How to Make a Kaiju Costume

Draft a blueprint of the kaiju suit you want to build. If the suit is based on an existing creature, use photos, models, DVD screen captures or any other information you can find to see every angle of the creature. Include every aspect of the kaiju -- head, muscles, scales, spine, tentacles -- or anything else you can think of to make this suit unique. Don't worry if you cannot draw, this is just a basic template.

Create the base bodysuit. Using yourself or a friend, measure your model's torso from the neck to waist, across the chest and shoulders and around the neck and waist to pattern the front and back pieces that will make the main vest. Then take measurements of the arms (shoulder to elbow and elbow to wrist), legs (thigh to knee and knee to ankle), groin and waist for the remaining pieces of the suit.

Cut the headliner material with scissors to the exact measurements determined for each piece of the suit.

Sew the back and front pieces of the vest together at the sides to make two seams. Cut an opening in the back of the vest, extending from the base of the neck to the waist, for the wearer to climb in and out of the completed suit. Finish the opening with a zipper, fabric fastener such as Velcro, or snaps. Then sew the arms, legs and codpiece parts of the base bodysuit in the same manner, two panels sewn at the edges. For arms and legs, one panel will suffice as long as it wraps all the way around. Then sew the edges where they meet. A sewing machine will work much better for this than a needle and thread. Overlock stitches might be the best option as they are the same stitches that are found in most retail garments and are sturdy.

Sew pockets into the headliner material base suit to accommodate ice packs. This will keep the suit cool for the wearer. Measure the size of small ice packs and then cut headliner material pieces out to fit. Attach them to the inside of the material using the sewing machine.

Step into the suit. Someone will need to wear the suit as the foam rubber pieces are attached.

Cut foam rubber pieces to the specifications of the creature that has been designed. Use the marker to sketch every required piece of foam rubber -- for the back, front, arms, legs, tail if any, tentacles, whatever. Every kaiju suit is different so there are no exact requirements in this step. If the kaiju is a lizard, the pieces to cut are going to look very different than if the kaiju is a robo-squid. Using an electric carving knife, saw out the basic appliances for the suit. The creature can be as detailed or as basic as it needs to be and the foam rubber pieces should reflect that. This step is completely up to you. If the creature's chest has bulging pectoral muscles, cut a piece for each one. It'll be easier to sculpt two separate parts instead of one large chest piece. There is no minimum or maximum number of foam rubber pieces to use, just make sure to cover the entire headliner bodysuit.

Glue the pieces to the suit in their designated positions. Using the aerosol glue, attach every foam rubber piece in place; it's perfectly OK if there are spaces in between them -- these can be filled in with smaller foam rubber appliances later. In this step, just get the basic shape of the kaiju suit started. Detailing will come later. Keep in mind the opening in the back of the suit for the wearer to climb in and out of it. Attach the foam rubber back plate with fabric fastener instead of glue to hide the zipper seam of the suit and to make sure it can be removed for access.

Sculpt the foam rubber. Use only very sharp blades to make detailed designs on the kaiju suit, otherwise the foam will tear. Heating the blade or using a hot wire cutting tool can help as well. Create textures wherever they belong on the suit. Lizards have scales and so do fish. If the creature is a snake-like kaiju, make snakeskin scales. Now, fill in those spaces between the large foam rubber pieces by cutting smaller pieces of foam rubber to add detail. Trim appliances to look like muscles, large scales, gills or anything else the kaiju design requires. Another way to fill in the spaces is by cutting small foam rubber additions that fit right in between and then sculpt and detail to match the textures that have been made already. Scissors and box cutters will work best for the smaller appliances.

Build the hands and feet. Sketch out the foam appliances as required for the kaiju design. If the creature has claws, build them out in the same manner as the other foam rubber pieces. There are two ways to create a claw: Use a very thick width of foam rubber, then sculpt it and cut a hole along the width edge to slip your hand inside or use a thinner width and cut two panels that can be glued together around the hand. If the kaiju has big fingers, cut each finger out separately and then wrap each one individually around your fingers. Then duct tape each to keep it tight. These items should then be attached to a pair of work gloves or comparable garment. The same steps are repeated for the feet; cut out the foam rubber needed and then glue the appliances to the water shoes. Attach the wood slats and rubber sheet to the soles of the kaiju feet. This will keep them durable and prevent the wearer from slipping and falling down.

Test the suit. Once all of the necessary appliances have been attached, have the wearer move around in it. Make sure it is flexible. The latex rubber is going to be applied next and this will slightly limit the suit's movement. Once this step is complete, the wearer can come out of the suit. It's probably gotten pretty warm in there.

Mix the latex rubber following the instructions on the mix. Add paints to color the latex rubber if necessary to achieve the kaiju suit's desired look.

Apply the latex rubber to the suit. This will act as its skin to give the suit durability. Use your hands or sponges and brushes -- anything that will cover the suit completely and thoroughly. Be sure to have an even coat over all of the foam rubber and get into any nooks and crannies between appliances. This will also smooth over all the seams of the foam rubber pieces.

Paint the kaiju suit. Use aerosol paints to spray the suit for full color. Use silver for robots, greens for lizards. Give the suit shading and detail by using different shades of the same color or highlight areas with brighter hues. This is all up to your imagination.