I’m required to hand-sew my parts, but hopefully through time I’ll save up for a sewing machine! Technically I can afford it right now, but I’d much rather have enough to be sure that if something pops up that needs to be paid for, I won’t go broke :’]
Here’s one - not double checking fur direction when cutting the fabric. The underside of one of Aishi’s cheeks is backwards due to me not checking, and I didn’t notice until after I had finished the head. It’s minky, and on a part no one really looks at, so unless someone is looking for it they won’t see it, but because I got so far into it before noticing it would take a LOT of work to fix, I’m just lucky I can get away with not fixing it, but someone with proper fur might not be as lucky in this regard
something i find helps me with any fabric with pile is drawing the direction that the pile goes on the back with a water-soluble marker that disappears with a spray and doesnt show through to the outside
I think another good tip is one- SHAVE UR FURSUIT! Lots of beginners including my first 2 suits, dont shave their fursuit and tbh it is the makers preference but depending on the species it could make the suit look ALOT better and overall make ur work look more "professional" and #2 USE PET CLIPPERS! On one part of the suit I just used old beard clippers cuz I didn't have money for good pet fur clippers, u can still use the human clippers BUT they dont shave the fur as well or as easy. They tend to be slower and get caught on the fur more whereas pet clippers just glide right through the fur
Also! Be very careful when using faux fur in a sewing machine. If your machine is higher end or belongs to someone else you may not wanna risk it unless you're experienced. Great vid!
The best workaround I’ve found is to shave the fur fabric to where your seam is going to be. It makes it easier to line it up for machine sewing, and you have a bonus of not having “fur bumps” everywhere. Especially where 2 colors come together.
Hiya! Ive been a costume maker for a good 10+ years. And I'm so happy to see you making this. And here's the thing i cannot stress. Every first fursuit is going to be hard. Its your first go. And we all start somewhere! Every single one of my heads i do, i ask how i can improve it from my last. I've done like 150 heads i think? And then a ton of parts and such. But i keep count of heads overall. And i can do a head in a week if that. Mind you i don't take breaks xD oh and funny thing. Never used a machine in my life and i like it that way. I think its fine if people do either or. But there will be a lot you need to rely on for hand sewing. And my advice is to learn some basic stitches. Blanket and puppet are what i use most. As well as learn the direction of the fur. And a little "hack". You never need to use colored thread. Use white on lights and black on darks. It saves sooo much time. As well as no more needing to match colors. And don't be afraid to drape your fur on the base as you work. Fur adds volume. It might look one way as foam then another with the fur on top of it. Just drape and experiment! And make sure you always focus on: ventilation, weight and vision over ANYTHING. Heck if you cannot breathe, you just wasted your time. Make sure to carve out the muzzle and don't block air. Not even fans can save you if you have no natural air flow. Gah sorry for the wall of text! Im just big on giving help ^^"
I'm still upset the biggest mistake I made has never been fully talked about. When I went to make the dtd for the head, I didn't know I wasnt supposed to put the duct tape directly on the head, I assumed based on what few videos existed at the time, that the tape would come off easy..... Tore so many holes into my foam base and I was so mad So I guess, use a buffer between the tape and foam, press n seal worked best for me, idk how people use cling wrap, it slides around too much for me. Idk, feels almost like every fursuit tutorial I have seen just misses some key information or assumes the viewer already knows certain things they need to do
@@kittykatj9132 dtd means duck tape dummy, Wich is made by wrapping a person in duck tape (preferably with a cheap painters jumpsuit and not too tightly) it then can be used to draw out the patterns for the suit, and then cut into patterns. Let me know if you want to know about any other terms, I'd be glad to help!
All in all this is good info for those starting out. I do disagree with your first point though. Style is a matter of preference. Some people like super expressive suits and others like more realistic suits. If you are a fursuit maker then find the style that works for YOU. If you are planning to sell suits then there will always be a market for whatever style you go with. I do agree that new makers should try to use sewing machines more, however be aware that there are some intricate seams that are basically impossible to correctly sew with a machine. You may not have them on every fursuit you make but eventually you will encounter a complex design or shape that is simply easier to sew by hand than with a machine. Lastly, my own tip to new fursuit makers; you dont have to make a perfect headbase to end up with a good finished product! My first couple suits I spent so much time and effort carving my foam heads, trying to get them perfect before gluing the fur on, only to discover that far more experienced makers didn't spend anywhere as much time carving as I did. The fur has enough give in it to cover small mistakes and it will hide little irregularities in the foam base.
A appreciate this comment ad this was my thought. Expression is subjective and a matter of taste. There are certain things you have to do to make sure your character's expressions shows at all, but it doesn't have to overly exaggerated, unless that is the style you are going for.
While it may be faster with the sewing machine I find that on heads it’s almost impossible to brush out the seams that are left by a sewing machine rather than by hand. You basically end up with less bunching up on the back of the fabric
If you push in your fur prior to sewing I find that's not really an issue, even when shaved down. The seams show just as much either way, at least for me.
I used my machine to sew my last head and OMG it made things SO much easier and faster! Not to mention how durable the seams are, I yanked and tugged and NOTHING popped, compared to hand sewing where I've had seams rip. If you have pieces that are the same color, I'd say yes, it'd probably be better to hand sew to prevent obvious seams, but I found that I can usually brush/shave those out as long as I'm just careful and patient. There were only a few pieces I had to hand sew on my last head, but I basically got everything sewn in a few hours. Learning a machine is also a HUGE skill to have, not only with headmaking, but also if you ever want to make body suits! You can definitely hand sew a bodysuit, but I can't imagine how long that would take or how questionable the durability would be. Great video!
