instructables

Wonder Woman Cosplay: Body Armour and Gladiator Skirt

by LDolphin

So you have decided to become Wonder Woman... a
good choice! Maybe you've been an avid fan of the
comic books or seen the movies she has been in and
thought "How awesome would it be to BE her!" Well,
you have come to the right place. In this series of
Instructables (Yes! There will be more) I will take you
step by step through how I built my costume start to
finish. Whether you are a first time cosplayer looking
for some instruction or a 10th time cosplayer just
searching for inspiration, I hope that this Instructable
will come in handy. Now go out there and become the
God-killer, the Spirit of Truth, the Goddess of Love
and War. Why? Because you can.

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Step 1: Materials

-Saran wrap -Thin craft foam (I used a roll of “Grip Premium liner” I
-Duct tape found)
-Sharpie -Plasti Dip spray (readily available at auto shops)
-Scissors -Painters tape
-Half inch EVA foam (I used interlocking floor mats -Red, gold, and blue metallic spray paint
from the hardware store) -Wide extra sticky Velcro strip
-Straight pins -Ripstop fabric (I cut up one of those drawstring
-Contact Cement, something along the lines of Barge backpacks you get for free at events)
All Purpose Cement or Dap Weldwood. (Hot glue is -Sewing machine/Hand-sewing skills
also an option but it doesn’t create as nice seams, -Bronze paint marker
and may not hold quite as well.) -Thin strong ribbon-like fabric (I’m not sure what to
-X-acto/craft knife with plenty of extra blades call this)
-Dremel tool (or sandpaper) in case your cuts don’t -Attachable snaps and a snap setter or some other
turn out beautifully form of hooking-together things
-Heat gun
-Wood burner

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Step 2: Breastplate/Armour: Patterning
This is one of the most important steps. Without a
pattern the costume may not actually be able to fit
when completed. You don’t want to have put in all
that work and have it all be for naught in the end.
I. Start by having a friend wrap you in Saran Wrap.
Make sure that you wear a tight fitting shirt or a sports
bra for this step. The wrap should extend from below
your hips where the bottom of the belt will rest, to as
far up below your armpits as possible. I made mine a
little bit short in the beginning and had to extend it
later which was unfortunate.
best friend. I simply can’t stress enough how much
you will need to lean on them. On your pattern, draw
out the lines where you see them on the actual
Wonder Woman outfit. Make sure you include the
lines from the gold belt and eagle, not just the center.
When you are satisfied with how it looks, cut off any
excess duct tape from the outside of the pattern.
***At this point I started working on the skirt at the
same time, so if you would like to skip to that and
come back you can.
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II. Now go ahead and cover up all the Saran Wrap
with duct tape. When this is done, have your friend
draw lines down the front and back center as well as
either side and right below your breasts. These will be
where the seams will lie later.
III. Have your friend can very carefully remove the
pattern by cutting along one of the seam lines. I
would suggest the one down the back center.
IV. This is the step where, if you didn’t know before,
you’ll learn quickly that reference images are your
Alright! So you have mostly finished the skirt now, or
maybe you haven’t even started. Either way is fine.
We are going to continue on with the main
breastplate/armour.
V. Before you begin to cut apart the pattern into
panels, draw some little registration marks
horizontally across the seams. These should be
frequent so you will have an easier time lining up the
pieces when you begin to glue them.
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1. Step I 1. Step II

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1. Step V 1. registration marks

2. Step V

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Step 3: Breastplate/Armour: the Real Deal
I. It is now that we have finally come to the pattern-
cutting time. Cut along the seams that you marked off
previously. This should split the pattern into six
separate pieces. Two back panels and four front
ones. A slit will need to be cut into the breast cups so
they will lay flat when you trace them.
II. Lay out your patterns on the foam tiles. Use
straight pins to tack down the edges and make it as
flat as possible before tracing them. Trace each piece
carefully with a sharpie, then remove pins and
patterns. You are not quite done with the patterns yet
so don’t discard them.
III. This is the scary part! Using an X-acto knife,
carefully cut out each piece. Some suggestions here:
Make sure your blade is new and very sharp. I would
even go as far as to use a new blade every couple of
pieces. If you are cutting along a straight line, feel
free to use a ruler to guide the knife. Go slowly and
steadily as you drag the knife. You aren’t in a rush
and this will help to make nicer lines. The cut doesn’t
have to go all the way through the foam the first time;
a second pass through is not a bad idea. Make sure
you keep your blade perpendicular to the foam the
entire time, as this will help when you are connecting
the seams later.
IV. Transfer the registration marks you made on the
duct tape pattern onto the foam. Make sure these are
easily visible.
V. *This step is only necessary if the edges of your
cuts are a little bit jagged* Take a dremel tool with a
sanding drum and gently run it over any of the rough
edges. Make sure you keep the tool parallel to the
edge and don’t remove too much material, just
enough to smooth it out. If you do not have a Dremel,
sand paper will work just fine.
VI. Using your heat gun, seal the foam. This is done
by slowly moving the heat gun across the entire
surface as well as the edges. You will be able to see
when this is done as the slight pattern the foam may
have will disappear or will become shiny.
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VII. Before you start going crazy and gluing the main
body together, do yourself a favour and shape the
foam slightly. Do this by heating it up in the same way
you just did to seal it, and bending it to about the
shape you want it in eventually. In order for it to stay
in place you will need to hold it for a short amount of
time in a little bit more then the position needed. This
step, while not necessary, will make it so much easier
to glue without putting a strain on the glue.
VIII. Time for glue!!!!!! Brush your contact cement
along the edges of each piece that will be connected
to each other in some place. (Do not glue the back
center edges. We will need this to remain open so
you can get in and out of the costume.) This type of
glue sticks best to itself, so make sure you put glue
on both sides of the seams. Don’t think you can get
away with just one side!
IV. Let the glue dry for at least 15-20 minutes (or a
max of two hours) before sticking together the seams.
While connecting seams, line up those registration
marks! This is very important. If you don’t line them
up, you won’t end up with the result you want. Start
with gluing together the seam on each of the breast
cups; this will give them a rounded curve. Next, glue
each cup to their respective front panel. Registration
marks must line up! I will continue to repeat this so it
sinks in. We are almost done at this point... there are
only three more seams to go. Line up the sides and
stick those together following your marks. This may
take a little bit of effort and bending as these are the
seams that curve around your body. Lastly, glue
together the front center seam. This one should be
easy as it should be a straight line up and down. (If
you are looking at my images and are confused about
the order, I glued the center of each cup together
before connecting it to anything else and in hindsight I
should have glued each to their respective front panel
first).
X. WOW! You did it! Basic body form complete. At
this point, I went ahead and strengthened the seams
with hot glue from the back. This is completely
optional; I just like the little bit of extra strength.
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1. Back panels 1. Step II

