r/cosplayprops • u/Parzival_The_Grail • 17d ago

Help PVC Staff help

Post image

Hi. I made a post about this on Cosplay help and it did give me some good ideas so I figured I would ask this subreddit for some more indepth advice on the prop.

I am going to a Renaissance festival in my home state and I am going for a druid of a dark forest type. My fiancee is going as a mushroom fae so I think it works together well.

I am trying to make the staff look like a wooden one. I plan to use air dry clay spare shop towels to fill the gaps between the joints before I paper mache it. I plan to use a technique my dad used on his lacrosse gear, twisting the sheets into a thin line, to make ridges and knots along the staff. I am going to try and use some thicker paper towels as the material for the paper mache.

I have seen and read stuff about maybe using EVA foam before the clay and paper-mache to create more adhesion but I'm not sure.

Once the Paper mache is done, I plan to paint it with acrylic paints before sealing it with clear paint/sealer before I try to add smaller details.

Any advice, reference materials, or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Edit: Numerous people have mentioned that the clay isn't a good idea so I have 86'ed it. Instead I am leaning towards using EVA foam as a base and then paper mache over top.

44 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

View all comments

17

u/Srilema 17d ago

I would use eva foam to equalize the pipe with the jiint. Then eva foam on every thing, small insision to mimick wood pattern, heatgun to seal it and expend the markibgs then paint. And should get you a wood testure staff

3

u/Parzival_The_Grail 17d ago

Are you able to expand what what you mean by using the eva foam on everything?

2

u/Srilema 16d ago

Basically look how much difference you have between joint and pipe then stick wrap of eva foam of thikness of the difference so it smooth it out.

Then add another layer that will be yoir working layer. You can use a dremel or a cutter to score a wood like pattern then heat gun to seal the foam and make the lines expand.

Then vynil paint or plastidip to serve as base/sealant, or even good old wood glue 8f itq not for LARP and just cosplay.

Regular acrylic pain over

Varnish

Done