form that I eventually made Majora’s Mask upon.
- Creative Paperclay – This is what I made Skull Kid’s mask out of. Lightweight and easy to carve/paint.
- Sculpt Pro Sculpting Tools – These proved super useful when making anything with clay.
Convention Going
- Anker External Charger – Who was time to go back to the hotel or find a wall outlet. Get your power on the go and make the most of your convention experience.
Conventions
- San Diego Comic-Con
- Anime Expo – The best I’ve been to for cosplay. Especially great if you’re into anime.
- WonderCon
- PAX Prime – Great for gaming!
Tabletop Games
Games
- Dixit – Great for many players.
- Anomia – Quick, tense, and fun.
- 7 Wonders – Another game that’s great for multiple players (specifically 7).
- Hanabi – Interesting gameplay that will get people excited about the possibilities of tabletop.
- Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar – Cogs on the board move to alter decisions that can be made. Really neat concept.
- Agricola – Probably one of the heaviest on this list, but also fun considering that you’re farming and creating a family.
Sites