Shopping Guide: 8 essentials for making your own cosplay props and costumes

Cosplayer Wayne from Wayne’s Workshop is testing his technique on a scrap piece of material, using a Dremel Multi-Tool 8220 in combination with the Flexible Shaft.

Cosplaying is about more than just dressing up as your favourite cartoon, game or movie character – creating your own incredible cosplay costumes and props yourself is equally important. Some cosplayers spend months researching, designing and eventually making just one costume, so working with the right tools makes total sense. This shopping guide lists all the top tools for making the best cosplay pieces, from funky EVA foam armour to hunky helmets, helping you get all the details right to finishing your pieces to perfection. When the time comes to put on that outfit and get into character, you’ll be the king or queen of the con.

Dremel® Lite

Smooth EVA foam with a Dremel Lite and sanding buff.

When you’re building your own cosplay costumes, you’re slowly but surely turning your best cosplay ideas and visions into reality. The cordless, easy-to-handle Dremel Lite Multi-Tool will help you every step of the way. Whether you’re smoothing foam to create a body piece, engraving details into a foam cosplay prop or removing excess glue, your handy Dremel Lite will let you work away at your cosplay pieces from any angle. Even 3D hip armour can be smoothed into submission with your trusty tool. Dremel makes dressing up as your favourite comic book or game character that little bit easier.

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Dremel® 8220

A cordless Dremel 8220 is the ideal cosplay making tool for shaping, smoothing and finishing EVA foam.

Want to bring all your awesome cosplay ideas to life? Then our powerful, highly versatile, cordless Dremel 8220 is the cosplay making tool to have. The tool fits a wide range of Dremel’s accessories and attachments, while the EZ Twist Nose Cap allows quick accessory changes and the LED light enhances your visibility in difficult-to-reach places. Whether you are sanding EVA foam for making DIY cosplay foam armour or etching a pretty pattern into your headdress, with your trusty Dremel you’ll make your cosplay outfit look sleeker and more skilful.

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Dremel® Glue Gun 930

Strengthen the inside seams of your homemade cosplay prop using a Dremel Glue Gun 930.

A hot glue gun is a firm favourite in any cosplay crafter’s toolbox. It can be used in all kinds of cosplay props and costumes, from Japanese anime outfits to superhero boots. We’re pretty sure there isn’t a cosplay outfit around that hasn’t been in contact with a glue gun. Dremel’s dual temperature glue gun (930) with its corresponding glue sticks, is suitable for use on a wide variety of materials, like EVA foam, craft felt and cardboard. The precision tip gets all the details right and the coloured glue sticks are perfect for DIY cosplay decorations. Time to get gluing!

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Dremel® Versatip

The Dremel Versatip comes in handy when soldering LED lights into your cosplay creations or hot-cutting different materials.

If you want to add exciting electronics and fancy light effects to your anime costumes, a soldering iron is a must. But creative cosplayers use the simple soldering iron for so much more. This is where the Dremel Versatip comes in handy. With its six interchangeable tips, it can be used for all sorts of extraordinary embellishments, from soldering LED lights into cosplay helmets, to hot-cutting foam, engraving patterns into leather and adding texture to EVA foam cosplay props. There’s a protective cover and a child safety lock, so you’re in safe hands with Dremel’s Versatip.

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Dremel® Flexible Shaft (225)

Attach Dremel’s Flexible Shaft (225) to your Multi-Tool and work very precisely in hard-to-reach places.

The best cosplay costumes and props show an amazing attention to detail. A top tip for achieving a fine finish on your cosplay costumes is the Flexible Shaft Attachment (225), also known as the Dremel snake. Attach it to your Multi-Tool and you’re instantly adding a huge amount of flexibility to your movements, as well as fingertip control for some detailed polishing, carving or engraving action. The attachment’s handpiece is much lighter than the multi-tool itself and has a comfort grip, allowing you to work on your awesome cosplay ideas for hours without your hand getting tired.

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Dremel® WorkStation (220)

This Dremel Workstation (220) is the perfect solution for holding your Multi-Tool steady while you work on your cosplay props.

The last thing you want when creating a cosplay costume is to damage it while using your Dremel. Luckily, Dremel’s WorkStation offers an excellent way to prevent such mishaps. The WorkStation is a drill press, tool holder and flex shaft holder – all in one. By clamping your Multi-Tool into the WorkStation, you can use both hands to steadily touch your cosplay object to the Dremel. All the while, the cord management clips keep the cord out of harm’s way. Furthermore, this ace all-rounder allows you to drill holes at an angle, right where you need them to securely assemble your cosplay piece.

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Dremel® EZ SpeedClic Sanding Mandrel & Sanding Bands (SC407)

Easily shape EVA foam pieces for your cosplay prop using Dremel’s EZ SpeedClic Sanding Mandrel and Sanding Bands (SC407).

If you’re a cosplayer, chances are you’re working with EVA foam a lot. After cutting the foam and gluing it together, your cosplay props are usually far from polished. But don’t worry: a nice bit of sanding will turn even the most easy cosplay idea into a convincing piece. Dremel’s EZ SpeedClic Sanding Mandrel and Sanding Bands are wonderful for shaping EVA foam – creating bevelled edges, removing excess glue and smoothing surfaces. You can even use Dremel’s sanding bits to finish 3-D prints to perfection. The sanding drums are easy to change or replace, thanks to the EZ SpeedClic system.

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Engraving Cutter 2,4 mm (107)

Give your cosplay costume extra details such as a groove or perfect dot with Dremel’s 2,4 mm engraving cutter (107).

There’s no end to the amount of detail you can give your EVA foam cosplay items. Whether it’s futuristic helmets, intricate armour pieces or complete cosplay costumes you’re after, no cosplay idea is too complex. Once you’ve transferred your design, all you have to do is insert the desired cutting bit into your Multi-Tool and start working away. Dremel’s high-quality 2,4 mm engraving cutter works wonders on soft materials like EVA foam, leaving a gorgeous groove or perfect dot behind. There are many other engraving bits to choose from. Go on, make your cosplay outfits even more convincing.

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