We worked with December Wynn (on IG), supplying the Worbla’s Black Art for their Ningguang build, and the final look is amazing! They shared the process of how they built the costume, specifically the Gloves, Hair Ornaments, and Shoes – and we’ve collected them here to share with you!
Part One: Gloves
Materials:
- 4-way black stretch material (or pre-assembled gloves),
- Worbla’s Black Art,
- contact cement,
- superglue,
- thread,
- 4-way stretch gold material,
- gold-toned filigrees.
Step 1:
Assemble a pair of gloves using a 4-way stretch material, or purchase a pre-assembled pair of gloves. (Worbla.com note: If you need a glove pattern, we’ve used McCalls 7397 ourselves to good result)
Step 2:
Create a paper pattern of the gold glove “attachments”. Tip: label every piece of the pattern with the handedness of the glove and the finger.
Step 3:
Trace the paper pattern onto black Worbla and cut out all the pieces, making sure to mark each piece with its designated hand and finger. Tip: using a little spray adhesive on the paper pattern makes tracing much easier and accurate.
Step 4:
Cut out all the pieces using a pair of scissors or a craft knife. Using a heat gun will make cutting the pieces out a little easier, particularly along curves.
Step 5:
Once the pieces are cut out, use a heat gun to shape the pieces to your fingers. For this process, carefully heat the pieces and then shape them around your fingers. Do not touch any piece that is hot enough to burn or injure skin, and wearing heat resistant gloves during this process is recommended.
Step 6:
Pull out 4-way metallic stretch fabric. Cut the pieces that will go on the finger units, make sure to leave a lip or “seam allowance” around all edges of the fabric.
Step 7:
Using a glue of your choice, adhere the fabric pieces to the outside of the Worbla finger units. This step is not the permanent glue step, so any glue will suffice. My recommendation is spray adhesive.
Step 8:
Apply contact cement to the insides of the black Worbla pieces and the fabric lip on the pieces. Allow the contact cement to set, then fold the fabric lip under, adhering it to the underside of the finger units.
Step 9:
Put the glove base on and apply the finger units to the glove using superglue. Using standard thread and needle, reinforce the glue by tacking the corners of the units to the gloves.
Step 10:
Using a healthy collection of gold-toned filigrees, apply filigree decoratively to the tops of the fingers. The pieces can either be glued using small dots of superglue, or they can be stitched through the fabric cover. Cut the filigree pieces to fit comfortably on the finger units, and use pliers to gently bend the pieces to better fit the curves of the units.
Part 2: Hair Ornaments
Materials:
- Worbla’s Black Art
- EVA foam,
- jump rings,
- spray primer,
- black lacquer paint,
- gold paint,
- gold rhinestones
Step 1:
Pattern and cut an EVA foam base for the hair stick.
Step 2:
Cut two pieces of Worbla to cover the EVA base. Make sure these pieces are slightly larger than the base.
Step 3:
Sandwich the foam in-between the Worbla pieces. Using a heat gun, wrap the Worbla around the base so that the entire base is covered.
Step 4:
Decorate the ornaments using other Worbla cuts and texturing the Worbla using tools and continuous heat. If the ornament has any dangling attributes, insert a jump ring into heated Worbla and allow it to cool.
Step 5:
Once all detailing is complete, prime and sand the piece until desired smoothness.
Step 6:
Spray paint the entire ornament gold and allow to dry entirely.
Step 7:
Mask off the parts of the ornament to remain gold and then spray paint the piece with black lacquer.
Step 8:
Using a heat gun, heat up a pile of black Worbla scraps to melt them together.
Step 9:
Roll the scraps together to create a Worbla snake, and then shape the snake into the desired shape.
Step 10:
If rhinestones are desired, heat the piece slightly and press the rhinestones down where desired to create a space where they will sit once the ornament is painted.
Step 11:
Use a wig head to create a comfortable shape for the ornament, laying it on the wig head and allowing it to harden.
Step 12:
Prime and sand the ornament as desired.
Step 13:
Spray paint the ornament gold.
Step 14:
Once the paint is fully dry, glue the rhinestones in place. If using E-6000 or resin glue, make sure to wear gloves, work in a well-ventilated area and wear a respirator.
Part 3: Shoes
Materials:
- Pre-made black shoes,
- Worbla’s Black Art,
- primer spray,
- gold spray paint,
- clear lacquer,
- strong adhesive (superglue, E-6000 or contact cement.)
Step 1:
Use paper to create a pattern for the shoe decorations. Trace the pattern on black Worbla 4 times and cut out the pieces with a sharp pair of scissors or craft knife.
Step 2:
Stack 2 pieces on top of each other and apply heat to fuse them together – because the shoe is a high contact area, doubling the worbla will help with the longevity of the piece.
Step 3:
Apply heat and do any desired carving to the soft surface of the pieces, using a carving tool.
Step 4:
Using the shoes as a base, apply heat to the pieces and shape them over the shoes to make them lay flat against the surface of the shoe.
Step 5:
Prime the pieces with a spray primer, and then sand as necessary to create a smooth surface.
Step 6:
Apply a layer of gold spray paint and allow to dry fully. Finish with a layer of clear spray lacquer.
Step 7:
Using a strong adhesive, glue the Worbla pieces to the shoe base.
And there you go! Thanks again to December Wynn for sharing their work with us!