What is cosplay and how to get started: A beginner's guide
What is cosplay? It's dressing up as a character from an anime, game, movie, or comic, usually in a costume you've made yourself, to show off at a con, photoshoot, or competition. Getting started is easier than it looks. Pick a character you love, find good references, and build your first costume using EVA foam, contact cement, and a few basic tools.
In this guide, you'll learn where cosplay came from, what you'll need, and how to proceed from patterns to painting. At the end, you'll find out what the rules are for cosplay competitions. We have all the materials, wigs, and makeup you need in our Cosplay and crafting.
What is cosplay
The word cosplay comes from combining the English words "costume" and "play." It's not just about the outfit. A cosplayer tries to bring the character to life: they mimic their posture, gestures, and expressions, and play the role for a while during a photoshoot or on stage.
When you play a character of the opposite gender, it's called crossplay. If you put your own spin on a character—like turning a fantasy knight into a steampunk version—it's an original version of the character. That's great for photoshoots, but it doesn't belong in most competitions.
Cosplay is often confused with LARP. LARP is a game where you live out a story with other players and usually create your own character. Cosplay is primarily based on a faithful resemblance to an existing character. However, both worlds overlap, and they share many materials and techniques.
A brief history of cosplay
The first fans in costumes appeared back in 1939 at the first Worldcon in New York. Fan and later editor Forrest J Ackerman and Myrtle R. Douglas, known as Morojo, arrived in futuristic costumes that Morojo had sewn herself. The very next year, Worldcon held a masquerade competition, and costume parades became a permanent fixture of sci-fi cons.
The word itself was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi from the Japanese publisher Studio Hard. According to Wikipedia, he used it in an article for My Anime magazine in 1983, though 1984 is also frequently cited. Meanwhile, in Japan, people were dressing up at the Comiket fair, which has been running since 1975 and is still attended by thousands of cosplayers today.
In the 1990s, cosplay spread worldwide. Since 2003, the World Cosplay Summit has been held in Nagoya, Japan, with a world championship added in 2005. Qualifiers for it now take place in the Czech Republic as well.
How to start with cosplay
The first step is choosing a character. Pick someone you really love, because you'll spend dozens of hours on the costume. For your first project, look for a character with simpler clothing and only a few solid parts, like pauldrons, a belt, or a weapon.
Then, gather references. Save images of the character from all angles, including details of the armor, embroidery, and hairstyle. From your references, make a list of parts and note for each one whether you'll buy it, modify it, or make it from scratch.
You don't have to make everything. Many cosplayers start with so-called closet cosplay: they assemble a costume from clothes they already own and just buy a wig or contacts. You can find ready-made costumes in our Themed costumes. However, if you want to compete, keep in mind that you usually have to make the costume yourself.
Cosplay Guide: Part 1 - What You'll Need
Do you admire cosplayers at fan events with their incredibly detailed costumes? Have you ever felt sad that you don't have a costume of your own? That's what our video series is for. full article…
Tips and guides 31. 8. 2022 Karel Krajča 2 minWhat you'll need: materials and tools
The primary material for cosplayers is EVA foam. It's lightweight, easy to cut and sand, heat-formable, and paintable. You can use it to make armor, helmets, swords, and boots. When choosing, look at two specs: density and thickness.
| Density | Properties | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg/m³ (low) | soft and flexible | parts that need to bend, like thigh or calf guards |
| 100 kg/m³ (high) | firm, used for most costumes | helmets, breastplates, weapons |
| 150 kg/m³ and up | very rigid | large static weapons, shields |
| Thickness | Best for |
|---|---|
| 3 mm | edges, trim, small details |
| 5 mm | armor, helmets, breastplates, the most versatile choice |
| 10 mm | shields, swords, and large parts that shouldn't bend |
For beginners, a 5 mm thick sheet is the best choice. The most popular is the flexible EVA foam 50, 5 mm, while for helmets and breastplates, choose the firmer EVA foam 100, 5 mm.
You can find all thicknesses and densities in our Cosplay costume materials.
To join foam, use contact cement. Apply it to both surfaces, wait 10 to 20 minutes until it's no longer sticky to the touch, and then press the parts firmly together. The bond will withstand bending, heat, and friction. For small ornaments, fittings, or skulls, Foam Clay is perfect—it's a modeling foam that air-dries.
