Its almost that time of year. The season of giving and receiving is nearly upon us and like many of us, I have yet to select which items to grab for some of the cosplayers in my life. No im not talking about Christmas, I mean Halloween. The saying is trick or treat, right? So let’s focus on the treat part rather than tricking. Instead of giving candy, why not give a few special friends a gift that will withstand more than a few seconds of salivation.
That’s right I’m talking about Gifts for cosplayers. I have written a few other gift guides that you can find HERE but I want to really focus on items that cosplayers may appreciate. Let me say candy is always a great option if all else fails but let’s save that as a last resort. Those amazing cosplays you admire on Facebook and Instagram are not cheap and require lots of material. So let’s dive into some items that would be great gifts for your cosplay friends.
EVA Foam
First up we have one of the most obvious options. Imagine opening a box or bag full of EVA Foam instead of one filled with candy. Eva Foam is the basis for tons of cosplay items ranging from armor to helmets and cosplayers can never have too much of it. It comes in varying thicknesses so go ahead and grab a few different sizes to optimize the possibilities of creation for each cosplayer. I would say stick with the basic colors rather than adventuring into the extremes as white and black can always be painted to the required color.
Worbla
If your favorite cosplayer is not the EVA foam type than you may want to consider Worbla. Hell, why not get them both? That is if your budget can afford both. Worbla is arguably more difficult to work with than EVA foam but the final design of the cosplay all comes down to the needs, wants and requirements of the cosplayer. If you would like to know some of the differences between these two materials than feel free to check out an article I wrote on the topic HERE.
Flexi Paint
Flexi Paint is a wonderful paint used for Eva Foam. The most notable feature of this paint is the fact that it does not crack or peel. Eva foam is very flexible causing painted items to crack with repeated use and normal wear. Flexi Paint also prevents the need for a primer. Eva foam soaks up a lot of paint and this can be dampened a bit with Flexi Paint. This paint can be used for all types of cosplay materials ranging from Worbla to Eva Foam. Im sure cosplayers would love to have this gift so pick up some today.
Jo-Anns Fabric Card
If you really cant figure out what to get them then just opt for a gift that has withstood the passage of time. That’s right, a good old fashioned Gift Card. I will admit that Jo-Anns is a bit expensive but their fabric is phenomenal. Even if you do not pick up and fabrics, you can go ahead and grab a few patterns. Jo-Anns offers items made by Yaya Han which are of course some of the best cosplay items you can buy. With a Jo-Anns gift card, the cosplayer can grab anything they want and make sure all facets of their cosplay life are taken care of.
Foam-Mo Air Dry Moldable Foam Clay
This item is very versatile and can be used in all facets of cosplay creation. Everything from patching items to the creation of unique and extreme shapes can be accomplished with Foam- Mo Clay. I have heard that the learning curve of this material is rather steep if you are trying to create extraordinary designs but in the long run it will be worth it to learn. One specific aspect of cosplay creation that I have seen this item used for is spike creation. Adding spikes to helmets or armor can be time-consuming depending on the quantity. Hopefully, this adds another alternative to cutting several spikes from Eva Foam.
Acrylic Paint Set
I mentioned another type of paint earlier used to prevent cracks in your Eva Foam. But, if you’re looking to add all of those unique colors then you may want to snag your cosplayer friend a set of Acrylic Paints. Obviously you understand the purpose of paint but just keep in mind that the more layers you add the darker the item will become and the more the cosplay will begin to “POP”
Airbrush Set
Hand painting is great for small details and is obviously required to get minute items looking just right. But for some of those medium-sized and larger items, you may want to invest in an Airbrush. Go ahead and load in your paints and brush on several layers saving tons of valuable time. There’s nothing worse than finishing an entire outfit and having to paint the entire piece by hand. Don’t do that to yourself. Go ahead and invest in a good Airbrusher and save your self-time on those future cosplays that are sure to follow.
Dremel
Last but not least, one of the most important tools in the entire cosplay arsenal is the Dremel. I have written on this item several times before and can not stress how important this item is in the cosplay creation process. Once again, you can obviously do all the work by hand but this is sure to get tiring after a while and waste tons of time you do not have. Because we all know you waited until the last minute to get this done. Go ahead and pick up one of these tools with a nice set of attachments and let the ideas flow into your crafting process.
Well there you have it. A list of awesome useful items to grab for your cosplayer. Worse come to worse, they regift the item and return it to you on Christmas. We all know we have friends that do this! I hope you enjoyed this look at some awesome and useful cosplay items for cosplayers. Feel free to leave a comment below and until next time, stay BOUNDLESS!!!