I think I might have found your channel just in time. I've been slowly attempting to make my own head for the past few months and I'm almost ready to tape it up and make the fur pattern. Perfect time to check out your videos!
From my experience the most important thing I think was said are the tools such as the clips I love the clips they make things so much easier and you won’t have to worry about stabbing your hands One more thing I would recommend is use a X-Acto knife or craft knife to cut the fur it reduces the chances of cutting the fur fibers and it also makes the process a little faster because you don’t have to be as careful
Super helpful, thank you! My biggest issue when I first started making was lack of patience. I would as a beginner take like.:. A month on the foam base and then rush through everything else bc I felt like I was too slow. There's seriously NO set time limit so be patient, watch a million tutorials, and just do ur best! There's so many resources to use now online, through other makers, etc.
2 things, first of all, I dont find the first mistake really as a mistake, I honestly like the one you have in the video that the ones you showed more expressive. I think sometimes its about style too. Also, a question, which sewing machine can be good? Some people (not fursuit makers) told me that normal sewing machines wont work!
late reply, hope it will still help. i have a regular old-ish singer and it works for fur, faux leather and rlly and other material that im using. i know other people with sewing machines and they say that fur works in theirs too, it being a singer machine or whatever machine they use really. i believe most fursuit makers use a regular machine too. ive only ever used 1 - 1 1/2 inch fur in my sewing machine though so i dont know how it would do with longer fur piles. when using fur in a sewing machine i think it is very helpful to clean the bobbin area out regularly because loose fur could get stuck down in it and it could mess the machine up. another important thing is oiling the machine when your using fur. it helps me sm. youtube has tons of reliable video that show how to oil your sewing machine, but i just looked at all the places that rub metal on metal and used a bit of sewing machine oil on the parts. (just to be safe, dont do that. everyones sewing machine is most likely gonna be different so that might not work for your machine. search for a tutorial or use the sewing machines booklet to know how and where to oil the machine.) Hope this helps!
I also can make the head in 7 days, and i have documented the whole thing on my channel I used papier mache for the base + epoxy glue to protect from water, and make it more durable Trust me, the world is not ending if you use it, its relatively cheap and trustworthy method But this method requres a lot of patience, and consumes 1/3 of all head making time (other 2/3 are making insides and outsides, plus sewing and glueing onto base)
@@WafflesDoesArt in russian segment of fursuit making, thats like second popular way to make First one is obviously foam, and third is 3d printing Polyurethan casting is very rare (and i want to try this way!)
My first fursuit head, I used the heavy duty plastic embroidery mesh to make the head base- and it had a moving jaw, and folding ears, as well as lips that curled back to snarl. Fishing line threaded thru to be triggered by finger movements controlled ears and lips. It was a blast, realistic looking wolf...but could have been so much better if I knew then what I have learned since. The tail wagged with finger movements too.
Hm well.. sewing machines aren't really a huge requirement as really, they're optional. Sure they are good for getting the job done quicker but it is still possible to make fursuits (and plushies!) by handsewing all the way. Sadly I don't think you can fully machine things 100% as for closing gaps and seams, you would have to use the ladder/hidden stitch if you want to give it a clean finish, and not have this look where there's this one corner where you can see all the stitching and the rest you can't. Hope this info was useful to anyone reading this anyway, and yes I'm a fursuit maker too, I just don't post them on here, I do however on my other acc Fennekit Studios tho!
As experienced suitmaker (14 heads) ill never use sewing machine on face, and handsew it all by myself It tooks me around 6, maximum 9 hrs of sewing, and ill took this time and handsew all thing The reason for this is a lot of curves and small details that will be much bigger and puffier as more details sewn in Also if any grammatic brainfarts - english is my second language
@@WafflesDoesArt yeah and im really glad that you finding new ways to improve speed&quality, i think you will be much faster once you find al the tricks that work for you
I'm gonna have to hand sew my suit, but that's okay cause I'm only ever gonna make one suit. Very excited to get started once I get the money to get materials. Tha KS for the tips!
I'm going to be trying to make my first suit head soon. I'm watching as many videos as I can, but my anxiety about it is so high. I'm a young fur, so I really don't want to wait years u til I can commision one, so I'm going to try my hand at this.
I'm trying make my first head fursuit and I'm really in need of a good mannequin head. I have one of thoses cheap ones and it was a big mistake. Thanks for the tips 😊
@@WafflesDoesArt true but i am willing to at least try it... ive figured out where most of my original mistakes were with the machine and am working hoping to now be able to use it more
Something that occurred to me - it’s so much easier to cut faux fur fabric with an X-Acto knife/box cutter than with scissors. Also, good mannequin heads don’t have to break the bank! I found a great one on EBay for only $20 USD.
I’m impatient here is something that helps me. Think of the day you finish like a holiday! We love holidays but the faster they come the sooner we will have to wait another 364 days for them to be here again. The day you finish making something your passionate about won’t happen again, sure the sense of accomplishment will but when will you make that thing again? If you wanted to you could make a remake but it’s still not the original. The first time you make something is the only time it will be original something new! Even if it’s based on something that already exists, it’s still your take on it so it’s still original.
