Star Wars fans always rave about wearing the perfect Mandalorian armor whenever Halloween is coming. Well, if you’re a cosplayer, you won’t need a special day to wear this most coveted costume. However, to actually learn how to make a Mandalorian armor is too challenging—says the person who hasn’t read this simple how-to.
With the “force” on your side, it’s actually pretty easy. Here’s how.
7 Easy Steps to Follow When Making A Mandalorian Armor
Recreating the pre-Beskar armor isn’t that difficult to learn if you have the resources and materials. We have downloaded Boba Fett armor templates in the Mandalorian Mercs costume club, an LFL, and Disney charity costuming group.
1. Gather Your Tools and Materials
Before starting, we suggest that you gather all the tools and materials you need in making armor. You may choose foam, cardboard, or even metal. Consider how much you’re willing to pay and save, too. Depending on your chosen materials, you may also need heavy-duty glue, glue gun, or any form of sticking products to put the armor parts together. You may also need a pencil, marker, scrap paper for protecting your work surfaces, duct tape, hobby knife, cutting mat, hacksaw, and file.
2. Start With the Helmet
Lots of Star Wars fans often start with building the helmet piece. There are downloadable helmet templates found in the Mandalorian Mercs costume club, which may help you sketch the design. When we made a Mandalorian Mercs helmet, we used EVA foam, which is somewhat cheaper than other materials. It was also easier to cut and design, even for the back and side parts.
We used the Jango Fett template design and sketched it on paper. Afterward, we transferred the markings on the foam using a marker. Using the hobby knife, we carefully cut out the parts for the back and side. Since we wanted a clearer look, we sanded out the edges.
We also used contact cement to glue them piece by piece. Before doing this, we strictly recommend using a respirator because it is porous, which needs two coats or more. We used plastic for the visor. We used contact cement again to stick it to the helmet.
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3. Create the Chest Armor
Like the helmet, you’ll also need a template to cut out the parts of your chest piece. We traced the template on a poster board in order to fit the parts to our model’s body. We did this before transferring the design. We always suggest that you measure twice, if not more, before cutting once.
We attached the pieces we have created, fitted them to our model, and then took a picture. Doing this process may sound tedious, but it improved the accuracy of the size and even color, leaving little to no room for error. As for the chest plate, we used craft foam with a floor mat backing. We used a Dremel and a sanding block to round all the edges more.
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4. Make the Shoulder Armor
Next, make the shoulder piece. For this part of the costume, we used three pieces of foam with curved cuts. We always recommend using curved cut materials more as they will shape around shoulders when glued up. The right shoulder had strips of craft foam seams, while the left shoulder was trimmed using a Dremel to get an angle. Shape the pieces according to their proper layers.
5. Create the Gauntlets
You also need to create the gauntlets. For this, we used floor mats on the layer more. We built the gauntlets part by part. We sized this to the flight suit’s arm and hand, not to the arm in the jumpsuit and glove. We also added some stretchers to wrap it when the gloves are worn on the hands. To close the gauntlets, we used a triangular strip/flap with Velcro.
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6. Make the Thigh & Shin Armors
In making your thigh armor, cut all the joints and gluing them using contact cement. We had a total of five pieces for the leg wrap. We cut top edges that roll over the foam for a thicker look.
To stimulate wrinkles, we suggest that you heat them and scrunch them down. We also recommend making the scores thin to avoid any gap. Attach the pieces, as well as and thin them using your fingers or hand.
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7. Do the Finishing Touches
After building all the parts for your Boba Fett project, it is now time to do the finishing touches. We actually heat-treated the armor to fit it to the model’s body. Using a wood-burning tool, we designed the project according to our reference image. Be careful with this process, as it makes go right through the foam.
All the foam parts need to be heat treated before going through any paint. You can use a heat gun and point it for a few seconds to develop a sheen. Then it will darken and become sealed, so it absorbs less paint. After sealing, spray paint it with plasti-drip and then a silver paint. You also use other methods such as using PVA glue to thin it. For the helmet and shoulders, we used acrylic caulk paint.
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FAQS
How much does Mandalorian armor cost?
Mandalorian armors usually cost at least $1000, depending on the materials used and their quality. Some stores offer pre-made parts that may cost up to a little less than $500. It could cost some costumers a little bit lower if you are to build the Boba Fett armor from scratch.
How did they make the Mandalorian armor?
Mandalorian armors of the nomadic warrior culture are typically made from foam, cardboard, or metal. Some people also use mats and plastic on some of its parts. In the Star Wars series, a Mandalorian character armor was made from beskar, the strongest metal in the far, far away galaxy. This type of metal protects its wearer from blasters and even from lightsabers.
DIY Mandalorian Armor - Let’s Wrap It Up!
As a die-hard Star Wars fan, the kind of feeling you get after building your first Mandalorian armors is beyond words. Building something out of nothing by hand is always challenging, but it will help you save more. It also brings out your creativity and resourcefulness. Not to mention the fun you’ll have when you finally test-fit your costumes.
Satisfy your Star Wars Fan persona with this do-it-yourself armor of the nomadic warrior characters’ culture. You can flex this costume at special events, too. Who knows, this could lead you to discover your inner talent in making costumes. Lest, you’ll also discover that creating costumes will pave the way for you to become a professional cosplayer.
Looking for a costume upgrade? You may want to check out this cool MK3 Beskar-metal armor!
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