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Welcome to the Leaf Pile!

Hello! I’m Sammy, aka LeafninCosplay, and this is my leaf pile, a collection of tutorials and helpful advice that can get you started with sewing and crafting or give you ideas for techniques. Everything in this blog can be done in minimal space. My workshop is technically the corner of my living room in a 900sqft apartment I share with my roommate. You don’t need a giant workshop or massive house to cosplay. You can craft and create cosplay in spaces as small as a dorm room!

If you’re new to making your own cosplay or not sure how to start, check out the Getting Started section on the menu. This features a collection of tutorials specifically geared towards getting started with a specific subject.

If you’re looking for something specific, the Tutorials Index is arranged by subject. Recent tutorials are located on the menu above. You can also find character-specific build tutorials on Character Builds.

Feel free to follow me on social media for updates on my latest projects, random posts about my artbook obsession, and games. And if you make something with one of my tutorials, let me know! I’d love to see your work. Remember, sewing and crafting are skills, not talent, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

This blog is compatible with dark readers and newer posts all have alt text for accessibility. If there are any issues with the contrast or accessibility, let me know!

Announcements

New Pages! (9.13.22) – There are two new indices for easier navigation. Please check out Tutorials Index by Budget and Tutorials Index by Skill Level.

Upcoming conventions and panels

Rose City Comic Con – I hope you all had a great con! It was a bit of a hot one, but it was a lot of fun! If you came to my panel and would like the slides, please check out Panel Presentations

Kumoricon – I will be giving three panels at the next Kumoricon in November! Times coming soon! Here are the panels:

  • Cosplay on a Ramen-level Budget
  • Apartment-sized Cosplay
  • Posing 101 (new!)

Latest Tutorials

plush things

Make a felt Pokeball prop! (with pattern)

Pokeball, go! I’m a long-time fan of pokemon, and recently I’ve been making more Pokemon cosplays. And naturally, you need some Pokeballs to go with them. I thought about all different kinds of media from foam to plastic ornaments to balls, but why not just sew them? Felt Pokeballs are great for cosplay accessories, making…

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sewing and textiles

Hotfixing rhinestones to fabric

Shinies. Who doesn’t love shinies? Rhinestones can really make a cosplay shine, but you could be like me and have a love-hate relationship with glue. Thankfully there are other options, and it’s called hotfixing. Hotfixing is like it sounds. You’re fixing gems to fabric using high heat. While you could hotfix with an iron or…

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trims

Adding stripes to a lined sailor collar

Sailor collars show up in all sorts of cosplay from Sailor Moon to school uniforms and everything in between. Lined sailor collars have a nice solid color on the bottom with the stripes showing only on the top. But how the heck do you get the stripes even? When do you add them? The best…

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accessories

Making large stiff hairbows

If there’s one thing that anime and video games really like, it’s large hairbows. The problem with giant hairbows is that the bigger you get, the more gravity reminds you that it’s real. If you’re doing any performance with this hairbow, you also want to make sure it can withstand dancing and performing. I’m a…

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pattern modification

Making oversized puff sleeves

Every so often you find an anime or game character that has excessively large puffy sleeves. The problem is, sleeves that size really shouldn’t be feasibly possible by real-world physics. However, we can trick physics into working for us instead of against us. Utena is definitely one of many shows that really leaned into the…

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Social media feeds

Pattern complete for Kraehe! I had to do some wild petticoat magic to get this skirt to stay up without a hoop. It's #websitewednesday! Recently I upgraded my Ryu cosplay and needed privacy cutouts. Do you need some too? They're great to have. Here's a way you can make them! Next up on the #princesstutu cosplay list is Kraehe for my sister! I spent much of last week drafting up a pair of fake tatas and fitting a corset(?) over them. It's Friday. No thoughts, empty head It's #websitewednesday! Need a Pokeball but don't want to bother with plastic or foam? Why not felt! Good for con-safe props, accessories, and even keychains. Pattern included! So much exciting Nintendo news today! Here's some Camilla, Adrift in the dreams. Maybe she'll be a summon in the new game! A drink after cleaning the tavern and getting revenge. It's #websitewednesday! Like shinies? I sure do. I learned this technique for all the shinies on May's contest dress. Here's all the info you need to know to get started (and the stuff the instruction booklet and many other websites don't tell you about) Cosplay list for #rccc! Pulling out some old faves this weekend and trying not to roast in the heatwave.

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