I usually Handsew my heads(I like using the Blanket stitch), but if it was body parts then I use a sewing machine, sometimes for paws tho they require handsewing
Ive tried to machine sew my heads before but i can never get it right, im on my 10th suit right now and through that i usually can get them done within a day or two, another tip though. Remember to backstitch on your machine! Stitches will fall out bear the end of the seam if you dont
Your Projects are looking preaty amazing and awesome there the way you make ^^ and when it come to the eyes you war talking about! the main reason why ( MORE FURLESS ) has this super big eyes is becuase there Head bases are super big and they easely run away with that toony desine like beive me it awesome to have big fursuit head but then again packing it for con and everything its just way 2 big xP i made my Head base a bit close to what they make and damn its big xD alsow agree with you there about the hand sawing it take way to long! but you got to look the other way around you can easely sit down watch a movie or youtube videos while you are sawing your parts together! but then again sawing wiht maching does speed up the proces 3x again thak you for sharing your tips and tricks with us ^^ keep up the amazing work on your projects and have a nice day
I've been working on fursuit foam heads since the past 4 years and I am still not close to anywhere being completed. And me being me, all in the process has ended up creating several more bases. I've ended up with at least 8 different head bases and soon to end up with 10. Only 1 out of the 10 are my current soul focus! And that has taken up almost 4 years at least on just mostly the first head base. My family tells me that it is merely just a waste of my time but I continue to do it anyways even if I have never completed a single project as of yet. I tell them that this will be worth all the thousands of dollars I've spent on everything and continue to spend on to create these pieces that are yet to be completed.
if you don't mind me asking, what exactly keeps you from finishing any of the bases? how have you started so many that you don´t like but don´t seem to find anything that you do like?
I used a Styrofoam head and built a "base" out of foam then built my first fursuit head around it. Currently stuck as idk where to go next 😅 I've got the foam head made, added teeth, but I've not added the fur yet because i dont know where to start.
I've been working on my fursuit head since July between finding the correct fur colors and finding the energy to work on it after work and on the weekends is hard
HUGE recommend (especially for low budget furries-) use your local library! It has a ton of free resources from books on how to sew, cosplay, use a sewing machine, character design and anything else you could want. Don't think of the local library as having Shakespeare only lol. They use donations from all the local areas and most library's in the same state switch books around. You can find almost anything these days, and it helps a ton!
I handsew everything, I trust my hands far more than I trust my machine. Even when I do use my machine, I handsew first so that I can tuck in all the fluff and align the seams perfectly, and I dont have to worry about running over a clip and snapping a needle.
watching this before i try making one just going for a partial fur suit, much easier and faster, takes up less space, less maintenance and won't get as hot. plus i don't think it would be a good idea for me to go for a full suit for my first fur suit
I built my head without looking at any videos or tutorials and it looks good I finished it in 3 days the only issue is the hand sewn top because I have never sewn before
Oh goodie. I estimated that the head alone might take me 2 months to put together. I'll be working on my very first and I am prepared for it to take up to a year to make the whole thing.
I also have to hand sew everything because I dont have a sewing machine sadly and it’s a little bit complicated for me to fully figure out how’d that work I would have to wait for a bit before asking my parent for one I have been practicing making fursuit bases and I’m kinda only twelve, well technically turned twelve nine days ago but yeah and I also need some alligator clips. I just never use mannequin head and just measure my head and start clipping away. I am currently making a kemono styled head but can’t fully decide if I wanna make a dragon or fox but there’s more chance I’ll do a fox
i don't think you are talking about mistakes, this is more of a preference video. i use needles just as much as clips, i do normal expressions and over exaggerated ones, most of the time for me sewing the face fur by machine is impossible due to small markings AND seems need to be as small as possible especially for resin bases, i cut everything with normal scissors since those spring loaded ones hurt my thumb more. you can't really do wrong on these.
Im late bit where can I get pet clippers? My father gave me his beard clippers but they hardly cut fur and I want a pet one due to the fur but on the pet shops they aren't if so in Amazon what are the best ones?
i definitly needs some of this clipps XD well i will stay by handsewing because i tryed with the mashine and i was more readusting/readding the threath . i am aktualy faster with handsewing XD (makeing suits since 2016 and have like 26 Suit heads under my belt ^w^)
Can you give links where you got your mannequin head and what kind of sewing machine you use? I’m making all this mistakes because I cannot find where to get them or what kind of sewing machine I need, I’ve tried contacting other makers but no one has been responding to me ):
Soooo I have a styrofoam mannequin head and I measured my head and it’s head and it’s about the same size, do you think it’ll be okay to use? Cause I’m planning on making my first fursuit and I want it to turn out as good as possible but I definitely can’t afford a professional mannequin head like the one you have 😅
The styrofoam ones do work, I know a lot of people wrap them in ducktap to make them bigger. You also don't need a mannequin head but it does make things a little easier
I feel as though a lot of these are really either preference in style, or quality of life changes for the craft. None of these are really mistakes. Spend money on a machine instead of hand sewing, spend money on a mannequin head vs making one that better fits your head/ just works as is, spend money on better scissors, etc. Not mistakes. While yes, fursuit making does take time, patience and practice, and yes equipment does play a big part, I make a lot of my heads without a lot of expensive equipment, and equipment doesn't technically make a good fursuit maker.
I would use a sewing machine for sewing.. but nobody in my family knows how to use them! My grandmother has gotten me 2 sewing machines but I have no clue how to operate it! I end up hand sewing everything I make now regardless of it being fursuit related or not
Practice practice!!! When I got my first sewing machine, I used some old ratty dish towels and taught myself the basics. Just grab something you or someone else won’t really miss like a too-small tshirt, sew the heck out of it. I highly recommend looking up the brand name/model of the machine so you can know exactly what it does/doesn’t do.