For details that need to be hard and smooth, there is a thermoplastic called Cosplayflex. After heating, you can shape it like dough, and it holds its shape once cooled.
As for tools, you'll need:
- a thin white marker for tracing patterns,
- a sharp snap-off utility knife and plenty of blades,
- a cutting mat (don't use a wooden board, it will get ruined quickly),
- a heat gun with at least two heat settings,
- a rotary tool with sanding attachments,
- a respirator, safety glasses, and gloves for sanding and working with sprays.
EVA Foam for Beginners
Discover what EVA foam is and how to use it! This versatile material is ideal for cosplay, sports equipment, decorations, or even flooring. full article…
Tips and guides 9. 8. 2024 Fenrys 8 minPatterns and measurements
A costume must fit, otherwise it will look bad and be uncomfortable. The easiest way to get an exact pattern is the plastic wrap method. Wrap the body part you want to cover in plastic wrap and cover it with duct tape. Use a marker to draw the shape of the piece and the seams, then carefully cut it off.
This gives you a template perfectly fitted to your body. Transfer it to paper, adjust the edges, and use it to cut the foam. The more time you spend on the pattern, the fewer repairs you'll have to make later. We show the whole process in the second part of our video series.
Cosplay Guide Part 2 - Patterns, Templates, and Measurements
How do you ensure your costume fits well and looks great? How do you take measurements and prepare a pattern? It takes a bit of skill and a supply of plastic wrap! full article…
Tips and guides 4. 9. 2022 Karel Krajča 1 minStep-by-step production
Once you have your templates, you can start building. The process is the same for most foam parts:
- Cutting. Trace the template onto the foam and cut with a sharp knife perpendicular to the surface. Where two parts meet at an angle, cut a bevel.
- Heat shaping. Heat the foam with a heat gun and bend it into shape. It holds the shape once it cools.
- Gluing. Join the parts with contact cement. You only get one shot, so test the fit first.
- Filling and sanding. Smooth out seams and imperfections with Kwik Seal or Foam Clay, and sand them down after they dry.
- Sealing the pores. Slowly go over the entire surface with a heat gun on a low setting. The foam will smooth out and take paint better.
- Primer. A protective layer between the foam and the paint. You can brush on the non-toxic Flexbond indoors, but rubber spray like Plasti Dip belongs outside or in a well-ventilated room.
- Painting and weathering. Paint with acrylics using a brush, airbrush, or spray. You can quickly create a metallic sheen with Rub 'n Buff wax paste, applied with a sponge or cloth. Weathering and scratches add realism to the costume.
Always do sanding and spraying outside or in a workshop, and always wear a respirator. Foam dust and primer fumes don't belong in your living room. The entire process, including working with modeling clay, is shown in the third part of our video series. Cosplayers Rys and Tor’Kaya write in detail about filling, priming, and painting in the second part of our EVA foam series.
Cosplay Guide Part 3 - Working with EVA foam and modeling clay
In the previous parts of our cosplay video series, we covered the basic essentials and how to take proper measurements for your costume. full article…
Tips and guides 11. 11. 2022 Karel Krajča 2 min
EVA Foam for Beginners 2
A guide to making props from EVA foam: shaping, sealing pores, priming, and painting. Tips on materials and step-by-step procedures. full article…
Tips and guides 17. 12. 2024 Fenrys 7 minWigs, make-up, and contacts
The costume is only half the character. The other half is hair, face, and eyes. Choose a wig based on the character's color and style. Lace-front wigs look the most natural at the hairline. You can find our selection in the Wigs and hairpieces category. A wig head and a comb are useful for styling and storage.
Colored contacts can complete a character in an instant. Only buy non-prescription lenses from a verified seller and follow the recommended wearing time. You can find our full selection in the Non-prescription colored contacts category.
Make-up finishes the look: contouring, scars, blood, or a completely different skin tone. You can find face paints, adhesives, and fake blood in the Cosplay make-up category. We show what such make-up looks like step-by-step in our vampire look tutorial.
