Short for “costume play,” cosplay is defined as “the act of dressing up as a character or concept.” Unlike dressing up for Halloween, Cosplayers (those who cosplay regularly) go above and beyond with their costumes regularly to act out scenes, attend cosplay expos, Comic-Cons, product releases, movie premiers, themed parties, and more.
Aside from fabrics, mesh, foam clay, adhesives, and crepe paper, impressive cosplay costumes often rely on EVA foam to design costumes that stand out without weighing the wearer down. For example, cosplay EVA foam or yoga mats are inexpensive materials that can be easily cut down to size and shape to create the custom look your costume requires.
Cosplay is a fun and exciting way to escape reality and enter the world of your favorite characters through costume and makeup, but if you’re new to the hobby, coming up with impressive costumes may be difficult at first. To help, we’ve put together a list of easy cosplay ideas for beginners for you to try out. This list is a general list of costume ideas. If you have a specific character you’d like to create a costume for, these may serve as inspiration for how you will create your preferred costume.
Cosplay for Beginners: 5 Easy Cosplay Costume Ideas
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Scooby-Doo
Dating back to the early 1970s, Scooby-Doo comics have long been a favorite among comic lovers and make the perfect cosplay for beginners. Choose from men’s and women’s characters like Shaggy, Fred, Velma, Daphne, or if you’re feeling crafty, Scooby-Doo himself. Scooby-Doo cosplay looks can be easily crafted using fabric, which is a good place to start as a beginner cosplayer.
Photo courtesy of Liv Roberts
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Harry Potter
Another classic cosplay theme is Harry Potter. Whether you stick with a classic Harry, Hermoine, Ron, or Hagrid costume, or want to test your costume-crafting skills with a mask or detailed makeup to transform into “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,” most Harry Potter costumes are straightforward enough for you to whip together last minute or as your first-ever cosplay costume design.
Photo courtesy of Mikhail Nilov
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Marvel/DC Superheroes
Once you’ve mastered the basics of creating cosplay costumes from fabric, you may feel more comfortable incorporating different materials like EVA foam, mesh, glitter, and handmade accessories. For this reason, Marvel or DC superheroes and villains may be a good place to start experimenting with costume materials. Whether you create a Captain America costume from fabric and don an EVA foam shield or a Supergirl costume embellished with foam lettering and accents, there are countless superhero and villain costumes to experiment with.
Courtesy of Orione Coneicao
Courtesy of Daniel Lincoln
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Naruto
Another easy cosplay idea for beginners is the ever-popular Japanese manga series Naruto. Choose from popular characters like Naruto, Tsunade, Rock Lee, Sakura, Itachi, Kakashi, Sasuke, Hinata (female), or your favorite character. Go crazy matching materials and buying or creating your very own character wig to complement your custom costume.
Photo courtesy of Daily Anime Art
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Disney
If your favorite characters come from Disney movies, why not spend a day in their shoes with your very own Disney cosplay costumes? Disney cosplay for beginners is a great way for couples or friends to learn the ins and outs of creating cosplay costumes. Here, you will have the opportunity to dress up in single character costumes or as a couple/group and experiment with fabric, foam, embellishments, mesh, and more.
Photo courtesy of Larry Crayton.
Get Your Cosplay On With We Sell Mats™ EVA Foam Supplies!
Cosplay is a worldwide hobby fans of all ages can participate in. If you are new to the cosplay world, take your time, have fun, and make it your mission to improve your costume-making skills. To help you achieve this last task, We Sell Mats™ makes it easy to find high-quality cosplay foam in dozens of colors to bring your cosplay ideas to life and always at affordable prices. Shop We Sell Mats™ today to stock up on the perfect cosplay mats for your next costume idea!