Also.... Ehh. : / Honestly the larger jaw and bigger eyebrows, would DEFINITELY make it creepy. : / Also.... Why don't you use latex , like, dried liquid latex from the dollar store, to figure out where / how, you want the pieces to " sit" together. Also.... You use SHEERS???? : 0 , WHY NOT MOVE A MARKER ON THE BACK, USING THE FINGER ON THE FRONT AS GUIDE, AND, USE A RAZOR? ( Sorry, caps locks didn't turn off.) I always heard that using sheers or scissors, just accidentally removes the fur in the cut, changing the direction of the " floof" , and, hurting the finished product. : ( I.... I am getting some bad mixed signals here. : ( As for the foam dollar store head, there great if you do a face impression, and, make a wax base, closer to an " actual" face, to throw over it. The dollar store sells LARGE votif candles, for the same price. : /
Hey do you know where I can get a custom made fursuit? I'm looking for a koala. If so we can exchange information and I can explain to you what I want and prices.
I’ve been thinking about getting a mannequin head for a while and this has made me want one more. I might get one now because I’m stressing about how I’ll make the neck for my suit
Well I don't like hard expressions, thats why I also don't like more fur less. This is not a mistake, its just about finding your own style. Its not wrong to have not a big expression, its fine if the fursuit has just a natural look or small smile, everyone has their own preferences. In my opinion this isn't a ''Mistakes beginners do'' Video, its more a ''tips for new fursuitmakers'' You dont need hard expression You dont need a sewing machine or any other tools for sewing and fursuitmaking except a needle, thread, scissor, hotglue+gun You dont need a mannequin at all, I used my own head for my first fursuit. The only mistake is yes people not being that patient, but thats the only real mistake I could find in this Video.
Link to the sewing machine: amzn.to/3rdiwHT
Link to mannequin head: amzn.to/3FjklYQ
I’m required to hand-sew my parts, but hopefully through time I’ll save up for a sewing machine! Technically I can afford it right now, but I’d much rather have enough to be sure that if something pops up that needs to be paid for, I won’t go broke :’]
You can get really good deals if you buy used too, best of luck on your hand paws!
My sewing machine I got at 7 as a gift
@@micachuthefurry lol I got mine at 10
@@pax_lizbeth lol
portable sewing machines work like gold!
Here’s one - not double checking fur direction when cutting the fabric. The underside of one of Aishi’s cheeks is backwards due to me not checking, and I didn’t notice until after I had finished the head. It’s minky, and on a part no one really looks at, so unless someone is looking for it they won’t see it, but because I got so far into it before noticing it would take a LOT of work to fix, I’m just lucky I can get away with not fixing it, but someone with proper fur might not be as lucky in this regard
oh man, we've all done that before and it suuuucks to fix!
something i find helps me with any fabric with pile is drawing the direction that the pile goes on the back with a water-soluble marker that disappears with a spray and doesnt show through to the outside
I think another good tip is one- SHAVE UR FURSUIT! Lots of beginners including my first 2 suits, dont shave their fursuit and tbh it is the makers preference but depending on the species it could make the suit look ALOT better and overall make ur work look more "professional" and #2 USE PET CLIPPERS! On one part of the suit I just used old beard clippers cuz I didn't have money for good pet fur clippers, u can still use the human clippers BUT they dont shave the fur as well or as easy. They tend to be slower and get caught on the fur more whereas pet clippers just glide right through the fur
Yeah, shaving the fur makes everything soooo good!!
Also! Be very careful when using faux fur in a sewing machine. If your machine is higher end or belongs to someone else you may not wanna risk it unless you're experienced. Great vid!
That's a great point, thank you ^^
This^^
Sewing machine love to eat the longer material/tries to pull it through as if it is the string if you don't know how to maneuver it just right
The best workaround I’ve found is to shave the fur fabric to where your seam is going to be. It makes it easier to line it up for machine sewing, and you have a bonus of not having “fur bumps” everywhere. Especially where 2 colors come together.
@@CraftyVeganI'm looking to build a snow leopard fursuit and this will certainly help, thanks a lot!
Hiya! Ive been a costume maker for a good 10+ years. And I'm so happy to see you making this.
And here's the thing i cannot stress. Every first fursuit is going to be hard. Its your first go. And we all start somewhere! Every single one of my heads i do, i ask how i can improve it from my last. I've done like 150 heads i think? And then a ton of parts and such. But i keep count of heads overall.
And i can do a head in a week if that. Mind you i don't take breaks xD oh and funny thing. Never used a machine in my life and i like it that way. I think its fine if people do either or. But there will be a lot you need to rely on for hand sewing. And my advice is to learn some basic stitches. Blanket and puppet are what i use most.
As well as learn the direction of the fur. And a little "hack". You never need to use colored thread. Use white on lights and black on darks. It saves sooo much time. As well as no more needing to match colors.
And don't be afraid to drape your fur on the base as you work. Fur adds volume. It might look one way as foam then another with the fur on top of it. Just drape and experiment! And make sure you always focus on: ventilation, weight and vision over ANYTHING. Heck if you cannot breathe, you just wasted your time. Make sure to carve out the muzzle and don't block air. Not even fans can save you if you have no natural air flow.
Gah sorry for the wall of text! Im just big on giving help ^^"
Honestly you give great advice! Thank youuu
@@WafflesDoesArt if you have any questions or need help. Feel free to poke me! I'm more then happy to help out ^.^
I'm still upset the biggest mistake I made has never been fully talked about.
