September 21…

I decided to look up some sources to research how cosplay weapons are made. I came across this video from Jax Cosplay. He used a foam called EVA foam, which is something I have never heard of before. So I researched what EVA foam is, and found out that it is pretty expensive. One EVA foam roll is about $21 on Amazon, so I bought two rolls. The total price that I paid for two rolls, including tax, was $48. This brought down my budget of $150 to $102. I knew that I had to find some alternatives to EVA foam. This is where I came across this video from Lost Wax. This creator used puzzle piece floor mats as their foam. I thought this was genius so I decided I would buy some of it when I visited Dollarama. After a thorough research, these are the materials I needed for this project:

I knew pretty much what I wanted to buy at Dollarama. Creating the “Keyblade” sword was on my mind as I chose the materials to purchase. Additionally, I already have some materials at hand such as scissors, a glue gun, newsprint paper, gesso (for prepping a canvas for painting, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, and so on.

TOTAL $ SPENT (so far): $48 (EVA FOAM) + $53 (Dollarama) = $101

October 11…

It took some time before I decided to start my project. Today, I decided to make a Karambit. I started by getting ideas online to create a design for my Karambit. I saw this picture on Pinterest from Angelo Amo Amo, however, I was looking for something simpler. As I explored different Karambit designs, I came across this Karambit on Knify. This Karambit is simple enough so I quickly got to work.

I started by drawing a rough sketch of my Karambit. I tried to use the Karambit on Knify just for inspiration to create my design. It is going great so far!

After finalizing my Karambit outline, I traced it on a thinner paper and transferred the outline to the foam. I am using the foam I found on Dollarama for this one. I found it hard to cut the foam for some reason. It is even harder to cut around the curves in the handle of the karambit.

After the struggle of cutting the foam, it was time to add the foundation in the middle for support. The Karambit I am making was a little small for the support I purchased, so I had to find a smaller solid object as an alternative. Luckily, I remember that we still had these barbeque sticks sitting around in my kitchen drawer, so I decided to use them.

After struggling to glue everything together, my Karambit is complete. Although it still needs some paint job.

I wrapped the handle with electrical tape and painted the blades silver with a touch of red paint (to make the Karambit seem “deadly” and “lethal”).

AND FINALLY! My Karambit is finished! It is not the best. I wish I made the blades a little more thinner. However, this was just the start. Tomorrow, I have decided to skip a bit on my timeline to create a “Keyblade.”

October 12-13…

The next day, I decided to finally recreate this keyblade from Kingdom Hearts!

This is the easiest keyblade to recreate out of all the other keyblades. Now, I just have to find an outline/blueprint that shows all the measurements of the keyblade.

This was a headache to look at, but I am up for the challenge! So I quickly got to work, starting from the handle!

I would be lying if I said I did not start to hate rulers after this!! The most difficult part of creating this draft is it make sure everything lines up. I do not want to end up with a crooked sword!

After cutting the outline, I quickly transferred this to the foam so I could cut it as well:

As you could see, the photo jumped from the handle being in pieces to complete. I was too invested in creating the handle that I have forgotten to take photos! This photo was taken around 2:33, so I worked on the handle for about FOUR HOURS after creating the outline!!

Now I am ready to create the top part of the sword, so I added more metal foundation so the keyblade will be sturdy:

By the way, I used a curtain rod for the foundation. It is sturdy enough because it is metal, and it is light because it is hollow. It was the perfect support inside! However, I encountered a problem. The top part measures about 27 inches (68.58). The metal was a few inches short, so I used the barbeque sticks again as a support (I did not take a photo of this, so you just have to believe me!) These barbeque sticks were a lifesaver!

Additionally, I also created the outline for the key part, although, I did this after I finished the handle:

Again, another difficult task to do! My hands and wrists were hurting at this point. I have been working on this project since 10:00 am and this photo was taken around 6:24 pm.

As usual, I got so invested in creating the top part that I forgot to take photos! Anyway! the keyblade is finally complete! I wrapped the top part with electrical tape because the glue sticks were not doing their job!

TIME CHECK: 7:00 pm

The next day, I covered the handle with fabric and applied Gesso to the whole keyblade to prepare a surface for painting:

REFLECTIONS (SO FAR)…

I honestly found a new level of respect for cosplay makers. It is a very difficult job to do! Imagine doing this on a daily basis. I think I know why cosplay makers love doing this kind of work. It is very fulfilling once the project is done. I remember showing this to my boyfriend (my critical friend) and being very proud of what I created! It also felt awesome swinging the keyblade around and imagining myself inside the Kingdom Hearts universe! Overall, I could feel my hard work paying off whenever I saw this keyblade that I made.