+

[Kagallie]

What I do for almost all of my costumes is take old clothes that have the right colour and fabric type for my costume.

Sooo like for my Rider outfit I bought an old prom dress that was black, and plan to alter it to fit right, then this really weird looking purple dress and plan to use that for all the purple trim.

In total it cost me about $5 leaving me only needing to get more black for my arms/legs (and the wig and prop)

Likewise, for my vampire princess miyu costume I just bought a button up shirt that was meant for a much larger man, I had some left over red ribbon from when I used to make hair accessories. I had to buy the fabric for the purple bow but in the end I only paid $35 for the entier costume (including wig)

But I was wondering else who works like this, or if everyone just buys new fabric.

or if any one had any other ideas for the 'poor college cosplayers' of the forums.

[kiratsukai]

I bought half a meter of blue fur to make Ikuto ears and a tail for my own costume... that was WAY too much. So now I'm trying to convince my partner to cosplay Yoru, since we have more than enough materials to make 4 paws, 2 ears, a tail, 4 wrist/ankle cuffs and the cross. Just need to find a black sleeveless top and shorts the proper length (though I might even have those left over from my white rabbit...).

It's a good idea to use what you have when you can... even if it involves making something cheaply for a group member or friend and then being able to charge them cost of materials (making your own materials cheaper in the process).

[firecloak]

I'm about to use this old red t-shirt for a small pouch.

I've bought bedsheets for a quarter at garage sales and used this for props...

[RavenTifa]

I use old fabric or clothes alllll the time. If it's useable for something I'm currently working on, then hey saves me money, has the right color or design, heck yeah I use it! Bought about a whole bolt of heavy white satin for my Princess Sakura of TRC cosplay, just to be safe, have waaay too much and plan to use it to not only redo that outfit, but make some of her other outfits also, along with the clothes for some other characters.

[Mangochutney]

Oh yes oh yes. For one, reduce reuse recycle! For another, it's possible to find fabric in the form of clothes/bedding that would be impossible or really really expensive to buy new. I have some gorgeous embroidered sea-blue shot dupioni that would have cost hojillions dollars if it hadn't been made into a curtain that somebody eventually got tired of.

[PurpleDuckie]

Generally I buy new fabric, because I either don't have enough leftover or it's just not the right kind of fabric or colour. Though I have a huge bin full of fabric that will be re-used someday. Sometimes I make small pillows or plushies out of it.

Though, bias tape and ribbon are things I re-use a lot!

[ShinobiXikyu]

I do lots of thrifting pieces out of existing clothes, and I always end up buying too much fabric when making things from scratch, so I have a big scraps drawer. And I can often make smaller items with the leftovers (I have a huge bunch of massively soft and fluffy chenille; think I'll make a pillow for Mom with that...I know I couldn't stop snuggling my face into it).

And seconding getting old bedding and curtains for some REALLY nice fabrics. King-sized sheets for five bucks a set at Value Village are great for mockups. And I can get about six meters of beautifully patterned, heavy, excellent-for-old-style-formal-gowns silk for thirty bucks by buying a curtain-in-a-bag set on sale (actually told to me BY a sewing store employee.Lol.)

[Kumagoraa]

Kind of bad... Well I added tails to an old tuxedo jacket, and lined them with my high school graduation gown. :'D




(Months before I got it, I told my bf I'd probably use the gown for fabric. His response?
"... What if it's made of satin?"
He knows me so well. XD )

[Mangochutney]

Originally Posted by ShinobiXikyu

I can get about six meters of beautifully patterned, heavy, excellent-for-old-style-formal-gowns silk for thirty bucks by buying a curtain-in-a-bag set on sale (actually told to me BY a sewing store employee.Lol.)

Oh god. Details. PM me if you have to but I must know.

[Rejected-Spork]

I usually make mock ups of new costumes with old costume fabric, especially when I'm using a pattern I made. xD I also tear apart my house for materials for new cosplays before even looking to buy things for it. I am jobless and have no money, so it's kind of important that I don't spend every penny on cosplay.

[ladyxzeus]

I always have fabric left... I always buy too much. So I use it on other costumes whenever I need. But usually I don't need it, it's just different colours and materials. Though I may use the fabric I used for Maiko in my Meroko's costume if I can't find the right colour taffeta

[TR Rose]

I always use old thrift store bedsheets for mockups. Soooo much cheaper than buying fabric to make mockups out of.

Usually I try to use leftover fabrics from costumes for other things (usually details). I was able to make all of Malon's skirt trim from leftovers from Luna's dress. May's hat was leftover from something else. I especially can use leftover things when I do 'Christmas versions' because there is no set design! I used up a lot of old fleece that way last year!

OH and if you need bits of a fabric, always check the remnant bins before buying off the bolt. Saves a TON of money and you can get really unusual things! I tend to stock up on things I find "pretty" even if I don't have an immediate need for them.

[Syagria]

Originally Posted by ShinobiXikyu

And I can get about six meters of beautifully patterned, heavy, excellent-for-old-style-formal-gowns silk for thirty bucks by buying a curtain-in-a-bag set on sale (actually told to me BY a sewing store employee.Lol.)

OMG. HOW? I second MangoChutney. This makes my inner fabric fangirl go all squee.

[Pocketfightr]

I've used leftover fabric and sometimes costumes that don't fit to make mock-ups for new costumes. Fox's shirt and pants were actually leftover material from my Shakugan no Shana cosplay. (How I managed to buy so much extra I could make pants and a tank out of, I don't know.)

[ShinobiXikyu]

@moango and Syagria
Lol, it's nothing super special, but I don't know if it can be gotten outside of Canada. Fabricland here sells some home decor items like bedding and curtains in those preassembled bags. The curtains are almost always made of silk or a high quality satin, and they often have them on clearance for only $30-50. Even less with a sewing club membership card. So yeah. A good bunch of fancy silk for dirt cheap. Though if you run out because clearance ones are often the last ones ever of a style, you're boned. And nonreturnable, but still a heck of a deal. When I worked there for a time, one of the older employees told me the trick (to quote, "want cheap silk? These curtain-in-a-bag sets are dirt cheap and give you lovely fabric for half the price compared to if you bought it by the meter.")