When I went to make the dtd for the head, I didn't know I wasnt supposed to put the duct tape directly on the head, I assumed based on what few videos existed at the time, that the tape would come off easy.....
Tore so many holes into my foam base and I was so mad
So I guess, use a buffer between the tape and foam, press n seal worked best for me, idk how people use cling wrap, it slides around too much for me.
Idk, feels almost like every fursuit tutorial I have seen just misses some key information or assumes the viewer already knows certain things they need to do
I've always just put the ducktape on the foam, never had a problem with it! I hard agree with the cling wrap tho, it never works
THANK YOU!!!! No one ever talks about this!!!!
Thank you so much, I would have made this *exact* mistake. Appreciate you
can you elaborate more? whats the "dtd'? im new and not fully familiar with all the terms
@@kittykatj9132 dtd means duck tape dummy, Wich is made by wrapping a person in duck tape (preferably with a cheap painters jumpsuit and not too tightly) it then can be used to draw out the patterns for the suit, and then cut into patterns.
Let me know if you want to know about any other terms, I'd be glad to help!
All in all this is good info for those starting out. I do disagree with your first point though. Style is a matter of preference. Some people like super expressive suits and others like more realistic suits. If you are a fursuit maker then find the style that works for YOU. If you are planning to sell suits then there will always be a market for whatever style you go with. I do agree that new makers should try to use sewing machines more, however be aware that there are some intricate seams that are basically impossible to correctly sew with a machine. You may not have them on every fursuit you make but eventually you will encounter a complex design or shape that is simply easier to sew by hand than with a machine. Lastly, my own tip to new fursuit makers; you dont have to make a perfect headbase to end up with a good finished product! My first couple suits I spent so much time and effort carving my foam heads, trying to get them perfect before gluing the fur on, only to discover that far more experienced makers didn't spend anywhere as much time carving as I did. The fur has enough give in it to cover small mistakes and it will hide little irregularities in the foam base.
You made a lot of great points, agree
Great advice, thank you so much
Agreed I don't like my sonas to be too exaggerated
A appreciate this comment ad this was my thought. Expression is subjective and a matter of taste. There are certain things you have to do to make sure your character's expressions shows at all, but it doesn't have to overly exaggerated, unless that is the style you are going for.
While it may be faster with the sewing machine I find that on heads it’s almost impossible to brush out the seams that are left by a sewing machine rather than by hand. You basically end up with less bunching up on the back of the fabric
Honestly that's a good point!
If you push in your fur prior to sewing I find that's not really an issue, even when shaved down. The seams show just as much either way, at least for me.
sewing clips are literally the biggest lifesaver. if i tried to do anything w/ fur using regular pins i would just go live underground
they are sooooo good!!
I never knew ab these! I have to get some now!
I used my machine to sew my last head and OMG it made things SO much easier and faster! Not to mention how durable the seams are, I yanked and tugged and NOTHING popped, compared to hand sewing where I've had seams rip. If you have pieces that are the same color, I'd say yes, it'd probably be better to hand sew to prevent obvious seams, but I found that I can usually brush/shave those out as long as I'm just careful and patient. There were only a few pieces I had to hand sew on my last head, but I basically got everything sewn in a few hours. Learning a machine is also a HUGE skill to have, not only with headmaking, but also if you ever want to make body suits! You can definitely hand sew a bodysuit, but I can't imagine how long that would take or how questionable the durability would be. Great video!
I think I might have found your channel just in time. I've been slowly attempting to make my own head for the past few months and I'm almost ready to tape it up and make the fur pattern. Perfect time to check out your videos!
Yooo good luck! It's HARD but super rewarding!
Thanks for the tips. I'm actually making my head as I'm watching this and it's nice to get help from another beginner
Great tips that I've not heard before, thanks for making this!
From my experience the most important thing I think was said are the tools such as the clips I love the clips they make things so much easier and you won’t have to worry about stabbing your hands
One more thing I would recommend is use a X-Acto knife or craft knife to cut the fur it reduces the chances of cutting the fur fibers and it also makes the process a little faster because you don’t have to be as careful
Buying nice clippers helps so much, the cheapo ones get destroyed by fursuit fur!
Super helpful, thank you! My biggest issue when I first started making was lack of patience. I would as a beginner take like.:. A month on the foam base and then rush through everything else bc I felt like I was too slow. There's seriously NO set time limit so be patient, watch a million tutorials, and just do ur best! There's so many resources to use now online, through other makers, etc.
2 things, first of all, I dont find the first mistake really as a mistake, I honestly like the one you have in the video that the ones you showed more expressive. I think sometimes its about style too. Also, a question, which sewing machine can be good? Some people (not fursuit makers) told me that normal sewing machines wont work!
late reply, hope it will still help. i have a regular old-ish singer and it works for fur, faux leather and rlly and other material that im using. i know other people with sewing machines and they say that fur works in theirs too, it being a singer machine or whatever machine they use really. i believe most fursuit makers use a regular machine too. ive only ever used 1 - 1 1/2 inch fur in my sewing machine though so i dont know how it would do with longer fur piles. when using fur in a sewing machine i think it is very helpful to clean the bobbin area out regularly because loose fur could get stuck down in it and it could mess the machine up. another important thing is oiling the machine when your using fur. it helps me sm. youtube has tons of reliable video that show how to oil your sewing machine, but i just looked at all the places that rub metal on metal and used a bit of sewing machine oil on the parts. (just to be safe, dont do that. everyones sewing machine is most likely gonna be different so that might not work for your machine. search for a tutorial or use the sewing machines booklet to know how and where to oil the machine.)
