🟢 Where To Buy Basic Supplies

You’ve decided that you want to make one of these cool masks! You’ve bought the pattern, read it through, and now you’re not sure where to get all this stuff. Fair warning here: the artist located in the United States and as such this article will be North American centric. I’ll have to recruit some help for expanding the article to include other regions. We’ll list the six items you need to make one mask and will work down the list on where you can buy them. Paleo Panthera is not affiliated with any of the businesses discussed or linked in this article.

The legacy big cat pattern; on the left is an assembled mask (sans ears) while the right displays a custom painted mask by the artist.

Every Paleo Panthera mask pattern at minimum requires 6 items:

  1. 4 square feet of either single-wall cardboard or EVA foam (2mm, 3mm, or 4mm).

  2. An adhesive; most commonly hot glue or contact cement.

  3. A cutting tool; Craft knives, scalpels, or scissors

  4. Something to glue down or trace the pattern; paper glue for cardboard users or an opaque marker for EVA foam users.

  5. 1 inch (Or 25mm) thick fabric elastic

  6. Acrylic paint

 

1. Sourcing Cardboard

Cardboard is absolutely everywhere; that’s why I chose to make patterns for it. You can save it, dumpster dive for it, or buy it in several forms. Remember that you are looking for corrugated cardboard; that’s the stuff that has the accordion shaped paper sandwiched between two smooth sheets. If it doesn’t have fluting (the name for that accordion shaped paper) it might not be thick enough. You only want single-walled cardboard; anything else is too thick to bend readily.

Most people save up their shipping boxes from shopping online.

 

  • In the new millennium we all get tons of cardboard delivered to us all the time; shopping online means most of us have plenty of shipping boxes.

    • Another resource is to ask your neighbors to save their shipping boxes.

    • Check Facebook Marketplace and similar sites for people who are getting rid of their moving boxes; you can get a gold mine of cardboard for free this way.

    • Ask your local businesses if they have any unwanted cardboard you might be able to take off their hands. Grocery stores are an especially good source.

    • U-Haul centers sometimes have places for customers to dump their used cardboard boxes; you'll need to call and ask but they may be glad to give them to you for free.

    • Remember to ask permission from the businesses if you want to go dumpster-diving in a cardboard recycling bin.

  • Anywhere people have to pack up for moving, ship things in the mail, or create school presentations is also a place that sells cardboard.

    The artist resides in the US so here's a list of brick-and-mortar stores that have cardboard for sale in some form:

    1. Grocery stores - many have a small selection of cardboard boxes for sale and some even have cardboard that's used in 3 panel standups for school presentations.

    2. Michaels - a craft and hobby store. They sell big sheets of cardboard most often for school projects. You can even get these in specific colors.

    3. Lowes and Home Depot - these big box hardware stores have whole sections devoted to moving and you'll find a wealth of cardboard for sale in all sizes.

    4. Office Max/Office Depot and Staples - These stores usually cater to businesses, but you'll find plenty of cardboard in these places too.

    5. Target & Walmart - These "everything" stores typically sell cardboard somewhere be it shipping boxes or as panels for school projects.

  • It feels a little crazy doesn't it to buy cardboard online? But you can get large amounts all at once, there won't be any rips or tape or address labels on it, and it'll be oh so clean and smooth. You will have to use your best judgement on which businesses to support if that's important to you. This is just a list!

 

1.5 Sourcing EVA Foam

EVA foam is a lot easier to find than it once was; it used to be that you could really only purchase it online unless you lived in a large city. The thickness of EVA foam will really depend on your preferences, but generally you need either 2mm, 3mm, or 4mm thickness EVA foam. The more parts a mask pattern has generally the more you should use 2-3mm; the many parts will give stiffness and structure to the foam. Very simple patterns like the barn owl can make good use of the 4mm thickness foam because it uses large sweeping shapes. Thicker foam also can make a mask more helmet-like but it isn’t as easy to use requiring additional work such as beveling or scoring.