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Tips and guides 19. 10. 2026 Eva Lassler 4 min
Common cosplay competition rules
Every competition has its own rules, so always read them in full before applying. However, most competitions agree on these points:
- You must make the costume yourself. The maker of the costume must be the one wearing it. Bought parts like wigs or contacts are usually allowed, but the rest must be your own work.
- The character must exist. Competitions usually don't accept original characters, unofficial versions of characters, or real-life celebrities. A group must have characters from the same source material.
- References and progress photos. You often have to send a picture of the character and photos of the process. At large competitions, the jury uses these for prejudging.
- One costume, one competition. A costume that has already won elsewhere usually cannot compete again.
- Performance time limit. For example, at Animefest, an individual has 60 to 75 seconds for their skit, and a group has 60 to 150 seconds. You have 30 seconds for stage setup, and points are deducted for every additional 10 seconds.
- Music in advance. You must submit sound and images for the screen in the required format beforehand. There are usually no microphones on stage.
- Prop safety. Real or non-functional firearms, metal and sharp weapons, fire, and pyrotechnics are prohibited. Most competitions also ban things that mess up the stage: fake blood, glitter, confetti, liquids.
- Dimensions and weight. Costumes and props have maximum dimensions (2.5 meters at Animefest). Scenery must be portable by one person.
- Decency. The costume must not be inappropriately revealing or contain hate symbols.
- Age. Major competitions are usually for ages 16 or 18+ (Animefest is 18+). Beginner competitions, like the Cosplay Debut at Animefest, accept contestants from age 15 with parental consent.
The jury usually evaluates two things. For the costume, they look at execution, quality, and techniques used; for the performance, they look at acting and overall impression. Winners of major competitions advance to international finals, such as the World Cosplay Summit in Japan.
If you're on stage for the first time, start with a beginner competition. There's no scoring, the jury decides on the winner after the performance, and it's less nerve-wracking. You can find where the nearest con is in our event calendar. We described what a day full of books, fantasy, and cosplay looks like in our report from KnihoCon.
KnihoCon 2026: A day full of books, fantasy, and cosplay in Karlovy Vary
Come to KnihoCon 2026 on May 16! Enjoy cosplay, meet authors, and join fantasy workshops at the Karlovy Vary Regional Library. Admission is free! full article…
1. 5. 2026 Redakce 2 minWhat's next: more cosplay tutorials
We have a whole range of tutorials and tips for specific materials:
- Cosplay Guide Part 1: What will we need?
- Cosplay Guide Part 2: Patterns and measurements
- Cosplay Guide Part 3: Working with EVA foam and modeling clay
- EVA foam for beginners
- EVA foam for beginners 2
- Contact cement, the cosplayer's glue
- Flexbond, a reliable primer
- Plasti Dip
- Wax paste for a metallic effect
- Sintra Armor: When EVA foam isn't enough
If you want to go deeper, pick up the book The Costume Making Guide about making armor and props. You can find more books on costume making in the Books on cosplay and LARP category.
FAQ
What is cosplay?
Cosplay is dressing up as a character from anime, manga, games, movies, or comics. A cosplayer tries to mimic the character as faithfully as possible in appearance and behavior and shows them off at cons, photoshoots, or competitions. The name comes from combining the English words "costume" and "play".
How much does a first cosplay cost?
It depends on the character. A simple costume assembled from your own clothes with a wig will cost a few hundred crowns. For a costume with EVA foam armor, expect to pay in the thousands, because besides the material, you need glue, primer, paints, and basic tools. However, the tools will last for future projects.
Do I have to make the costume myself?
For a photoshoot or a con, you don't have to; feel free to buy or assemble the costume. However, for competitions, it's usually required that the maker of the costume is the one wearing it. You can usually only buy the wig, contacts, and small accessories.
Which EVA foam should I buy to start?
The most versatile is a 5 mm thick sheet. For rigid parts like helmets and breastplates, choose a higher density (100 kg/m³), and for flexible parts, a lower one (50 kg/m³). 10 mm is suitable for shields and swords.
From what age can I compete in cosplay?
It depends on the competition. Major competitions are usually for ages 16 or 18+, while beginner competitions often accept ages 15+ with parental consent. You will always find the exact age limit in the rules of the specific event.