Hope this helps!
@@sillyXDD Thank u so much for the reply!
@@zubizun_ ofcourse! if any help is further needed just tell me!
@@sillyXDD ok!! :3
I can deffo advocate for singers when it comes to sewing any tougher fabric (Like faux fur, faux leather, stretchy fabric, thick fabric, etc)
I also can make the head in 7 days, and i have documented the whole thing on my channel
I used papier mache for the base + epoxy glue to protect from water, and make it more durable
Trust me, the world is not ending if you use it, its relatively cheap and trustworthy method
But this method requres a lot of patience, and consumes 1/3 of all head making time (other 2/3 are making insides and outsides, plus sewing and glueing onto base)
Paper mache is a neat idea, I've never seen it used before! Спасибо!
@@WafflesDoesArt in russian segment of fursuit making, thats like second popular way to make
First one is obviously foam, and third is 3d printing
Polyurethan casting is very rare (and i want to try this way!)
Epoxy glue isnt toxic? Therell be a residue to breath, no?
I don't have a sewing machine but I'll definitely use your other advice as I'm currently starting my first suit
My first fursuit head, I used the heavy duty plastic embroidery mesh to make the head base- and it had a moving jaw, and folding ears, as well as lips that curled back to snarl. Fishing line threaded thru to be triggered by finger movements controlled ears and lips. It was a blast, realistic looking wolf...but could have been so much better if I knew then what I have learned since. The tail wagged with finger movements too.
Now that im finally old enough to get a job, i can finally start saving up to make a head (or commission one)! I cant wait!
Hm well.. sewing machines aren't really a huge requirement as really, they're optional. Sure they are good for getting the job done quicker but it is still possible to make fursuits (and plushies!) by handsewing all the way. Sadly I don't think you can fully machine things 100% as for closing gaps and seams, you would have to use the ladder/hidden stitch if you want to give it a clean finish, and not have this look where there's this one corner where you can see all the stitching and the rest you can't. Hope this info was useful to anyone reading this anyway, and yes I'm a fursuit maker too, I just don't post them on here, I do however on my other acc Fennekit Studios tho!
yeah, you can do it all without the sewing machine! you have some good points
Thanks for tackling some tools that are helpful and how to use 'em!
As experienced suitmaker (14 heads) ill never use sewing machine on face, and handsew it all by myself
It tooks me around 6, maximum 9 hrs of sewing, and ill took this time and handsew all thing
The reason for this is a lot of curves and small details that will be much bigger and puffier as more details sewn in
Also if any grammatic brainfarts - english is my second language
You're so much better than me! The sewing on the head was my largest time sink so I'm trying to find anyway to make it faster ^^
@@WafflesDoesArt yeah and im really glad that you finding new ways to improve speed&quality, i think you will be much faster once you find al the tricks that work for you
I'm gonna have to hand sew my suit, but that's okay cause I'm only ever gonna make one suit. Very excited to get started once I get the money to get materials. Tha KS for the tips!
as someone who plans on becoming a fursuit maker in the near future this was a big help.
I'm going to be trying to make my first suit head soon. I'm watching as many videos as I can, but my anxiety about it is so high. I'm a young fur, so I really don't want to wait years u til I can commision one, so I'm going to try my hand at this.
you can do it!
I'm trying make my first head fursuit and I'm really in need of a good mannequin head. I have one of thoses cheap ones and it was a big mistake. Thanks for the tips 😊
omg you have a russelbuck sticker on your sewing machine... thats sick as hell
I hand stitched everything in my suit originally. Now I'm starting to do things like the arms on my paws with the sewing machine...
good for you, using a sewing machine is hard
@@WafflesDoesArt true but i am willing to at least try it... ive figured out where most of my original mistakes were with the machine and am working hoping to now be able to use it more
im thinking about making my own fursuit head/partial for me and a friend this helped a lot thank you
Something that occurred to me - it’s so much easier to cut faux fur fabric with an X-Acto knife/box cutter than with scissors. Also, good mannequin heads don’t have to break the bank! I found a great one on EBay for only $20 USD.
i love fursuit head u made from scratch
Thank you!
This video is super helpful, thank you so much for making it! :D
Okay this is helpful. I'm going to try to make my furSona as soon as I get the stuff I need to.
Instructions unclear. Created new species
Describe it
I’m impatient here is something that helps me.
Think of the day you finish like a holiday! We love holidays but the faster they come the sooner we will have to wait another 364 days for them to be here again. The day you finish making something your passionate about won’t happen again, sure the sense of accomplishment will but when will you make that thing again? If you wanted to you could make a remake but it’s still not the original. The first time you make something is the only time it will be original something new! Even if it’s based on something that already exists, it’s still your take on it so it’s still original.
me watching this video as i unbox the cheap foam mannequin head i ordered yesterday
I usually Handsew my heads(I like using the Blanket stitch), but if it was body parts then I use a sewing machine, sometimes for paws tho they require handsewing
this was super helpful, thanks!
Ive tried to machine sew my heads before but i can never get it right, im on my 10th suit right now and through that i usually can get them done within a day or two, another tip though. Remember to backstitch on your machine! Stitches will fall out bear the end of the seam if you dont
Your Projects are looking preaty amazing and awesome there the way you make ^^
and when it come to the eyes you war talking about!
the main reason why ( MORE FURLESS ) has this super big eyes is becuase there Head bases are super big and they easely run away with that toony desine
like beive me it awesome to have big fursuit head but then again packing it for con and everything its just way 2 big xP
i made my Head base a bit close to what they make and damn its big xD
alsow agree with you there about the hand sawing it take way to long! but you got to look the other way around you can easely sit down watch a movie or youtube videos while you are sawing your parts together! but then again sawing wiht maching does speed up the proces 3x
again thak you for sharing your tips and tricks with us ^^
keep up the amazing work on your projects and have a nice day
More Fur Less suits are sooo good! Honestly some of the best toony suits in the fandom!
