If you've recently gone to a comic or pop culture convention, you've noticed that more and more people dress up in costumes and participate in cosplay. If you haven't yet taken up cosplay, maybe because you're afraid it's too expensive, never fear: there are a lot of ways you can cosplay with a limited budget.

Of course, most of the elaborate costumes you see from those professional cosplayers probably cost a lot of money to make or commission, but you can get the same look for less. Believe it or not, many cosplayers make an art out of budget cosplay.

Yes, you can have a great costume for very little money. All you need is some imagination and a little creativity. Here are some tips to help you out.

Pick a costume

First, decide what you want to cosplay. Will you be doing a character that often wears street clothes? Or do you want a superhero with a custom costume? At this point, don't think about your budget, because even more elaborate costumes have their cheats that can save you money.

Set a budget with that costume in mind

Now that you know what you want to create, set a budget. A good place to start is look at what you need to create that costume and try to keep the cost within a set limit. If one material for the costume is too expensive, use your imagination to find other alternatives that cost less. But whatever you do, don't go over your budget. Figure out what everything costs, make it work with how much you're willing to spend.

Make your own costume

Sure, you can commission someone to make a costume for you, or buy one already made, but unless you're willing to spend hundreds of dollars, you're better off making it yourself. This gives you full control over how much you spend on materials for the costume, allowing you to stay within your budget. You also have full control over how the costume fits, as well as what details you want included with it.

Use coupons, sales and discounts

Now that you're ready to look for materials, the most important thing you can do is shop around. For fabric, check every fabric shop you can and compare prices. Also, be sure to look at the discount bins at fabric stores for great deals. And don't forget coupons. Most major crafts and fabrics stores have apps and mailing lists that always provide coupons.

Use things around your house

Let's say you need a prop made, perhaps a weapon of some kind. More than likely, you have exactly what you need just lying around the house. From soda cans to shipping tubes to wooden dowels, you probably have a lot of what you need. Repurpose anything and everything. Those cardboard boxes you've collected? You can use those for your costume!

Craft foam is your friend

For those interested in creating armor, there is nothing less expensive than craft foam. There are also a lot of great tutorials online (like this one) that shows you exactly how you can take cheap craft foam and make yourself look like an armored knight (or Brienne, from Game of Thrones, if you wish). Craft foam is versatile enough for all sorts of armor, too: you can make it look like almost anything else, including leather and steel.

Hunt through your closet

If you're cosplaying something that requires street clothes, you might have everything you need in your closet. Maybe you want to be Clara from Doctor Who: if you have similar attire, you can quickly pull together a costume that works. If it's not exact, who cares? Cosplay is for fun! Focus on one or two details that make the costume identifiable to others and you're good to go.

Shop at thrift stores

So maybe you don't have anything that looks like what you need for your costume. Thrift stores are a great way to find pieces for very little money. And sometimes, you end up with a screen-accurate item (this means that it's the exact designer and piece worn on a TV show or movie) and you pay a lot less for it than normal.

Buy used costumes from other cosplayers

There are a lot of cosplay communities out there (such as Cosplay.com) that offer message boards of cosplayers selling their old costumes really inexpensively. Even if those costumes aren't exactly your size, you can always buy the costume and alter it to fit.

eBay is your friend

When it comes to finding things like wigs, shoes and other accessories for cosplay, eBay is your best friend. You can get great quality wigs for as little as $10, as well as shoes, jewelry and anything else you might need. You can also occasionally buy cheap sewing patterns on eBay. Just make sure before purchasing that the seller has good reviews.

WalMart is also your friend

Make-up is also something you might need for a costume, but you're not going to want to spend a fortune on it. WalMart often throws make-up into the sale bins, too, so you can pay even less for it than you normally would. However, if you have sensitive skin, make sure to get make-up that won't cause you to break out. WalMart also carries inexpensive fabric and other craft supplies.

Don't forget the dollar stores

Dollar stores are awesome because almost everything only costs $1. And that means that you can buy all kinds of things: craft supplies, flowers, cardboard, etc., very cheaply. Sometimes, you can even find that exact thing that you need to add a detail to your costume, too, and you'll end up paying very little for it.

Ask other cosplayers how they made their costumes

Sometimes, you can get your best ideas on how to do things on the cheap by talking to other cosplayers. You can do this at conventions, or even online at various cosplay communities. Ask how they constructed their costume and what materials they used. Ask for tips. You'll find that many in the cosplay community are more than happy to help out a newcomer.

Don't be afraid of paints and dyes

Let's say you can't find the materials you need, but you've found good materials in other colors. Don't be afraid to go ahead and buy those materials and paint or dye them. Just keep in mind that some fabrics and materials take color better than others, so be sure to pay attention to that. Here's a tip, though: fabrics that are mostly cotton take dye better than synthetic fabrics.

The key to cosplaying on a limited budget is to use your imagination: sometimes you have to imagine using something you wouldn't normally think of using in your costuming efforts. So always think outside the box and when you're out shopping, always keep in mind that something you pick up for $1 could get future use as part of one of your costuming projects.

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