An example of EVA foam thicknesses courtesy of The Foamery.

 

  • Cosplay is more popular than ever making EVA foam possible to find locally. Here are some brick and mortar stores (US based) that I know carry it.

    • Michaels

    • Joann

    • Hobby Lobby

  • A huge variety of stores online carry EVA foam in all shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. There's even sculptable foam clay. Search around for the best deal.

    • The Foamery - Probably the best place I've seen for sheer selection and having things in stock

    • Cosplay Pros - formerly TNT Cosplay Supply. This is where I have historically bought nearly all of my EVA foam.

    • DickBlick.com - They sell "HD" foam which is denser than what can be found in other craft stores; it's harder to bend but sands beautifully. They also sell foam clay and dowels.

    • Michaels.com

    • Joann.com

    • Amazon.com - There are many different suppliers here, so read descriptions carefully and take note of reviews!

 

2. Sourcing Adhesive

We should define what adhesives we’re talking about first; the mask pattern lists 3 common types. They are hot glue, contact cement, and PVA white glue. There are countless adhesives besides these, but this article will focus on those three. The sole addition I’ll make is for the honorable mention product ModPodge which is a PVA glue with extra ingredients.

A typical hot glue gun.

A common brand of contact cement.

Arguably the most recognizable brand of PVA glue.

A decoupage craft product that uses PVA glue as a primary ingredient.

 

  • Hot glue is also known as hot melt adhesive or HMA. I've never heard it called anything but hot glue. It's a type of thermoplastic; it's sticky and malleable when hot but smooth, solid, and somewhat flexible when cool. It comes in sticks of different lengths that you plug into a tool called a glue gun. You've probably used them on crafts growing up at least once.

    You'll need to buy a glue gun if you don't already have one AND the glue sticks that go in them.

    • Warning: do not use a hot glue gun around pet birds. The cooled glue is safe, but the heated glue may put out fumes that can make birds sick. You the human are perfectly safe.

  • Glue guns can be found everywhere both in brick-and-mortar stores and online. For your safety be wary of buying cheap glue guns off the likes of Aliexpress or Wish. Glue guns sold in US stores have to pass some basic electrical safety regulations that overseas tools might not.

    The nicest glue guns have a stand and temperature regulation controls. The middle tier have a switch between high and low settings (I own one like this). The cheapest tier are around $10 USD and have just one temperature setting. These cheap glue guns work just as well for mask making as the fancy glue guns do.

    Glue guns also come in regular size and "mini"; there's little functional difference between them. One just puts out a lot more glue than the other.

    • Glue guns can be bought at any craft store or hardware store as well as similar stores online.

  • There's a whole lot of information out there with different kinds of glue sticks that melt at different temperatures and have different properties.

    You're just gluing cardboard or EVA foam. The cheapest all purpose kind is literally fine. Anywhere you can buy a glue gun you can buy the glue sticks that go with them. Just make sure the sizes match; mini sticks for mini glue guns and regular size sticks for regular glue guns.

    • HMA glue sticks can be bought at any craft store or hardware store as well as similar stores online.

  • Contact cement is defined as a type of impact glue. It is a solvent based adhesive that has an incredibly strong bond when used according to directions. That's the stuff they used to glue down countertops, glue on shoe soles, and the entire cosplay world would come apart without contact cement.

    A thin layer of glue is painted on each surface that's going to be joined. The glue is then allowed to dry - separately. When the glue is thoroughly dry you'll press the parts together to form an incredibly strong bond.

    Contact cement only sticks to itself when dry.

  • I have always purchased contact cement at hardware stores such as Lowes, Home Depot, or Ace Hardware. It can also be purchased online. I prefer to buy in person because sometimes the can lid can come off during shipping which makes a spectacular very expensive mess.

