Trying to find a specific post in this pile of leaves? Search letting you down? No worries, I’ve got you covered. Here is the master list of the tutorials and advice posts I’ve written, sorted by categories.

You can also find tutorials sorted by budget and by skill level.

Looking for my panel presentations? You can find them here: Panel Presentations

Getting started

• Sewing terms
• Getting started: sewing equipment

Sewing Machine 101

• Hand and foot positions for your sewing machine
• Start sewing with the straight stitch
• Mastering your sewing machine

Patterns 101

• How to read the pattern envelope
• Interpreting fabric requirements on a pattern envelope
• How to use the pattern piece guide in pattern instructions

Accents

Bits and bobs for decoration

• Coin shapes made out of Worbla (and how to chain them)
• Dyeing plastic ornaments with food coloring

Sewn Accents

• Braided rope backpack straps
• Floating straps that move with you instead of trapping you

Armor

Armor out of all sorts of materials

• Cheap shelf liner chainmaille
• Paper mache bone gauntlet with vertebrae

Bags and Pouches

Carry your stuff at a con

• Basic belt pouch to keep your phone in
• Big Kiki cross-body bag

Backpieces

Cool accessories for your back

• Seamless tiered Isis wings with Mytho

Belts and waist

Belts, buckles, and fun waist things

• Decorative vinyl and canvas belts
• Paper mache decorative belt buckle

Bows

All kinds of bows!

• Getting giant bows to stay up
• Making large stiff hairbows

Budget-friendly Cosplay

Cosplay on a dime that doesn’t look cheap

For a comprehensive list of budget-friendly cosplays, see Tutorials Index by Budget

Character tutorials

Character-specific techniques and tricks

• Final Fantasy XIV: Cutouts with Ryne
• Fire Emblem Heroes: Camilla’s crown (with pattern!)
• Fire Emblem Heroes: Floating straps with Adrift Camilla
• Kiki’s Delivery Service: Big Kiki cross-body bag
• NieR Automata: Segmented Worbla finger armor attached to gloves with Adam
• Persona 5: Paper mache poleaxe with Persona 5 Noir
• Pokemon DPP: Paper mache Poketch
• Pokemon ORAS: Colorful rainbow and gradient skirts with May
• Pokemon ORAS: May’s Gravity-defying skirt part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3
• Princess Tutu: Kraehe’s backless corset
• Princess Tutu: Seamless tiered Isis wings with Mytho
• Super Mario Odyssey: Modifying plastic festival masks for Peach’s kimono
• The Untamed: Adding sideburns into a pulled back wig for Wei Wuxian’s wig
• Thunderbolt Fantasy: Fabric-covered Chinese topknot ornament with Lang
• Utena: Making oversized puff sleeves
• Zelda: Puffiest of stand up collars with Master Kohga

Looking for a more comprehensive list of tutorials with my builds? Check out Character Builds!

Collars

All collars large and small

• Adding stripes to a lined sailor collar
• Decorative cutouts with Ryne
• Puffiest of stand up collars with Master Kohga

Corsetry

• Kraehe’s backless corset

Decoupage

Budget crafting technique for cool cosplay

• Using decoupage and fabric for props and accessories
• Decoupage a basic stick or staff prop
• Decoupage drinking horn

Dresses

• Tear-away transformation dress for short dresses

EVA Foam

Foam techniques and projects

• Making weathered wood out of EVA foam
• Making wood and branches out of EVA foam

Fabric crash course

Basic information and rundown on how to work with a specific fabric type

• Acrylic felt
• Synthetic microsuede
• Tablecloth vinyl

Fabric deconstruction and reconstruction

Modify your fabric to make cool designs and patterns

• Color blocking with spandex: the basics
• Cutouts in stretchy shirts with privacy panels!
• Cutouts with Ryne

Fabric painting and dyeing

Painting and dyeing your fabric in various ways

• Making your own fabric spraypaint with acrylic paint
• Painting faux suede with acrylics
• Scribbling with Shiva Paintstiks
• Stenciling with Shiva Paintstiks

Gems

Shinies and sparkly things

• Resin-free glitter gems
• Resin-free mica hot glue gems

Gloves and armbands

Stuff to go on your arms and hands

• Jointed Worbla finger armor
• Paper mache bone gauntlet with vertebrae
• Segmented Worbla finger armor attached to gloves

