You Know You're In Loki's Army When... (Part 2)

Everyone knows Loki just isn’t Loki without his epic golden helm.  His horns are the most recognizable element to his costume.  Without them, a Loki cosplay lacks that magical quality that makes him the god of mischief.  For the record, this piece took me 4 days to make.  I was pleased with my first attempt, but in retrospect, I feel like I should have spent longer on it to get a smoother appearance.

Credit: Thomas G Ricks / Fox 2 News

Let me begin my instruction by giving credit where credit is due.  I got the idea for the horns from http://www.craftymischiefbybrittany.com/2012/12/loki-helmet-tutorial.html.  She suggested buying a heart shaped foam wreath and cutting it in half.  GENIUS!  

12in Extruded Foam Heart White http://www.joann.com/floracraft-1-1-4inx12in-styrofoam-heart-1pk-white/1301878.html
$4.99

I cut the first one incorrectly so I had to buy a second.  (See below.)

I then used a 1/4" thick sheet of black craft foam for the base of the helm.

Creatology® Foam Sheet http://www.michaels.com/M10390268.html?dwvar_M10390268_color=Black#q=foam+sheet&start=5 $0.99

I made a template for the base out of generic printer paper first, then I traced it onto the foam with a regular No. 2 pencil before cutting it out with a sharp pair of scissors.

Here’s where it got tricky…

I used worbla to cover the foam.  If you have never worked with worbla before, the only thing I have to suggest is BE PATIENT!  Do not rush or you will get frustrated and make more mistakes. 

Worbla Thermoplastic – Small Sheet https://www.cosplaysupplies.com/store.php?p=WORB0.12 $29.00

A thermoplastic is a material that becomes more pliable when heat is applied to it.  The thinner the worbla, the less heat is needed to manipulate it.  I was actually able to use my normal hair dryer for most of the process.  Before I wear this costume again, I plan to use a heat gun on the padding, but more on that later.  The shinier side of worbla is the stickier side, so it self-adheres, which can be both good and bad.

I created a rough template for the horn covering out of parchment paper first.  I then traced the template onto the worbla and cut it out with the same scissors I used for the foam.  (Again, this is very easy to manipulate in a thin state.)  Due to limited material, I wound up cutting the base for the helm out in 2 halves, but I already planned to add an additional piece in the middle (over the crease) for embellishment anyway.

In order to ensure the horns would stay attached to the base, I glued them into closet rod mounts.  (You will need 2 bags because only one mount per bag is perfectly round.)  Before I attached them, I used the mounts as templates on the base to decide where to place the horns.  (I chose the area above the outer halves of my eyebrows.)  I also made sure to trace the inner diameter as well.  (This will become important shortly.) 

Real Organized Fixed Mount Rod http://m.lowes.com/pd/Real-Organized-Fixed-Mount-Rod-Support/50036818?CAWELAID=320011480002257392&cm_mmc=sm_pi-_-richpins-_-WireClosetShelving-_-50036818 $1.68

When I was satisfied with the placement, I used E6000 glue to bond the horns to the mounts.  I let this set up overnight.



E6000 Mini 4Pack http://www.joann.com/e6000-mini-4pack/12536454.html#q=e-6000&start=4 $5.49

The next day, I began molding the worbla to the horns, working from the bases to the tips.  After each horn was covered (they will look really primitive at this point), I used a dremel tool to sand down the bulges.  You can also just buy a heavy grit sand paper, but it’s already a time consuming job with the Dremel, so again, BE PATIENT!

I cut the small circles from the inner diameter of the mounts out of the base worbla with an exacto knife.  I then pushed each of the horns through the holes.  At this point, I heated the base worbla and adhered it to the base foam.  (I did use a little more E-6000 on the bottom of the mounts to further bond them to the foam.)  When I was confident that everything had lined up the way I intended, I stood the horns up against a wall to set up overnight.

The next day I cut out the middle base piece to cover the crease, and I heated the worbla and adhered it to the base.  I also added a piece of worbla trim to the base of the horns to disguise a place where the previous worbla didn’t line up very well.  At this point, let me mention the following PSA: DO NOT THROW YOUR WORBLA SCRAPS AWAY!!!!!  Being a thermoplastic, worbla does an amazing thing.  If you mess up, you can place all your scraps in an oven safe container and heat them into a congealed mass that you can roll out and use again!  Seriously! It works! I did this myself!

The first step to smoothing the horns was to add a coat of wood filler.  I used Minwax brand and I wore latex gloves.  Although the finished product was fine, this was incredibly hard to get out of the tube, so I finally had to cut open the back and scoop it out. Because of that, quite a bit went to waste.  This may have been a one-time fluke though.  I let this dry overnight again.

Minwax 6-oz Stainable Wood Filler http://www.lowes.com/pd_164701-24-42852000___?productId=3098375&pl=1&Ntt=minwax+wood+filler $7.97

The next day I sanded the horns with a medium grit sandpaper.  The next step was attaching the elastic strap.  I did this by cutting approximately 1/8” slices into the helm on either side of each horn and pushed a brad through the worbla, foam, and headband. 

Scunci No-Slip Grip Headbands Black http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/scunci-no-slip-grip-headbands/ID=prod2499474-product $5.99

I simply folded the backs of the brads over onto themselves to keep them out of sight.  I intended to glue the strap to the back of the helm, but it didn’t really seem necessary after it was assembled.

I then painted the horns with a coat of gesso, which is a very thick primer.  I allowed this to dry the equivalent of “overnight” while I was at work.  I tried to sand it with the medium grit sand paper again, but this part would have probably benefited more from a fine grit.  I was set to leave for Comic Con in about 18 hours, so I opted to move onto the painting step.  I already had some gold spray paint, and after my experience with overdoing the paint last year (some of my armor still wasn’t dry when it was time to leave), I took the “less is more” approach this time.  

Valspar 12-oz Gold Spray Paint http://www.lowes.com/pd_57766-4-465.0066009.076_0__?productId=3729675 $6.38

I allowed the helm to dry from a hanger off our attic ladder.  I used a foam head I bought from JoAnn Fabric for $4.99 to anchor the helm through part of the process, but I didn’t want to make a complete mess of it.

Liquitex 16-Ounce Basics Acrylic Gesso http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/liquitex-16-ounce-basics-acrylic-gesso-137422/ $9.99

When the helm was dry, I glued the green glass stone onto the center base piece with the E-6000 glue.  I also used the hair dryer on the back to bend the shape to fit my head a little better.  The last step was using my leftover black foam and worbla to make a pad for the back of the helm to protect my head from the brads.  I did not actually attach this part to the helm, although I did glue the foam and worbla together just to be safe.  The worbla was probably not necessary, but I wanted to make sure the black foam wouldn't discolor my forehead. 

When you're ready to go back to your boring civilian alter ego, make sure you pack your helm very carefully.  I recommend a large rubbermaid container or hanging the helm from a hanger in your closet.  I would also advise against storing your helm in an attic or garage where heat could have an adverse effect on the worbla.  This should keep it in peak condition whenever you're ready to have the masses kneeling before you again.  In the end, they will always kneel ;)