  • Contact cement puts out a LOT of volatile fumes while it is wet. The stuff smells incredibly strong because those fumes are both toxic and flammable.

    • Exercise some basic safety sense and open two windows when using it indoors, preferably with a fan in one of the windows.

    • For the love of all the cosplay in the universe do not smoke, use incense, or light candles while working with contact cement.

    • Work outdoors if you can; you can bring the pattern pieces back inside when the glue has dried.

    • Use a respirator if you have one.

    • Never ever use contact cement around pet birds. It WILL injure them and could kill them.

  • PVA glue is best known by the brand name Elmer’s. It’s the same white nontoxic stuff you used in public school. It's one of the few glues safe to use around pet birds.

    It can be very difficult to use for assembling cardboard masks and requires the use of paper tabs. It takes forever to dry and doesn't work at all on EVA foam.

    It IS a useful component in some kinds of paper mache, but that's info for a different article.

    ModPodge is a PVA glue with extra ingredients; these act as sealers and make for a smoother more durable finish than PVA glue alone. It is a common craft supply used in decoupage. You use it the same as Elmer's/PVA glue with paper tabs on cardboard masks. It doesn't work at all as glue on EVA foam but it can be useful as a sealer before painting.

  • You can buy PVA glues like Elmer's almost anywhere. Look for "school glue" if you don't buy a name brand.

    • Grocery stores

    • Craft stores

    • Everything big-box stores

    • Office supply stores

    • Hardware stores

  • ModPodge is a common glue for crafting hobbies, so you'll find it at the following:

    • Arts and crafts supply stores

    • Hobby stores

    • Sometimes the hobby section of big box stores; often near kids crafts

    • Almost anywhere online

 

3. Sourcing Knives, Scalpels, or Scissors

You’ll use blades of some kind or another to cut the paper pattern out followed by cutting your actual mask shapes out. There’s several different options for cutting out the cardboard or EVA foam pieces; I personally cut the pattern out with scissors and use scalpels to cut the mask pieces themselves.

An X-Acto brand hobby knife shown with disposable blade.

A common utility knife/box cutter.

 

A scalpel with disposable blade and reusable handle.

Common Fiskars scissors for right handed people.

 

  • Craft and hobby knives are often referred to as Exacto or X-Acto blades; they are a reusable handle that comes with an assortment of disposable blades the handle grips. These are EXTREMELY sharp especially out of the package so be careful! Hobby knives also come in different sizes and shapes so choose what's best for you and be sure to get extra blades.

    If you find yourself forcing a hobby knife through the cardboard or EVA foam then it's time to change to a new blade; sharp blades almost glide through the material.

    You can buy craft and hobby knives online or off at:

    • Hardware stores

    • Arts and crafts supply

    • Hobby stores

    • Big box everything stores - look in home repair aisle or hobby aisles

  • Utility cutters are often colloquially called "box cutters". They come in different styles; some are fixed handles that you change the blade out by undoing a screw that holds the handle and blade together.

    The style I favor is retractable and has snap-off blades. This means that when your blade is dull you quite literally snap it off with pliers and click out the next section of clean sharp blade.

    This is the exact knife I use: OLFA 9mm Slide Lock Utility Knife

    You can buy utility cutters at any hardware store and sometimes in craft stores. They're readily available online.

  • Disposable scalpels more or less have all the same function as a craft knife but are MUCH sharper. So sharp that you'll be bleeding before you realize you've cut yourself; so know EXACTLY where your fingers are when using one! The advantage is that you can do unbelievably precise work with them; I find this useful as an artist but hobbyists probably won't get extra utility out of them.

    There are two kinds of scalpels: totally disposable where you throw away the entire tool and reusable handles with changeable blades. Handles come in two different sizes which fit two different sets of blades. I have both sizes to use any size blade, but my favorite is the #22 blade.

    I've been a taxidermist so long that I have scalpels just lying around; you generally can only buy them online at everything-stores or science supply companies.

