Pint Sized Fett
New Member
Hey there!
I have never created a costume piece before and after seeing the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I knew I had to make my own costume!
I am a 5ft female and find it difficult to find processes that work for me, my arms are nowhere as beefy as the standard male winter soldier!
Using a simple but effective method, I created my own personal fitting arm, here is the tutorial
First, cover your forearm with bubble wrap and seal lightly with tape, this is used so that the mould is slightly bigger than your actual arm, meaning you can take it on and off easily when finished. Cover forearm with cling film over bubble wrap, so the tape doesn't stick to it. Using masking tape, cover the forearm with one layer of tape.
Cut off masking tape (save bubble wrap for top of the arm but is not necessary for the shape) stick back together with masking tape and stuff (newspaper, socks, tights etc.) to hold the shape.
Repeat process on top of arm and shoulder (apologise for lack of photo, for some reason won't upload!)
Using different images from online and a black permanent marker I drew the various separations of metal across the template, this gives me the basis of the shapes that will be made on the real arm and makes sure the template is the perfect shape to fit on the actual costume piece
For the next step, repeat the previous process but instead, use tough gaffa tape not masking tape, this provides a tougher and stabler base to add the pattern.
Cut off, reseal and stuff as before.
Using the masking tape template, I cut out each section, smoothed it out and drew around it using a permanent marker onto 3mm foam. This can be picked up at any craft store and is extremely easy to use and very effective! Cut the section out from the foam and stick onto the arm.
I used a hot glue gun to stick each section onto the arm, because the glue would not stick to the gaffa tape I recoated the arm in masking tape, you may need to experiment with different glues on the gaffa tape but it seems the masking tape is better for attaching foam
This process is lengthy but worth it, start with a key feature and work around it (helps cover if there are any little mistakes within the template!)
Once this is completed on the forearm and top of the arm, using a simple craft PVA glue, cover the entirety of both pieces. Allow to dry and repeat three times, this will help solidify the foam and make a stable base.
I used a kitchen roll holder and toilet roll holder to hold them up so I could cover the whole piece seamlessly.
When on, the arm will look like this:
To ensure the lines are visible once painted, I cut into the dents using a scalpel.
Using a black spray paint, I sprayed all of the arm to cover the colour of the foam.
After this has dried, spray paint all over again using a glossy silver spray paint, metallic effect is the best
With a red acrylic paint, paint the star over the silver.
To give a more realistic metal effect, use a black wash (black acrylic paint with lots of water) and brush it over the arm. Leave this for about 30 seconds and rub off. Repeat as many times necessary
Make sure this is thoroughly dry before wearing
And there you have it! A pint sized version of the Winter Soldier arm
I hope this is helpful to everyone and please feel free to leave comments and suggestions!
Thank you!
I have never created a costume piece before and after seeing the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I knew I had to make my own costume!
I am a 5ft female and find it difficult to find processes that work for me, my arms are nowhere as beefy as the standard male winter soldier!
Using a simple but effective method, I created my own personal fitting arm, here is the tutorial
First, cover your forearm with bubble wrap and seal lightly with tape, this is used so that the mould is slightly bigger than your actual arm, meaning you can take it on and off easily when finished. Cover forearm with cling film over bubble wrap, so the tape doesn't stick to it. Using masking tape, cover the forearm with one layer of tape.
Cut off masking tape (save bubble wrap for top of the arm but is not necessary for the shape) stick back together with masking tape and stuff (newspaper, socks, tights etc.) to hold the shape.
Repeat process on top of arm and shoulder (apologise for lack of photo, for some reason won't upload!)
Using different images from online and a black permanent marker I drew the various separations of metal across the template, this gives me the basis of the shapes that will be made on the real arm and makes sure the template is the perfect shape to fit on the actual costume piece
For the next step, repeat the previous process but instead, use tough gaffa tape not masking tape, this provides a tougher and stabler base to add the pattern.
Cut off, reseal and stuff as before.
Using the masking tape template, I cut out each section, smoothed it out and drew around it using a permanent marker onto 3mm foam. This can be picked up at any craft store and is extremely easy to use and very effective! Cut the section out from the foam and stick onto the arm.
I used a hot glue gun to stick each section onto the arm, because the glue would not stick to the gaffa tape I recoated the arm in masking tape, you may need to experiment with different glues on the gaffa tape but it seems the masking tape is better for attaching foam
This process is lengthy but worth it, start with a key feature and work around it (helps cover if there are any little mistakes within the template!)
Once this is completed on the forearm and top of the arm, using a simple craft PVA glue, cover the entirety of both pieces. Allow to dry and repeat three times, this will help solidify the foam and make a stable base.
I used a kitchen roll holder and toilet roll holder to hold them up so I could cover the whole piece seamlessly.
When on, the arm will look like this:
To ensure the lines are visible once painted, I cut into the dents using a scalpel.
Using a black spray paint, I sprayed all of the arm to cover the colour of the foam.
After this has dried, spray paint all over again using a glossy silver spray paint, metallic effect is the best
With a red acrylic paint, paint the star over the silver.
To give a more realistic metal effect, use a black wash (black acrylic paint with lots of water) and brush it over the arm. Leave this for about 30 seconds and rub off. Repeat as many times necessary
Make sure this is thoroughly dry before wearing
And there you have it! A pint sized version of the Winter Soldier arm
I hope this is helpful to everyone and please feel free to leave comments and suggestions!
Thank you!
