floral wrote:Does anyone know alternatives to a foam or 3D printed head? I am looking to make a suit at home without having to buy any materials. My family doesn’t know I’m a furry so I just said I’m making a costume. I have mesh and paint for the eyes and I have fur but I have no head base. Foam and 3D printing is too expensive and I have no source of income. Is there anything else I can use to make the head around the house? Would styrofoam or cardboard work? I have LOTS of cardboard so I could make a nice cardboard frame and then cover it with duct tape and then fur. I plan to use a hard plastic costume iron-man mask with foam chin guards as the true base. What should I shape the rest out of though? I seriously can’t buy any new materials at all. Could I make the head completely plush and stuff it with stuffing? I have lots of that
Heya! I was in a similar situation about 2 years ago when I first joined the fandom (literally your post is almost the same as mine word-for-word), thankfully the people in this very form helped guide me the right way. You're not gonna like this answer though, as I remember not liking it either, but I am SO glad I listened.
Cardboard, styrofoam etc are not suitable for making fursuits for many reasons. They are not breathable materials, and aren't very durable either. You sweat a LOT in a fursuit, and materials like cardboard, paper mache etc do NOT like moisture. It will mold very easily and or produce chemicals that you definitely don't want near your face. Assuming that you are somehow able to stop it from falling apart or growing mold simply from wearing it, you then need to find out how to wash it, which should be quite difficult as even just disinfecting it, which you must do after every wear, will start to break it down, never mind dunking and scrubbing after every couple of outings. Assuming you somehow found or made a pattern for a plush head, stuffing/Polyfill is also not breathable enough and doesn't hold shape well as it shifts easily.
I know this isn't what you want to hear and you're probably thinking to yourself "They're worrying too much, it doesn't have to be perfect, I just want to make a simple costume, I'm sure it won't be too bad to use those materials", those are all things I told myself when people here told me the same.
I highly, highly recommend saving up for proper materials. I understand that this seems unnecessary, I know you said you have no source of income, but trust me, it's worth saving up for. You can get a roll of foam from Wal-mart for under $20. It's a safe, breathable, quality material that is easy to work with. Do yourself a favor and if you can not afford it now, try to save up for it. Fursuits are luxury items and are not a necessity, but if you want a suit that's safe and going to last more than a few days, just wait. I understand this probably sounds over-the-top but as someone who was going to attempt to make a suit out of cardboard and paper mache 2 years ago, I am so, so glad the people here convinced me to take the leap from a little craft project to an actual investment, even if it meant waiting and saving up etc. Save your materials for when you have the other proper materials to go with them. As tempting as it might be to leap in head-first with whatever you have, it's much better to research and learn and gain experience until you can eventually invest in the right materials that will last you years.
As a side note, I'd recommend that if you don't want to wait all the way until you can invest in it all, that you maybe aim lower and save up for a dino mask! The Jurassic world dino masks are extremely popular with newer furries as they can be easily customized with paint or even used as a base for an actual suit, and they have pre-hinged moving jaws as well. You can buy them at Target for around $13, or you can get them online. I have one myself and they are great bases for people to start with!
In the end, whatever you decide to do is your choice, just please make sure whatever you choose is safe for your health, and I wish you good luck with crafting either way ^u^
