Project Hikari (Budget kigurumi project)

Buff55 · Post by **Buff55** » Sat Sep 22, 2018 5:37 pm

Well here goes nothing. I guess it's time to unveil my kigurumi project. This is my first time making a kigurumi so please don't be too harsh with your criticism of what I do to make it but please point out any mistakes that I make along the way so I know what to improve on. So I'm going to be doing a kig of Dawn (Or Hikari if your from Japan) from Diamond and Pearl. So why did I chose Dawn? Well it's mostly because I instantly fell in love with her design when I first opened the manual of Pokemon Diamond and I found out she had gotten a winter redesign when Platinum came out so I could kig as her all year round. So as I was saying before that this is my first time making a kigurumi and it will actually be my first time seeing one up close. Now there is one rule that I set for myself, I am not allowed to go over $100 total (not going to include the cost of Dawn's outfit in there. Cheapest one I could find was $80.) I also set a personal deadline which is AnimeNYC (Nov 16). So wish me luck.

Renko · Post by **Renko** » Sat Sep 22, 2018 5:41 pm

In under 100$, this will be very hard.
Especially when making first time, the material is almost that much. Hell, even the wigs will cost a big portion of that.
I'd recommend saving up more so you can do it on a bigger budget.
3D printing is also a thing, take a look at Floras OpenKig project, but that shape might not fit dawn

Buff55 · Post by **Buff55** » Sun Sep 23, 2018 4:11 am

I'm actually going to be using mostly generic and off branded things for it to keep the cost low. I've already got a wig and corset for around $14 thanks to one of those pop up Halloween stores opening nearby, I just have to straighten and style it. As for the hadati I found a website that sells a zentai that claims to be for kigurumi at a low cost. I'm modifying a template that I found on thingverse for the mask. As I gain more experience I'll upgrade from there but I feel like it's a descent place to start.

Renko · Post by **Renko** » Sun Sep 23, 2018 9:51 am

For hada, you probably should use cantillion.
Cheapest hadas known to me at least.
And all the other things sound nice, but I think you'll hit limits really quickly.
Good luck

Diskid · Post by **Diskid** » Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:27 am

Good Luck! It's always good to have big goals! Dream big or go home! Keep us in the loop, it would be fascinating to see how it goes!

Lorie_02 · Post by **Lorie_02** » Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:32 am

Good luck my friend ! Great project

KineticIsEpic · Post by **KineticIsEpic** » Sun Sep 23, 2018 5:42 pm

Yeah I agree, you're missing a zero in your price goal.

Buff55 · Post by **Buff55** » Mon Sep 24, 2018 1:05 am

@Renko

Renko wrote:For hada, you probably should use cantillion.

Could you send me a link to their site? I can't seem to find it.

Anyway I may be able to do this on a low budget. Here's my list of items with prices.
Wig: $19
Corset: $14
Hada: $25
Padding (2inch foam): $8
mesh: $3
Paint: $13
Sandpaper: $5
ABS filament: $10 (I already have some in my workshop so I won't need to buy it. Just throwing it up for a price point)

Note: Not factoring in materials that anyone should have like ink and paper for a regular printer.

KineticIsEpic · Post by **KineticIsEpic** » Wed Sep 26, 2018 4:10 am

I kinda guessed you didn't have a 3D printer yet (most people don't). Seeing you do, your budget isn't quite such a stretch, but maybe $100 for just the mask would be a better investment. Some points:

9 bucks for your "wig" is going to be a problem: You generally need 2-3 wigs to cover a kigu mask. And I wouldn't even trust one wig at that price point. I'd ballpark around $25-$50 here. Another thing easy to leave out here? Hairstyling supplies. Those alone could run over your $100 budget quite quickly. Another thing to factor in is the fact your first mask probably isn't going to shine (or even turn out in one piece). You might need to take 2 or 3 tries before you get something that you're comfortable wearing.
While you can certainly get away with simply sanding and painting the 3D printed mask (as I did for the one in my PFP), the results from that are generally somewhat crude in terms of surface quality. Most makers will either use a filler material on the print or, most commonly, use the print to make a negative mold to cast a more durable and heat-resistant resin mask with.
You'll probably struggle getting something in one piece the first try, let alone something you'd be proud to wear in front of others - unless, of course, you have experience with things like prop-making.
I won't get into cosplay outfits here since I have no experience, but you're probably going to want one, and a good one will make your wallet a lot lighter.

I don't want to discourage you, however. I think my kig mask ran well under $100 in materials, although I had a couple things on-hand already. Just want to help point out possible hidden costs that are often glossed over.

Buff55 · Post by **Buff55** » Wed Sep 26, 2018 2:40 pm

I don't exactly trust the wig ether but it's the only one that I could find that was the right color. I have bought wigs from that shop in the past and they're fairly good quality. Nowhere near pro quality mind you but good enough to get a decent amount of mileage. One that I bought from them lasted for around 4 years before it had to be replaced. Anyway the $9 was a typo. I meant to say $19 but my 1 key is busted and it doesn't work half the time.