Hair accessories and headpieces

Fun things to put in your hair and wig

• Bucciarati’s paper mache hair clips (with pattern!)
• Camilla’s crown (with pattern!)
• Decoupage mini crown
• Fabric-covered Chinese topknot ornament
• Large stiff hairbows
• Modifying plastic festival masks

Jewelry

Bling

• Beaded garlands for jewelry
• Plastic tubing for jewelry and accessories
• Wrap-around ear cuffs with Worbla

Legs

Fun things for the leggies

• Winding wraps and bandage wraps that don’t move

Paper mache

Durable projects on a budget

• Paper mache for props and accessories
• Raised details with paper mache

Accessories

• Paper mache decorative belt buckle
• Paper mache Poketch

Props

• Paper mache for props and accessories
• Poleaxe with Persona 5 Noir
• Wrapped handle effect with paper mache and a PVC pipe

Pattern Making & Modification

Techniques to customize your cosplay look

• Lets make fake tatas!
• Kraehe’s backless corset
• Make a dress shirt pattern into a sailor-collared school uniform
• Oversized puff sleeves
• Seamless tiered Isis wings
• Tear-away transformation dress for short dresses

Plush things

Plushies, plush props, and other plush things for cosplay or for fun

• Felt Pokeball prop! (with pattern)
• Restuffing plushes – Flat-chu’s adventure

Pockets

You always need pockets

• Drafting and sewing a chest pocket with flap

Prop holders

Keeping your hands free at cons

• Belt-mounted prop holder for sticks and swords

Props made of unusual things

Making props out of weird stuff

• Making a prop out of a kite
• Paper ofuda with sticker vinyl

Painting techniques

Cool ways to paint

• Painting weathered metal with a makeup wedge

Sewing techniques

Sewing techniques to make your cosplay look cool

• Color blocking with spandex: the basics
• Lets make fake tatas!

Appliques

• Circle and oval appliques

Buttons

• Using the one-step buttonhole option on a sewing machine

Cutouts

• Cutouts in stretchy shirts with privacy panels!
• Making decorative cutouts with Ryne

Hems

• How to sew a scalloped hem
• How to sew an irregular hem

Trims

• Adding stripes to a lined sailor collar
• Scalloped trim out of satin ribbon
• Sewing bead chains to fabric
• Stripes and details with satin ribbon

Shirts

Making and modifying shirts

• Adding shoulder tabs to shirts and jackets (with pattern!)
• Make a dress shirt pattern into a sailor-collared school uniform
• Oversized puff sleeves

Shoes and covers

Decorate your feet

• Adding extra space and zippers in boots
• Basic shoe covers for flat shoes
• Plastic-wrapping your leg to make shoe cover patterns

Shoulders

Shoulder accents, accessories, and tailoring

• Adding shoulder tabs to shirts and jackets (with pattern!)
• Fabric stand-up shoulders
• Making and attaching a sleeve head roll
• Making and attaching properly-fitting shoulder pads

Skirts

Skirts, petticoats, and all things that twirl

• Colorful rainbow and gradient skirts
• Fluffy idol petticoat on a budget
• Gravity-defying skirts
  • Pt1: making a basque waistband
  • Pt2: planning and attaching the skirt
  • Pt 3: the hoop

Sleeves

Sleeve modification and structure

• Making and attaching a sleeve head roll
• Oversized puff sleeves

Tassels

They’re fun because they go swish swish

• Adding gradients to tassels with alcohol markers
• Make your own tassels!

Textiles

Fabric techniques and manipulation

• Cutting chiffon and voile with a soldering iron
• Hotfixing rhinestones to fabric

Tailoring

• Making and attaching a sleeve head roll
• Making and attaching properly-fitting shoulder pads
• Taking in sleeveless tops, vests, and jackets
• Turning a saggy velcro obi into a wrap-around obi

Wigs

Wig modification, care, and construction

• How to detangle and destress a long, straight wig

Alternatives

• Felt wig alternative for short-haired characters
• Paper raffia wig alternative for characters with wavy hair

Modification

• Adding sideburns into a pulled back wig
• Stuffed felt pillow base for gravity-defying wig details

Worbla

Fun and cool things to do with Worbla

• Camilla’s crown (with pattern!)
• Coin shapes out of Worbla (and how to chain them)
• Fabric-covered Chinese topknot ornament
• Jointed Worbla finger armor
• Segmented Worbla finger armor attached to gloves
• Wrap-around ear cuffs with Worbla

Zippers

Modification, techniques, and accessories

• Modifying metal zippers