How to Make a Transformers: "Arcee" Costume

My girlfriend and I wanted to do a couples costume within our Transformers cosplay group, so we decided on Arcee and Hotrod. Arcee is one of the few female characters in the Transformer Universe. No wonder the Transformers were always fighting!

Materials

-white Zeta Suit

-white craft foam

-pink Craft foam

-lots of cardboard

-lots of hot glue

-reflective colored sunglasses

-double sided velcro

-high heels

-PVC pipe

-elastic

-4 elbow PVC joints

-4 t joint pvc pipes

- comic cardboard

-Bondo

- hot glue gun pad

-masking tape

-primer

-Paint

Start by making the front of the chest piece out of cardboard. Arcee is a girl, so she has a bust. (pic 1)

I added a neck protector and also a “rib cage” (pic 2)

From there, i made a little grate in the front of the rib cage. measure and cut out the section. you can even use the cardboard from the section you cut out. (pic 3)

Any details that you want to add, you can do so at this time. i added some details to the collar. (pic 4)

Now make the back part. It does not have to be fancy, but something that works well to the front. Now that you have a front and back piece, you can attach them together with velcro.

Arcee also has a little grate on the back of the chest piece (Pic 5)

Arcee has these 2 “wings from her back”..Start by creating the mounting portion out of PVC (pic 1)

Then, start drawing a side view template on some large construction paper. Cut it out on the cardboard. It is really comprised of 3 major sections. (pic 2)

technically you need another set to make 1 pair of wings.. then you have to make another template so that you can have the other two sides.. think of it like a tooth of a tiger or something. Glue the pieces together and then start connecting them to one another. (pic 3) DO NOT close the very top portion off yet.

one end of the PVC will go inside the wing. Make a case for one end and glue it inside the top section of the wing. once secure, you can NOW close it off.

* we actually decided to turn the top into a lid that could open and close. That way, we were able to turn the wings into a backpack.. we were able to put slippers inside, as the shoes can be somewhat uncomfortable.

The other ends will be encased inside a cardboard case (pic 1)

Attach them to the back piece (Pic 2)

Then, glue the wings into the back cases. (Pic 3 +4)

1. You will make balls out of cardboard.. it’s like making a helmet from the Darkseid tutorial, but you are making “crowns” on both sides of the ball. (pic 1)

2. now you want to cut out a section so that it fits around your shoulder. (pic 2)

3. Now bondo the whole thing, sand it, and use elastic to glue it to the front piece of the chest.

i just honestly made a butt and crotch piece.. then started making a waist line.

Take a piece of comic cardboard and glue it to the undies.

Add some craft foam to make a few buttons and such on it. (pic 1)

In order to get inside the pelvis, put velcro tabs on the side. (pic 2)

Shoes

Take your high heels and turn them white by putting foam over the entire thing. ((Pic 1)

Encase the toe of the shoe (pic 2)

Ankles

make some circles and attach them to a case that can “clamp” around an ankle. use a velcro tab to open and close it. (pic 3)

Body (pic 1)

For the body, put on the zeta suit and start from at the very bottom (ankles).

- We made the AWFUL mistake of starting somewhere in the middle.

You will take the hot glue mat and stick it INSIDE the suit (against your skin)..

cut out various shapes from the white foam and glue them directly onto the zeta suit..

-Make sure you move the glue pad to where you are gluing so that there are no burns.

- do this for both legs and arms, and sides..

- you do not need to do the chest or the crotch since there is cardboard.

- Remember that Arcee has pink in some areas, namely her forearms and elbow and knee joints.

Hands

The glue mat will be too large to stuff inside your hand.. wrap each finger in masking tape and then put your suit on. ( pic 2) glue the section to the finger (pic 3).. it’s a painstaking process, but worth the detail.

Elbows/ Knees (pic 4)

Make circles out of cardboard and glue them on either side of the knees and elbows.

Make some diamonds to cover the elbow and knee themselves.

Your suit should look somewhat like pic 5

1. The face is comprised of 6 main pieces: 2 cheeks, a mouth, 2 cheek bones, and a forehead (pic 1 + pic 2)

2. Once glued, add a nose.

- we cut a small slit in the nose to assist with breathing

3. Also, add a mouth, and add lips (pic 3)

*sometimes it is good to have a open mouth. if this is the case, place some black fabric on the inside of the mouth. this also helps with breathing.

4. Take your sunglass lenses and glue them in from the inside-out. * Prime and paint your mask first before you add your sunglasses.

-remember that arcee has lipstick on.

1. To do the helmet, begin by making the crown illustrated in my previous tutorial, “how to build a Darkseid costume” (pic 1)

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-DCs....

Do this with the mask on because the mask increases the size of your head. (pic 2)

2. Once that is done, stark thickening it up by adding the details. (pic 3 + 4)

- Arcee has a middle mohawk thing

3. I added ridges to the sides of the helmet by adding strips of craft foam to the sides (pic 5)

4. I added little silver strips for details.

Cover all the seams with masking tape and then primer the cardboard parts.

Paint the designated color.

All that is left is to print out the autobots emblem, glue it to the chest with modge podge or elmers glue.

That should be it! Transform and roll out!

Links to my other Transformers costumes:
Jazz

Bumblebee

Hotrod

Shrapnel

Soundwave

Devastator

Starscream

Megatron gun-mode

Blaster

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