2. Front panels
3. Step I

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1. Step III 1. Step IV

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2. Sealed
3. Step VI

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Step 4: Breastplate/Armour: Detailing
I. Alright, this is where your pattern comes in handy
again. Using straight pins, tack your pattern down
directly onto your form. Make sure the edges of the
pattern line up with the edges of the panels as best
as possible. Place pins along all the lines, especially
in the places where lines meet or have turns. Once
you have completed this, you may remove the pins
and trace along the pinholes with a Sharpie, very
carefully. You may need to use the pattern as a
reference for where the lines go.
II. Get out that wood burner and burn right along
those lines you just drew with the Sharpie. Make sure
you don’t burn any of the lines for the belt or the
eagle. Go smooth and steady here. Choose a speed
and stick to it. This will ensure that the lines have a
consistent depth throughout the entire work.
III. I promise that this is the last step that you will
need the duct tape pattern you made earlier. Go
ahead and tape the top and bottom of all the patterns
together again. Cut out the eagle and the belt, and
within this, each of the little individual strips. There
are a lot of them, I know. Here is where those
reference images will come in handy again.
Remember that some of the pieces overlap, so just
make sure to include the overlap in the pieces that
you cut out.
IV. Seal the top of the thin craft foam using the same
method as before, and then trace each pattern piece
you just cut out onto it. (Once again, I used a roll of
Grip Premium Liner I found.) Cut out each individual
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piece; you can use scissors since it’s thin enough.
Then lay them out.
V. Flip each piece over and put a layer of contact
cement on each. Remember that you must also coat
any section of the main body that will have a piece
stuck to it with the glue also. Wait the 20 minutes and
you are ready for action.
VI. Carefully place each thin foam piece onto the
main body within the Sharpie lines as best as
possible. Press them down to make sure they stick.
This is a tedious job but it must be done carefully.
VII. Pretty much done now. Using an X-acto knife, cut
slits were there appears to be battle damage.
Reference images can really help here. Open up the
cuts with a heat gun in the same way you would as if
you were sealing the foam. This will cause the foam
around the cuts to shrink and the slices will become
visible.
VIII. Shake up that can of Plasti Dip and spray it on.
This will allow the foam to fully seal so none of your
spray paint will soak in. Make sure you cover every
nook and cranny that will have paint.
IX. Time for spray paint at last. Use some painter's
tape to cover the belt and eagle, and use the red
paint to coat the entire center section.Let it dry
enough. Then cover the middle with tape, and go
crazy with the gold. Looking great, right?
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Step 5: Breastplate/Armour: Making It Wearable

I. Measure along either side of the back of your main
form (check out the image with the blue drawing on it
for an example) and cut your extra sticky Velcro to
match. Dremel or sand down the area on the main
form where the Velcro will stick so it is flat. Make sure
to reseal this part with the heat gun. You can now
unpeel and stick the hooked half of the Velcro here.
down the other side of the main body and seal it as
you did previously.
III. Hot glue the fabric (the half without the the Velcro)
to the space you just sanded down. Make sure the
Velcro pieces still face each other. (I tried contact
cement first but it didn’t stick so I moved to hot glue).

