# Fursuit making help?



## CavySpirit (Apr 25, 2012)

Well, I don't really need help with the actual making.
Here's what I've made(it's my first suit-materials cost me $150 exactly):
http://cavyspirit.deviantart.com/art/Fursuit-Completed-Parts-298450401

Not the best quality but I would love to get more practice in. Unfortunately, it's just too expensive!

So I'd like to know if anyone has suggestions for making more fursuits. I have an idea to let people buy all the materials and I'll make the suits for them, free of charge(for my own profit, I mean), but I'm not sure if that'll be a good idea or even a successful one. I'll admit, my furring job isn't the best(I don't come up with a perfect pattern, so I just put fur on but still pay attention to direction and make it as even as possible). I guess it's just something you'll have to see to understand what I'm meaning.

So, my concern is that I'll end up having unhappy customers if my furring or work isn't as good.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can make more fursuits(both for practice and fun) without spending all my money on them? I'd love to try out a horse and a wolf, too, at some point.
I also want to try out digitigrade legs and eventually work my way up to a quadsuit(not all just for other people, if I get money then I can make my own!).

To sum it up, my fursuit skills aren't the best but I want to practice but cannot afford it. I'd like to make suits for other people as a free service and they just buy the supplies but I'm not sure if that'll be a good idea or if anyone will jump at it.

Do you guys think I'll be able to do that, my idea above I mean? I'll let customers choose the supplies(with my suggestions since I'll have ideas of methods and materials in my head, but I mean like brand of fur, etc..). I will also have the customer pay for shipping, but again, I will not charge for my own personal profit. My profit will be more fursuit building experience and practice. I'll even scan in all the receipts as I go to show the exact amount I spend.

So yup, sorry I blab on and on XD I'm just trying to get all my thoughts out so you guys know what I'm thinking ;3

Thanks for any suggestions!


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## TaoKyuubimon (Apr 26, 2012)

Just invest in making a few practice pieces, then sell the completed stuff? You are not going to make a huge profit out for awhile (probably not a huge profit anyway with fursuit building), however if you sell the completed pieces/suits you can at least get some money back from your work.

If you are unsure of your skills and have only made one suit, I would not recommend doing anything to do with business, as you are still learning the ropes.



> I have an idea to let people buy all the materials and I'll make the suits for them, free of charge(for my own profit, I mean)


If you have people that are willing to buy the materials and shipping, it could work. However, what would you do with any leftover materials? Would you keep them or let the customer have it, since they paid for all of the base materials?


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## Ad Hoc (Apr 26, 2012)

I think you're being a little hard on yourself. It really looks alright for a first suit--the muzzle is great, it actually looks feline. 

I think your main problem is that you used patterned fur, which basically never seems to work for fursuits. In the future, if you can't sew or airbrush markings on, just go with something solid. 

I don't think that you'll be able to get people to pay for it soon, though, even just to break even. Unfortunately, fursuit making is just an expensive hobby. If your problem is pattern-making/stitching, well, you can practice that on any old fabric. You can cut up an old sheet even, or old towels to get a feel for heavier material. Make ten pairs of handpaws out of scrap fabric, and you'll be in much better shape when you go back to using good fabric.


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## CavySpirit (Apr 30, 2012)

TaoKyuubimon said:


> If you have people that are willing to buy the materials and shipping, it could work. However, what would you do with any leftover materials? Would you keep them or let the customer have it, since they paid for all of the base materials?



I would let the customer decide, of course since they pay for all the materials afterall.

I'm afraid to invest then sell since there is a risk of not gaining money back. I see lots of good quality fursuits and parts on furbuy that don't get bids. Knowing that, I don't expect anything I make to do well either.


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## CavySpirit (Apr 30, 2012)

Ad Hoc said:


> I think you're being a little hard on yourself. It really looks alright for a first suit--the muzzle is great, it actually looks feline.
> 
> I think your main problem is that you used patterned fur, which basically never seems to work for fursuits. In the future, if you can't sew or airbrush markings on, just go with something solid.
> 
> I don't think that you'll be able to get people to pay for it soon, though, even just to break even. Unfortunately, fursuit making is just an expensive hobby. If your problem is pattern-making/stitching, well, you can practice that on any old fabric. You can cut up an old sheet even, or old towels to get a feel for heavier material. Make ten pairs of handpaws out of scrap fabric, and you'll be in much better shape when you go back to using good fabric.



I did practice several fleece handpaws and kept in mind that faux fur doesn't stretch. As a result, my final handpaws fit well!

As for the fur, I tried to find solid black and neon green fur(my original idea was an umbreon OC) but I couldn't find any. So I got the pattern fur since it was 40% off and it was last minute.
I tried making a tape pattern for the head but it just ripped the foam and was nearly impossible to remove! So I'm not sure what to do about that for future suits.


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## Dreaming (May 1, 2012)

CavySpirit said:


> So, my concern is that I'll end up having unhappy customers if my furring or work isn't as good.



As they say, practice makes perfect.

Even if it's just one single paw, made out of an old fur coat. Or a head made from an old doll (I tried that :V) Find some random materials to practice with, or some really cheap ones. It's always a good idea to get some practice and improve if you're planning on selling to customers. Greater product, greater satisfaction.


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