My cheap D.Va bodysuit went from Halloween store disaster to con-ready in 3 days

I grabbed a $25 D.Va bodysuit off Amazon last month and it looked like a wrinkled trash bag out of the package. The print was faded and the stitching was already coming loose at the zipper. I spent a whole Saturday cutting off the cheap elastic bands and replacing them with $4 of black wiggle elastic from Joann Fabrics. Then I used fabric paint to touch up the blue lines on the armor panels and added some foam shoulder pads I made from a yoga mat. After three nights of work it actually looks solid enough for Anime Expo. Has anyone here tried heat bonding a different fabric overlay onto those cheap cosplay suits without ruining them?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanjenkins12d ago

Gotta admit I wrote off those cheap Amazon suits as a lost cause before. But seeing you turn a $25 mess into something con ready with just some elastic and fabric paint is making me rethink that. Heard from a few people that heat bonding works best if you test a small piece first on the inner seam. Might have to try that yoga mat trick myself next time.

lisa67112d ago

Oh man, the yoga mat trick is a lifesaver! I tried it on a cheap spandex suit that was completely see-through and it actually held up after a full day of walking around. I found that a thin layer of fabric glue on the edges before heat bonding kept everything from peeling off. Also, testing on the inner seam is good advice I wish I had followed my first time because I melted a tiny hole in the armpit and had to patch it with more paint. Have you tried using a regular iron on low heat instead of a heat gun? That worked way better for me and I didn't risk burning myself.