II. To make the other side stick, the ripstop fabric will IV. Repeat steps for the small top section.
come in handy. Trace the other side of the Velcro and
then flip it over and draw it again next to it, leaving Congratulations!!!!! You have now completed the
extra room room for a seam allowances. Hem the main body, go ahead and try it on.
edge using a sewing machine or hand stitching it.
Unpeel and stick the Velcro to the fabric. Dremel

1. Left back inside 1. Step I

2. Step I

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Step 6: Gladiator Skirt: Patterning
No Wonder Woman look would be complete without
the signature blue skirt. So of course you need one
as well!
As with any piece of a cosplay, we are going to start
out with a pattern. Looking at the reference images,
you can tell that there are four main sections: the
front, two sides, and the back. Each section is made
out of two pieces—a wider and slightly shorter back
and a slimmer, longer middle section.
If you notice, the front and side sections are exactly
the same. There is also a thinner strip that runs along
either side made out of two separate pieces.
I. Measure between the outside bumps of the “W” on
the belt. This will be the width of the skinnier center
piece. The larger back piece is the width between the
two places where the “W” on the belt fans out. (Take
a look at the blue and green marks on my image)
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1. Step I 1. Step II
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II. Measure the length of the center piece from your
waist down to your desired length. (Be sure to add a
little bit of extra at the top of each piece for
connecting it to a waistband.) Cut the end of the
pattern into a wide “V” with an angle of slightly more
then 90 degrees. The larger back piece should have
the same angle as the center one, but should be
about 1 cm shorter. Cut out each piece and replicate
them twice over, giving you three total copies. Those
will become the front and sides. For the back you are
going to repeat the same patten; just make it a good
deal longer. Mine is almost twice the length.
III. Trace out each pattern piece onto the thin craft
foam and cut them out.
It is now time to make the foam look like leather! This
is a very time consuming step but it yields great
results. Go ahead and check out my other
Instructable here on how to do this part.
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1. Step III
Step 7: Gladiator Skirt: Piecing It Together
I. Using contact cement, make a thin layer of glue
along the top center of the larger back piece and the
entire top back of the smaller front layer. Do this for
each section. Wait the 20 minutes or so for the glue
to be tacky, and then stick the two layers together.
II. Measure around your waist and cut out a piece of a
thin sturdy ribbon-like material to slightly longer than
this measurement. Using a snap setter and snaps (or
connecting method of your choosing), go ahead and
make the ribbon into a closeable loop that nicely sits
on your waist. This will be the way the skirt stays on
you eventually, and it will be able to be taken off with
ease.
III. Lay out each one of of the four sections on top of
the ribbon and make sure everything fits end to end.
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They should be arranged in order: back section,
followed by left, center, and lastly right.
IV. Paste a thin layer of glue twice the width of your
strong ribbon onto the top back of the foam panels.
Do the same to both sides of your ribbon.
V. After the grueling 20-minute wait for the glue to
dry, lay out the pieces side to side again like you did
in step III (note that because the parts will now be
upside-down, the order will be reversed). Carefully lay
the ribbon on the bottom edge of the glue line across
all sides. If the ribbon has a curve to it like mine did,
make sure the curve is concave up. Press the ribbon
down onto the foam and fold over the very top glued
portion of the foam onto the other side of the ribbon.
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1. Step V

Step 8: Gladiator Skirt: Side Strip Panel Patterning

I. Cut two paper panel patterns for each side. They
should be made out of a wider top piece and a less
wide bottom section.
II. Reference imagessssss!!!!!! Using the main body
pattern (or completed foam section) as a reference,
line up a paper patten of the side strip panel parallel
with the bottom edge of the main body foam piece. It
will end up sitting underneath the main body cast as
then it looks more like one solid section. Draw the
final positioning onto the part of the skirt so far
completed (refer to the image in Gladiator Skirt: Side
Strip Panels).
III. Trace out the four pieces onto the foam and cut
them out.

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1. Step I 1. Step II

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1. Step III

Step 9: Gladiator Skirt: Side Strip Panels

I. Glue the smaller strip halfway up the larger one on
the back. Make sure that when facing outwards, the
smaller strip will be underneath.
II. Remember that the back section of the side strip
panels lies underneath both parts of the main back
panel. With this in mind, glue the top portion of the
back of the side strip panels as well as the curves
you marked off on the main skirt with contact cement
(check out the photos for a visual description of
where the glue goes).
III. While wearing the main part of the skirt (this will
help to make sure the side strip panels lay correctly),
carefully stick the two panels to the others being sure
to line up the marks as neatly as possible.

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1. Step I 1. Step I

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1. Step II 1. Step II (also image from Step II of Gladiator Skirt: Side Strip Panel
Patterning)

1. Step III

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Step 10: Gladiator Skirt: Detailing

1. Let the glue dry and then you’re ready for some Plasti Dip. Spray only the “leather” side where there will be
paint.

2. Lay your newspapers down and spraypaint the entire leatherized side metalic blue. Don’t forget about
underneath those top flaps of the panels!

3. Using a bronze paint marker, outline the very edge of each of the main four panels. I did about a half centimeter.

Once it dries, you’re done. Try it on!

1. Steps I-III

Step 11: Wearing It!

This step is super easy!

Snap the skirt on first, line it up and then put the main body over top. The latter part will require a friend for
assistance. It can get a little tricky to connect Velcro behind your back.

Now go show off your badass side with pride!

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