Everyone knows how great foam armor can look, but most of us find EVA foam a bit intimidating. It's kinda pricey, extremely labor-intensive, and all around a big commitment for someone just looking to dabble in foam for cosplay.
Ahhh, but what if I told you you can make these carved leather arm bracers:
From a single 12X18 sheet of kids' Fun Foam from the craft store? And that the only special tools you need are a craft blade and a clothing iron? MUCH less intimidating, amirite?
I made this rose design with a Warrior Belle in mind, but it would also look amazing for Poison Ivy (just add more green) or an original steampunk cosplay. Not to mention you can carve *anything* in this stuff, so sky's the limit!
And check out how realistic this "leather" is:
I'mma teach you how to do that now.
In fact, I'mma give you templates so you can make a pair just like this.
Ready?
First, some basics:
The first thing you need to know is that Fun Foam comes in 1mm (the most common), 3mm, and even 6mm sheets at the craft store - and the 3mm thickness is perfect for arm bracers.
The second thing you need to know is that Fun Foam - as well as EVA foam - does something quite magical when you carve and heat it. Here's my test with a scrap of thick 6mm white foam:
I sketched the rose out with a pencil, then used a craft blade to cut into the foam slightly.
Now watch what happens when I hit that with a heat gun for 30 seconds:
MAGIC.
The cuts all open up and raise slightly, making the foam look almost exactly like carved leather:
There's still one more trick to making your foam look like leather, but before I get to that, let's make some bracers.
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