Starting a budget costume from scratch

[Acebob]

Hello all, as you can tell by my post count I am new here. I was interested in constructing a Boba-Fett costume (modeled after his ESB appearances) and after a few google searches I stumbled upon exactly what I was looking for (this website).

Anyway, I was inspiried by SledFang's budget-built EE3 blaster. I would like to make a ESB Boba costume, for under 100 dollars (preferably less), and I would like to make as much of it as I can from scratch. I am approx six feet tall. I couldn't find an appropriate place to post this considering it covers all aspects of the costume. Please don't tell me to go and "search" for answers, I have, and in general the engine hasn't been entirely useful.

Thanks ahead of time,
Acebob

 

[Ronin677]

Less than $100 :facepalm ermm!!!!

it depends on how accurate you want it.

for starters though here is a link for scatching building a cheap bucket;
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=14780

and armour:
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=12315

Ammo belt and blaster:
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=10321
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=13183

boots:
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=9834

etc etc.

This reads like my costume thread

seriously though you can scratch build for low bucks but for less than $100, i am not so sure.

Good luck though buddy and welcome to the hobby that will take over your life

 

[Jimmy BufFETT]

Howdy there and welcome to TDH.

As just stated, the total cost all depends on how screen accurate you want your to be. Is this for you or for someone else? In my opinion, $100.00 is gonna be pretty darn tight.

 

[Acebob]

Howdy there and welcome to TDH.

As just stated, the total cost all depends on how screen accurate you want your to be. Is this for you or for someone else? In my opinion, $100.00 is gonna be pretty darn tight.

It is for myself. As for the price, I want to limit it to 100 dollars of stuff I will not have lying around. For instance, glue, used boots, and other simple materals I could probably scrounge around my house or within my family for, however when you really get into the extremes (ie Helmet) then I will most definitly need to buy.

The helmet is my primary concern ATM. I may just visit e-bay for a Don Post helment. How well do those tend to fare on e-bay? Do they normally go sold or do some auctions go stale? Is there really that much demand for Boba-Fett helmets?

 

[Jimmy BufFETT]

Is there really that much demand for Boba-Fett helmets?

Depends what type ... just keep in mind a simple rule of economics: supply is disproportional to price; demand is proportional to price. Most of the DP helmets are low in supply (which is why they don't show up all the time) yet most people working on a Mandalorian costume will want a good helmet to start with, so low supply + high demand = high equilibrium price. The auction will go stale if:
1) The seller has not listed it with a good selling practice.
2) The initial price, reserve price, and/or buy it now price is too high.
Sometimes this happens.

The reason I think $100 is gonna be really tight is becuase of all of the painting and weathering involved. Then again, if you already have the paints and supplies, you may be OK.

One thing I recommend. Check out some of the threads in the jet pack section ... here's a good one:
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=14462
Some folks can put together a really solid :jet pack with just some materials sitting at their house! Oh yeah ... PLEASE don't make a with out a :jet pack!!! Well, this is just me ... I was always thrilled by 's :jet pack and feel the costume is incomplete without it.

 

[Coyote850]

Doing a Fett for under $100 is gonna be tough if you want it to look good. Considering that this is probably the most intricate Star Wars costume consisting of over 15 seperate pieces. Even if you make most of the stuff yourself you will spend over $100 in materials.

 

[Master Jedi Allma]

I spent more than $100 on visiting this website way back when i had a dial-up connection

Good luck with your quest and your at least at the right place for some good info!

Mason.

 

[fanboy]

i've already got around $40 just in paints and primer. $100 is gonna be tough for an entire costume. i wish you luck.

 

[Jimmy BufFETT]

I spent more than $100 on visiting this website way back when i had a dial-up connection

That's funny and painful at the same time ... I use to have dialup, and I felt like ...

Anyway, on thing I might want to add is that the more weathering you want to do, the more colors of paint you are gonna need.

 

[TeamFett]

Unless you plan to look like this, I don't think a hundred bucks will cut it, even if you completely scratchbuild.

 

[evan4218]

I am not sure that even if you sew it your self, scratch build the bucket, knees, armor... and jet pack that it will come in for that amount. I have about $3000 invested in mine and I am still makeing tweeks.

But like Ronin said, if your not going for super pimped out fett then you can do if for at least a few hundred. But you will have to sew a suit or mod a jumpsuit your self, scrach build everything. But it can be done.

 

[Boba Fett]

Yeah I agree with everyone else that has commented on this thread so far. You are never gonna be able to do this costume for $100 or less. I have $2,500 invested in my suit and I don't even have a jet pack yet. I think that you might be able to do it all for $500 if you scratchbuild all of the stuff and already have most of the materials that you will need.

 

[GrottyFurball]

maybe if you use cardboard armorbut everything else will be costly

 

[Fett4u]

I doubt you'll even be able to get a Helmet for that price

 

[Jimmy BufFETT]

maybe if you use cardboard armorbut everything else will be costly

That or any type of plastic laying around was the only way I could see it being possible to do the for $100.00 or less.

 

[stormtrooperguy]

it's not that we're trying to scare you off, just set reasonable expectations.

i probably spent more than that on paint and glue, nevermind the parts that i was painting.

maybe under $1000, but that's still pushing it...

 

[GrottyFurball]

keep in mind any store bought jumpsuit normally runs at least 30 bucks, then you have to make a vest, a girth belt, an ammo belt. seriously not trying to scare you off, but if you buy a helmet you're looking at atleast $50

 

[Icedevil]

This is all depending on accuracy. If this costume of yours is just for halloween and you don't care about accuracy then you probably could pull it off for $100 and probably still look better than the picture that Teamfett posted.
Here's what I'd do if I attempted to make a (highly inaccurate, but still recognizeable)Fett costume for $100
Concentrate on the most visible parts of the costume.

The helmet could be scratchbuilt or a don post or a rubies, people will still recognize you.
Chest armor could be made of cardboard or any plastic or metal maybe even wood lying around templates are available online just search for armor templates
Gauntlets could be tubes around your foreams and just glue some junk to them for the details
Jumpsuit, hit a thrift shop you can probably find a greyish one cheap
Boots, thrift shop too try to find any kind of slip on boots if you can't any will rally do, you can paint them the right colors
Gloves, get some grey ones thrift shop probably sells them
Jet Pack, anything that looks remotely like a rocket could be strapped to your back and called a jet pack
Add a cape if you want any cloth will do
Now let me state again that this won't give you a SCREEN ACCURATE costume, but will give you a suitable halloween costume that you wont freak about if it gets damaged

 

[TeamFett]

Yes, listen to Icedevil. Those are some very good suggestions.

BTW, that pic was an exaggeration

 

[Ronin677]

Even scratch building most of my stuff, i would imagine that i have spent approx $700 on mine, and trust me i have scratch built almost every thing. The money just gets soaked up with paints, material resins etc etc.

good luck though mate