Buzz
Fursuits, versatile animal costumes, find utility across diverse realms. While predominantly embraced by the furry community, they also serve as staples for sports mascots and philanthropic endeavors. Crafting the head constitutes the most intricate segment of the process, yet it epitomizes the character of the costume. Crafting your own fursuit head demands considerable time investment, not to mention the creation of the entire fursuit, hence allowing for ample preparation.
Stepwise Process
Constructing the Foundation Mould for Your Head
Encase foam loosely around your head and trim excess. Enwrap 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick foam around your head to gauge the mould's width. Ensure a fit that allows easy donning and removal without hindering your ears or nose. Mark the foam's meeting point at the back of your head, then trim any surplus foam to align the edges.
Secure the edges using a hot glue gun. Join the foam sides together to form a tube. Apply glue gradually, allowing it to cool to achieve a straight, firm seam. Maintain pressure on the edges throughout to ensure a thorough bond.
- Once done, you should have a tall tube fitting snugly with some foam protruding above your head.
- Exercise caution around hot glue and seek assistance if safety is a concern.
Create a rounded top by folding the upper foam and trimming excess. Press the front and back of the upper part of the foam tube toward the center and glue them together. Proceed by folding the right and left sides inward. Trim excess foam and glue the folded sections together to form a rounded top.
- Trim away bumps and excess foam to ensure a smooth top, avoiding a bumpy and uneven appearance for the fursuit head.
Designing the Features
Mark eye holes on the front of the foam tube. Position the seam side facing you and mark eyes on either side of the seam. Use scissors or a razor knife to cut the eyes slightly smaller than your outlines. Precision isn't critical as adjustments can be made later.
- This guides the placement of other features like the muzzle and ears relative to the eyes.
- Wear the tube to mark eye locations accurately. If visibility is limited, gently press the foam to locate your eyes.
Add layers of foam atop the base to form eyebrow ridges and enhance facial volume. Determine the desired size of the eyebrow ridges above the eye holes and trace the shape onto another piece of foam. Cut it out and affix it to the brow area above the eyes using hot glue. Apply two additional layers of progressively smaller foam pieces to create a curved brow.
- Start with a long piece of shaped foam for the base layer of the brow ridge, then use smaller pieces to build up the brow. This results in a pronounced brow above the eyes protruding slightly from the forehead.
- Eyebrow ridges convey emotion effectively on the fursuit head. Angle them to reflect your character's feelings through its eyes!
Attach ears by crafting conical foam shapes and affixing them to the head. Real-life animal ears typically have a conical shape, with a curve rather than being flat and pointed. After positioning the ears correctly, cut ear holes for ventilation.
- To create ears, cut conical foam shapes with rounded bases and attach them to the back-middle area of the head. Adjust as needed to fit your character's animal, and secure with hot glue.
- Observe how your animal displays emotions through its ears. For instance, an alert dog's ears are perked up, while a tired dog's ears droop.
- Consider using online templates for guidance on cutting out convincing ears.
Forming the Muzzle
Refer to reference photos of your animal to determine its muzzle shape. Cats typically have short muzzles, while wolves or dogs have longer ones. Despite the likely cartoonish nature of your fursuit head, strive for accuracy in translating your animal's appearance to the foam head.
Create a long muzzle by folding a piece of foam in half and indenting the front. Cut a piece of foam about 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) long, depending on your animal's snout size. Fold it in half, push the front of the folded foam to create the philtrum — the vertical groove below an animal's nose. After forming the muzzle, hot glue it together and hold it tightly with sewing pins until cooled. Then, glue the end without the philtrum to the foam head.
- Layer foam around the muzzle's connection to the head for a seamless blend.
Construct a short muzzle by layering foam in the snout shape. Examine your animal's muzzle shape, cut circular foam pieces, and layer them. Smooth the edges with scissors, continue adding foam until the snout takes a 3D shape, then attach it to the face on the mouth area.
- If you have thick foam available (around 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) thick), it's easier to carve out the entire muzzle shape at once and attach it.
Create cheeks by applying foam along the seam between the muzzle and the face. Smooth out the abrupt transition between the snout and the face by adding foam to blend them seamlessly. Use foam to shape cheeks on both sides of the muzzle, ensuring the seam is well-hidden.
- Avoid making the cheeks protrude too much, as the added fur will provide depth to the head.
