Beginner’s Guide to Pepakura

pepakura helmet

Pepakura is a term that comes up often in cosplay. The technique can be used to make armor, helmets, and a variety of props. It’s essentially high tech paper craft. I’ve always been a little intimidated by Pepakura because I’m not even good at basic origami folds, but Cata of OHI Cosplay wrote a handy beginner’s guide that makes me realize I’ve been missing out. She details the basics of Pepakura, the pros and cons, how to scale files, and how to fold them into place.

So what is Pepakura? Pepakura a type of papercraft that’s become a great way to create props and armor. Pepakura is specifically the program used to view and print out the 3D, but the process has taken on the name too.

The basic idea is simple; the design is printed out onto cardstock, cut out, assembled, and reinforced. From that idea, different methods have formed.

One big difference between this method and most other Pepakura tutorials is instead of using fiberglass resin, I used CA glue. CA glue is easier to use, not as toxic, and better for smaller scale projects like hand props, helmets, and maybe some weapons. This method is NOT recommended for anything like a full set of armor because of the amount of CA glue you would need. If we were working on armor or a larger piece, we would use fiberglass resin.

She also describes how to take Pepakura to the next step and seal/paint your creations. Read the entire tutorial
at Tumblr.


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