@@WafflesDoesArt i agree with you ^^
there suits are everywhere and im really suprised how fast they make them!
I’m 12. I’m planning to get materials soon to make one. I hope it comes out well. Sorry for the commenting twice
I've been working on fursuit foam heads since the past 4 years and I am still not close to anywhere being completed. And me being me, all in the process has ended up creating several more bases. I've ended up with at least 8 different head bases and soon to end up with 10. Only 1 out of the 10 are my current soul focus! And that has taken up almost 4 years at least on just mostly the first head base. My family tells me that it is merely just a waste of my time but I continue to do it anyways even if I have never completed a single project as of yet. I tell them that this will be worth all the thousands of dollars I've spent on everything and continue to spend on to create these pieces that are yet to be completed.
if you don't mind me asking, what exactly keeps you from finishing any of the bases? how have you started so many that you don´t like but don´t seem to find anything that you do like?
I used a Styrofoam head and built a "base" out of foam then built my first fursuit head around it.
Currently stuck as idk where to go next 😅 I've got the foam head made, added teeth, but I've not added the fur yet because i dont know where to start.
Thank you very much for sharing!
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!
I've been working on my fursuit head since July between finding the correct fur colors and finding the energy to work on it after work and on the weekends is hard
Somehow I made a fursuit partial in about a week an half, but I recomend measuring everything
Best raw ideas from the fresh
HUGE recommend (especially for low budget furries-) use your local library! It has a ton of free resources from books on how to sew, cosplay, use a sewing machine, character design and anything else you could want.
Don't think of the local library as having Shakespeare only lol. They use donations from all the local areas and most library's in the same state switch books around. You can find almost anything these days, and it helps a ton!
I mean... it's not "perfect", but that head is pretty damn good. Like 9/10. If I paid 2k and got that I would not at all be disappointed.
I handsew everything, I trust my hands far more than I trust my machine. Even when I do use my machine, I handsew first so that I can tuck in all the fluff and align the seams perfectly, and I dont have to worry about running over a clip and snapping a needle.
honestly you make a good point
Do you baste by hand?
@@leedouglass4106 yes! Though i typically use a loose whop stotch rather than a running stitch.
@@leedouglass4106 yes, though I typically use a whip stitch rather than a running stitch!
watching this before i try making one
just going for a partial fur suit, much easier and faster, takes up less space, less maintenance and won't get as hot. plus i don't think it would be a good idea for me to go for a full suit for my first fur suit
I got a question! Can i glue the fur pices on whitout suing all of them and rhen puting it on. Bc i dont realy have rhe sewing machine. Pleas answer!
thank for the help, right now im trying to make a fur suit and i just got in to the furry fandom this will help a lot :D
I hand sewed a fullsuit (tail, paws, head etc.) And it was miserable. Something like 300 yards of thread all in blanket stitches
I built my head without looking at any videos or tutorials and it looks good I finished it in 3 days the only issue is the hand sewn top because I have never sewn before
I have grate patent's. I am very curries an am subscribed. So I will follow. Retired mechanic. Not shire if I will commit?
Oh goodie. I estimated that the head alone might take me 2 months to put together. I'll be working on my very first and I am prepared for it to take up to a year to make the whole thing.
I also have to hand sew everything because I dont have a sewing machine sadly and it’s a little bit complicated for me to fully figure out how’d that work I would have to wait for a bit before asking my parent for one I have been practicing making fursuit bases and I’m kinda only twelve, well technically turned twelve nine days ago but yeah and I also need some alligator clips. I just never use mannequin head and just measure my head and start clipping away. I am currently making a kemono styled head but can’t fully decide if I wanna make a dragon or fox but there’s more chance I’ll do a fox
I’m making a stitch fur suit right now. 7:05 wed Jan 4 2023
i don't think you are talking about mistakes, this is more of a preference video. i use needles just as much as clips, i do normal expressions and over exaggerated ones, most of the time for me sewing the face fur by machine is impossible due to small markings AND seems need to be as small as possible especially for resin bases, i cut everything with normal scissors since those spring loaded ones hurt my thumb more. you can't really do wrong on these.
The only thing I'm scared of with sewing machines are big pieces of fabric
No bcs he called me out so loud when he said “relying way too much on hand sewing…” 😳 was literally me
Im late bit where can I get pet clippers? My father gave me his beard clippers but they hardly cut fur and I want a pet one due to the fur but on the pet shops they aren't if so in Amazon what are the best ones?
Omg likes and subscribed ❤
i definitly needs some of this clipps XD
well i will stay by handsewing because i tryed with the mashine and i was more readusting/readding the threath .
i am aktualy faster with handsewing XD (makeing suits since 2016 and have like 26 Suit heads under my belt ^w^)
Thanks for the input! You are so much better than me at hand sewing!
as a new maker, i feel VERY called out here lmao
4:30 Ya I would like an actually good mannequin head but I don’t have enough space in my room so I have to use my small styrofoam head..
same here
It's honestly understandable! They cost $$$ =/
I'm having a hard time finding those exact scissors.
