Misa Cosplay Guide
The Wig:
The wig is fairly simple, you will just want a long blonde wig that goes mid-back. You can make the small pigtails by taking some of the hair on each side and using small elastics to put it in place. Use a wig head to help you see if the pigtails are straight, or measure it while it is on your head!The front sides are shorter than the rest of the hair, so make sure you trim it accurately.
Some useful tutorials on cutting bangs:
Collar::
Honestly, you can pick a collar like this at costume and party stores around halloween, or at some goth-y stores like hot topic during the rest of the year. It is definately less work than making one!To make one yourself you will need to create a neckband, you can do this with pleather to imitate ones sold in stores, or just some stiff black fabric if you like something softer or cheaper.
For thick pleather, you can usually get away with leaving it one layer. Measure the circumference of your neck and add on a little bit for where the clasp will go. Cut to size. Add on a clasp to the end (carried at craft or fabric stores) or veclro or another way of closing it, and test it on your neck. Finally, add studs (sold at fabric and craft stores). For other fabrics you may want to cut two pieces and a piece of interfacing to make it stiffer. Sew along the top and side edges and flip inside out so the interfacing is on the inside. Trim the interfacing so it is a bit shorter than the edges of the fabric. Fold the rough edges into the tube and sew along the edge, this will close your necklace tube. Iron it flat. Now you can add a clasp to the ends and then add the studs.
Shirt:
Once again, this is something you can find at a thrift store ot the local mall! I sugguest a stretchy fabric shirt, if it has sleeves you can always take them off and hem the edges. Then you just need to sew on some zippers as-is, zippers are available at fabric and sewing stores.If you would like to make it yourself then look for a similar sewing pattern, it is very simple so it should be a good project for someone new to cosplaying. Mccalls M5977 is a good pattern if you not include the front ruffle. Once complete, you just need to sew on some zippers, which can be found at a fabric or sewing store.
Necklaces:
For the smaller necklaces you could look at a craft store for charms and some necklace chains. Just add the charm to the chain and the smaller ones are complete. Or you can create your on charms with sculpty.For the large necklace you can create the cross with paper clay, since it is easy to form things and is very lightweight. Another option is sculpty, however you will want to form it over a tinfoil base so that it doesn’t become too heavy. Other options inclode papermache over cardboard or foam.
The Arms:
One of the most stand-out pieces of this costume are the blade bracelets attached to misa’s arms. Before we get into them though…Under her gagets she has fingerless gloves, you can either buy some online, at goth/punk-y type stores, stores like clairs that carry gloves and accessories, or you can make your own. If you can’t find any gloves that are fingerless, you can always buy gloves with fingers and cut the ends off, just make sure to hem any fabric that may fray
The base of her blades are leather straps, you can make your own by buying pleather and cutting to shape and then adding snaps. You can sew 2-3 layers of pleather on top of eachother to give it thickness and strength just make sure you sew the snaps to your bottom layer first. You can also buy straps at stores that sell accessories, punkyy/goth type clothing and accessory stores, and online.
The blades themselves are relatively simple. You can make them by putting a piece of thick card inbetween two pieces of craft foam and cuttin it to shape, cut the blade end on an angle to give it a sharper look. Next, prime your pieces with gesso or another primer. Sand down the layer and paint black, a black spraypaint would work well for this project. Finslly, you can highlight the blade edges a bit by drybrushing a very small amount of silver so it looks like the metal was chipping. You can then use brass fasteners as screws to allow the blades to move and also look nice.
other methods include making the blades out of wood, foamcore, brass fasteners, wonderflex.
Belts:
Another thing you can most likely buy at goth-y punk stores or at party and costume stores around halloween. Though if you want it to be accurate, the best way is to make it yourself.Now you just need to add the studs. For the regular studded belt you can pick up studs at a craft or sewing store, they may come in a kit that explains how to add them. For the rounded studs, you can look at the same stores and they may carry them, or you may have to order them online. If you can’t find any you could make some with craft foam, by cutting a circle and taking a snip down to the middle of the circle then gluing it back together so it is now a raised cone shape rather than a flat circle. Paint it nicely and then hot glue it to the belt.
