So earlier this month I attended Comic-Con with my best friend. All three days were a blast, and I must say we had a couple of cosplay wins! I'm sure I'm not the only poor college student that loves cosplay...So I thought I would share a couple of tips on how to build your cosplay on a lower budget.
1 Know what you're going for
If you don't have an idea of what you want to cosplay as it gets kind of hard to apply the other tips. If you just want to gather things here and there you can, don't get me wrong, It really is quite an adventure to do so. Without a specific plan it becomes difficult to get a finished product. An adventure without a destination can be fun but often VERY costly.
2 Utilize your closet
Once you have an idea take a peek at what you already have. Some of my best costumes came mostly from my own closet. Do you have boots that may work? How about a headband or a short that might complement the look your going for? Heck do you have a wig or two already? Don't spend money you don't need to.
3 Get crafty
Alright, it is not 100% necessary to know how to sew (goodness know I can't). But if you do...use those mad skills! A cheap costume can be almost one hundred dollars! Making your own? Often you could get it all with less than thirty! I have even made some props out of paper plates and paint. Use your imagination and have fun with it!
4 Online shop till you drop
To supplement what you can't sew ( so for me basically everything 😅) the BEST place to get what you want at the lowest possible price is to find it online. I'm partial to Amazon, what I can't find there I find on Ebay. Knowing what you want ahead of time is important when shopping online. Some items you can get within a week...but most of the budget friendly items can take a month or so to reach you!! So plan ahead my friend.
5 Make awesome friends
Ok, so there are going to be times you want to dress up as something but you don't really want to pay for something...or maybe you don't even want to choose a costume you just want to dress up. I am lucky to have some pretty great friends that have let me borrow props and things from them for my cosplay. In fact my friend that came with me borrowed a costume from me on our trip. Free is THE MOST cost effective you can get. 😂
6 Thrift it up
You could also frequent secondhand stores (thrift stores). Those often have amazing cosplay gems! But it is also time consuming. You really have to know where to look and slowly collect. It is not the most reliable source but definitely easy on your wallet.