Heheh I don't know how to use a sewing machine so I'm just gonna handsew it because it gives me more freedom
Can you give links where you got your mannequin head and what kind of sewing machine you use? I’m making all this mistakes because I cannot find where to get them or what kind of sewing machine I need, I’ve tried contacting other makers but no one has been responding to me ):
I got you fam!
Link to the sewing mashine: amzn.to/3rdiwHT
Link to mannequin head: amzn.to/3FjklYQ
@@WafflesDoesArt thank you so much omg!!
I'm wanting to make my own but I don't even know where to start
Me watching these types of videos even though i wont make a fursuit for at least a couple of years if ever
Soooo I have a styrofoam mannequin head and I measured my head and it’s head and it’s about the same size, do you think it’ll be okay to use? Cause I’m planning on making my first fursuit and I want it to turn out as good as possible but I definitely can’t afford a professional mannequin head like the one you have 😅
The styrofoam ones do work, I know a lot of people wrap them in ducktap to make them bigger. You also don't need a mannequin head but it does make things a little easier
I feel as though a lot of these are really either preference in style, or quality of life changes for the craft. None of these are really mistakes. Spend money on a machine instead of hand sewing, spend money on a mannequin head vs making one that better fits your head/ just works as is, spend money on better scissors, etc. Not mistakes. While yes, fursuit making does take time, patience and practice, and yes equipment does play a big part, I make a lot of my heads without a lot of expensive equipment, and equipment doesn't technically make a good fursuit maker.
Funny how the dont side looks better
I would use a sewing machine for sewing.. but nobody in my family knows how to use them! My grandmother has gotten me 2 sewing machines but I have no clue how to operate it! I end up hand sewing everything I make now regardless of it being fursuit related or not
Practice practice!!! When I got my first sewing machine, I used some old ratty dish towels and taught myself the basics. Just grab something you or someone else won’t really miss like a too-small tshirt, sew the heck out of it. I highly recommend looking up the brand name/model of the machine so you can know exactly what it does/doesn’t do.
Hi. Im beginner to make fursuit i dont know how to make hair for my fursuit. Help me please. Regards Didit from Indonesia
Do you need to sew fursuits with NO markings? My fursona is just solid pink.
yeah, you'd still need to sew but sewing isn't too hard
Shoulding those be reversed? The " donts" side, looks MUCH cooler, then the " do's " side. : /
Also.... Ehh. : / Honestly the larger jaw and bigger eyebrows, would DEFINITELY make it creepy. : /
Also.... Why don't you use latex , like, dried liquid latex from the dollar store, to figure out where / how, you want the pieces to " sit" together.
Also.... You use SHEERS???? : 0 , WHY NOT MOVE A MARKER ON THE BACK, USING THE FINGER ON THE FRONT AS GUIDE, AND, USE A RAZOR? ( Sorry, caps locks didn't turn off.)
I always heard that using sheers or scissors, just accidentally removes the fur in the cut, changing the direction of the " floof" , and, hurting the finished product. : (
I.... I am getting some bad mixed signals here. : (
As for the foam dollar store head, there great if you do a face impression, and, make a wax base, closer to an " actual" face, to throw over it.
The dollar store sells LARGE votif candles, for the same price. : /
I wanna make a fursuit but I need to wear glasses so how can I make one despite having Glasses?
Use the bucket head method rather than balaclava most likely, you can add some extra room for your glasses inside the bucket.
@@AKA253 ah thanks!
OR you can just take a chunk of foam and make it your head, then grab a few sheets of fabric and glue them
I’m a young fur, so I don’t own a sewing machine and I neither can afford a sewing machine. So all my fursuits are hand sewn, 😓
Hey do you know where I can get a custom made fursuit? I'm looking for a koala. If so we can exchange information and I can explain to you what I want and prices.
It's going to be hard, getfurs(dot)it has a lit of makers you can look at
good luck on your koala suit!
Hey its my first time trying to make a fursuit is there anyone exprenced in making fursuit can give anymore tips pls
I’ve been thinking about getting a mannequin head for a while and this has made me want one more. I might get one now because I’m stressing about how I’ll make the neck for my suit
You might be able to make a pattern with a good friend using ducktape and paper towels. There are also patterns you can buy on etsy
@@WafflesDoesArt tysm! I might just get my friend to duct tape my neck then lol tysm 🤣
Bruh that mannequin looks just like you 😮
Excellent information, thank you! I will suggest that you talk a little slower though, without subtitles its a little hard to understand you.
Thanks for the feedback, I'll try and talk slower next time
I know nothing about makeing them and I need help
I don’t have a sewing machine sadly, I’d love to have one but I don’t
Y’all can someone tell me where to find those clips I’ve literally scowered the internet I cannot find them anywhere
I live in a small city (vatican) and they do not have any of these soooooop
Well I don't like hard expressions, thats why I also don't like more fur less. This is not a mistake, its just about finding your own style. Its not wrong to have not a big expression, its fine if the fursuit has just a natural look or small smile, everyone has their own preferences.
In my opinion this isn't a ''Mistakes beginners do'' Video, its more a ''tips for new fursuitmakers''
You dont need hard expression
You dont need a sewing machine or any other tools for sewing and fursuitmaking except a needle, thread, scissor, hotglue+gun
You dont need a mannequin at all, I used my own head for my first fursuit.
The only mistake is yes people not being that patient, but thats the only real mistake I could find in this Video.
anyone know where to find their mannequin bust?
It's called the "Ed Head Armature" by Monster Makers
I have a child sewing machine I forgot where it is lol
make me a fursuit omg
I hand sewed the whole head 😩