Fabric paint instead of expensive vinyl saved my armor build

I was trying to make a Mandalorian chest plate for under $30 and got stuck on the detailing. Real vinyl sheets were like $15 a pop at Joann's. Then I grabbed a $2 bottle of metallic fabric paint from Walmart and painted right over craft foam. It cracked a bit after 3 wears but honestly looked better than the shiny plastic stuff. Has anyone else hacked a material swap like this and gotten decent results?

2 comments

2 Comments

colemiller4d ago

Yeah I'll be honest I used to think you HAD to use vinyl or real leather for armor to look legit. I was dead set on spending that extra cash. But seeing how yours held up after a few wears and actually looked better with the cracking is making me rethink my next build. That fabric paint trick especially on craft foam sounds way smarter than my overpriced supplies. Might have to try it on some gauntlet details I've been putting off.

derekgibson4d ago

3 wears isn't bad at all for a $2 fix, and @colemiller that cracking actually gives it a weathered battle look that screen-accurate armor has.