  • Good ole' dependable scissors will work just fine. They can be fiddly around tight curves, but I've cut out entire patterns with them. They work on cardboard and 2-3mm EVA foam. Scissors may crush the surface of thicker EVA.

    You want sharp metal scissors; plastic safety scissors will not work.

    • Fiskars - found at any craft store and online. Many can be taken apart and resharpened.

    • Engineer - A Japanese brand found predominantly online. Amazon store linked here.

    • Wiss - Found at hardware stores offline and online; their 11" tradesmen scissors might be the last scissors you ever buy.

    Do not use your nice fabric scissors (Or your mom's or your grandma's or your dad's or your grandad's) on cardboard. Fabric scissors do in fact cut amazingly and if you use them on cardboard you will never cut fabric with them again. It dulls the edge like nobody's business. And your favorite fabric-loving family member might hang you by your toes when you get caught.

 

4. Sourcing Pattern-Tracing Materials

This area probably doesn’t need detail but I want the article to look consistent or my brain will itch. So read below for what materials you need to get the pattern off the paper and onto the cardboard or EVA foam you’ll make your mask with.

 

  • The tried and true way is to use PVA glue, ModPodge, or a glue stick to stick the paper pattern onto your cardboard. Don't get the paper TOO wet with glue because it can make the paper wrinkle.

    If you're VERY adventurous or want to save a lot of time you can buy printable sticker paper for your pattern. Cut it out with scissors, peel, stick, and done!

  • Most EVA foam I see used is black; you will need some form of opaque paint pen in order to trace your pattern pieces onto the foam sheet.

    I use this exact silver Sharpie on my foam.

    If you're in a tight pinch something like chalk will also work, but it may also smear.

 

5. Sourcing Elastic

Elastic is sometimes referred to as braided elastic or pajama/underwear elastic. As far as I can tell all elastic is created equal; you can buy it from any craft or fabric store. Make sure that you buy elastic that is 1 inch wide (25mm). This is for your comfort; any narrower and the elastic can become really uncomfortable because it can’t spread the mask’s weight over as much area.

6. Sourcing Paint

What can I say about paint? Enough that I’ll need to write an article just about paint. As an artist by trade I have Opinions™ about paint that won’t matter for 99.9% of my audience. I’ll spare your eyes; you won’t find that info here. So here’s the minimum required:

You need to buy acrylic paint, a primer or sealer, and paintbrushes*. Any acrylic paint is fine. Any paintbrush is fine.

 

If you are using cardboard you should strongly consider buying gesso. Gesso is a semiclear flexible sealer/primer; it’ll strengthen your cardboard mask and give a really good base for your acrylic paint to stick to. It has very slight sandy texture to it when touched, but this is smoothed out when you paint on top.

If you are using EVA foam you need to seal the foam before painting. This is easily accomplished with a coating of PVA glue, ModPodge, or Plasti-dip (Link on DickBlick.com)*. Then paint as usual.

(I have also used gesso on EVA foam but there seems to be some controversy within the cosplay community about its use.)

 
 
 

Example brands of craft acrylic paint:

  • Folk Art

  • Deco Art

  • Americana

  • Apple Barrel

  • Top Notch

  • Craft Smart

Example brands of artist’s acrylic paint:

  • Golden Acrylics

  • Liquitex

  • Winsor & Newton

  • Utrecht

  • Holbein

  • Blick

*Posca paint markers are technically acrylic paints in pen form. If you’re more confident with a drawing implement than you are with a brush I recommend these. You should still pick up a brush, primer/sealer, and a bottle of what you want your base mask colors to be so you don’t waste your markers filling up blank space.

If you have all of these things then you are ready to begin your mask project!

 
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Mask Making InformationJaime Thompsonmaterials, sourcing, eva foam, cardboard, knife, knives, craft, glue, PVA, white, elmer's, elmers, modge podge, elastic, ribbon