Homemade Star Wars Costume

You can capture the true spirit of the Force with a homemade Star Wars costume, even if you were planning on buying a full-scale replica. Many of the classic costumes are easier to make than you might initially imagine, they just require patience and devotion.

Hardcore Star Wars fans, whether they are into Cosplay or not, will stop at nothing to create even the most deeply complex Star Wars costume from scratch. If that includes welding a Darth Vader helmet or hand-stitching a Padma dress, so be it. But since patterns may not be readily available, most people prefer to keep it simple and stick to some of the original costumes that can be put together with more ease.

Being able to sew or design is definitely of help when choosing a costume, but it isn't a necessity. What you mainly need is a good eye and some ingenuity. Start by looking at pictures from the movies. These are available everywhere. You can find thousands online and also in scores of books. They will help you get inspired and narrow down your options.

For women, don't feel you're limited to Leia and Padma. Of course, dressing in Leia's gold bikini is a classic fan favorite option in homemade Star Wars costumes, and a fun costume to make, but women can also be Jedi knights, Jawas and any of the other characters.

The most common of the costumes on display are:

• Luke
• Leia
• Han Solo
• Obi Wan
• Padma
• Darth Vader

But all the others will be seen as well, from the major players to characters so obscure, they are only known from the books.

A lot of fans prefer to work with other fans when making Star Wars costumes. It's more fun, but also helps you stay on the right course for your costume. Everyone keeps an eye out for everyone else and advises and assists along the way. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the making of a Star Wars costume is not for a casual Halloween party but for a fan-related event. There are plenty of regular Star Wars conventions, many of which sponsor costume contests. A Star Wars costume remains a popular choice at Comic-Con and Cosplay events as well. This means that your costume is going to be on display before thousands of people who know every detail of the movies and exactly what the costume should look like. As much as these are friendly events, you still want to do yourself proud.

If you don't have a Star Wars friend handy, there are no end of online forums to help you with your homemade Star Wars costume. You can now post pictures daily to get advice and assistance. Don't feel shy about asking for help – this is a friendly and supportive community and they are more than happy to help you create your perfect costume.

Many fans have no compunction about spending a small fortune to get their costume right. It's harmless fun, but in tough economic times, you shouldn't feel pressured into putting a lot of money into something that's just an occasional hobby. If you want to own an elaborate Vader or Padma costume that you'll wear for years, that's one thing, but if you intend on doing something different for ongoing events, keep the emphasis on the fun, rather than the perfect. Luke, Leia and Han's costumes can be very simple and inexpensive to construct, as are any of the Jedi knight costumes, with the exception of props like Han's blaster and of course the light saber. Fans are ingenious, however, and have figured out ways of constructing replicas that aren't difficult or expensive. Once again, the many Star Wars forums are your friends!

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