Adding Color and Fur to the Head
Wrap the head with plastic wrap and cover it with duct tape, segmenting it. After completing the foam head base, tightly wrap it with plastic wrap and then cover it with duct tape to form a shell. Segment each part of the head with a marker and label them according to their location, such as ears, muzzle sides, forehead, cheeks, etc.
- Using plastic wrap and duct tape simplifies fur measurement later, allowing you to remove it from the base mask for accurate fur cutting.
- Indicate the direction and type of fur on the duct tape with small arrows, ensuring correct application later.
Cut out each duct tape section and measure it against your fur. Cut out each duct tape section from the head and flatten it against your chosen fur color. Flatten out any folds if necessary. Outline each piece on the fur as if tracing around your hand.
- If needed, cut the duct tape to ensure it lays flat. As long as the fur matches the flattened shape, it will fit seamlessly back onto your foam base.
- Label the underside of each outlined fur piece with its head location for easy application later.
Cut the fur following the outlines and set aside the pieces. Optimize fur usage by arranging the outlines closely together. Cut along the outlines and keep the pieces separated. Avoid stacking the fur to facilitate placing them back on the foam head accurately.
- Find fur on Amazon here.
- Use fabric scissors or an X-ACTO knife for precise cuts.
Place the fur onto your foam head and start sewing the edges together. Check the accuracy of your cuts by laying the fur on the foam head. Sew together the edges of adjacent fur pieces, gradually covering the entire head with sewn fur, resembling a furry mask.
- If you made cuts in the duct tape to flatten it, sew these cuts together in the fur to restore its original 3D shape.
Attach the fur mask to the foam base, beginning at the muzzle and moving backward. As you lay fur over the foam head, heat up your hot glue gun. Apply a thick layer of hot glue to the muzzle's tip, then insert the nose into the muzzle hole of the mask. Proceed to add hot glue around the face, securing the fur into place. Take your time with this process, as it may require patience.
- Attaching the ears can be challenging if the mask is already glued to the eyebrow ridge. Apply hot glue to the edges of both the ears and the eyebrow ridge simultaneously, then insert the foam ears into the ear holes of the fur mask and press down on both.
- It's recommended to start with the muzzle, followed by the cheeks and sides of the face, then the eyebrow ridge and ears, and finally, the back of the head.
Trim excess fur using an electric razor to achieve your desired fur length. Use an electric razor to shorten the fur from its original length. For a rugged look, leave some fur unshaven, but for a neat appearance, shave closely to the foam base.
- Initially, shave less than you intend, as you can always trim more later. Once fur is cut, it cannot be added back!
Enhance definition by gluing felt onto the nose, eyebrows, and inside the muzzle. Cut out felt pieces to match the shape of the nose, eyebrows, and mouth of the muzzle, using appropriately colored felt. Apply hot glue to the back of each piece and affix them to their respective spots.
- You can also sew these features onto the fur mask before gluing for added security.
- For the eyes, paint fabric mesh directly onto the mask.
Materials You'll Need
Helpful Tips
-
Find inspiration from pictures of other fursuits and don't hesitate to ask their creators for guidance. The furry community is known for being supportive and welcoming.
-
Watch YouTube tutorials for visual references, as they can be incredibly helpful in understanding the process.
-
Allocate a significant amount of time for this project. Achieving perfection will require more than just a couple of hours!
The tips provided here are based on the experiences shared by Mytour readers like you. If you have a helpful tip to contribute, please share it with us below.
- Include seam allowance when creating fur patterns to prevent distortion. For symmetry, pattern only one side.
- Experiment with fur colors for visual appeal, such as incorporating different-colored ears. Create expressive eyes by painting fabric mesh.
- Opt for high-quality faux fur and avoid cheaper alternatives for better results. Machine or hand sew fur pieces together for increased durability.
- Plan the colors and design of your fursuit before starting to ensure it aligns with your character's vision.
- Smooth out foam edges for a professional, lifelike appearance. Utilize references of your character for accuracy.
- Take your time and be patient throughout the process. Crafting a high-quality fursuit requires practice and cannot be rushed.
Important Cautions
- Exercise caution when handling scissors, X-ACTO knives, and similar sharp tools. Always cut away from yourself to avoid accidents.
- Don't hesitate to seek assistance from others for tasks involving sewing, gluing, or cutting the foam head.
