# Advice for my first fursuit project please?



## Covet-Kun (Nov 1, 2017)

Hello hello, I'm considering on making my first fursuit, or at least parts of one. I'm thinking of starting with a head and a tail to go with it as my first products. I'm a high school undergraduate with a respectable amount of cash saved up, and the big question I have is how should I budget my project? How much should I have saved if I'm considering funding for this project? I just want to start by making a couple pieces , and would like to know how much I should expect to spend on material and supplies. Also, could I get a few tips and suggestions upon the topic? I'd love to learn a few things, and I'd be super grateful if I could get some advice, thank you all!


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## Open_Mind (Nov 1, 2017)

Hi and good luck. Lots of youtube videos out there you can use as general research, until you get some feedback through the forum. Hopefully you'll connect with an experienced fursuit maker for the advice you need. When you're just starting out, expect a steep learning curve and a large scrap pile  -- it really is amazing how they come together.


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## crystallinecanine (Nov 8, 2017)

Re-using one of my responses to a past post.  It does not cost a fortune to make a suit, if you spend the money wisely. I was raised to be savvy with money, so I look for every opportunity to save money, even when making suits. I will give you a rundown of how much it costs for me to make a suit.

I make partial suits, mostly. They don't need a lot of fur, nor do they use a lot of foam, like fullsuits do. The main stores you will need to shop at are: Walmart, Ebay, and fabricempire.com. Don't get joann.com fur, no matter how low the price. It is horrible and a waste of money.

WALMART:

*-Fleece (varies on how much you get) Assuming you get 2 colors: 6.00*
Walmart surprisingly sells fabrics of many types! I frequently get fleece there.
Fleece can be used for the nose, paw pads, claws, tongue, and lining the mouth. If your character isn't a bag of skittles, then you'd only need 1-2 colors of fleece. One yard of fleece is 2.00-5.97. If you have a local super walmart that has a fabric section that you can choose your fabric in person, get your fabric in half yards so that you don't get more than you need (and it will cost less).
Anti-Pill Polyester Fleece Solids Fabric By The Yard, 60" Wide - Walmart.com

- *Glue gun and glue sticks. 8.64*
Assuming you don't have these items. if you do disregard this step. I have been blessed with a great dollar store that sells mini glue guns and glue sticks, but in the event that your dollar store doesn't sell these, walmart is a great choice too.
The ad-tech brand mini hotglue gun is 2.67 and the 100 pack adtech glue stick is 5.97 (you will be using* alot *of hot glue). The hot glue guns are pretty good, considering i've had one for a year that has heavy usage.
Glue gun: Low-Temp Mini Glue Gun - Walmart.com
Glue sticks: Ad tech Multi-Temp Mini Size 4" Glue Sticks, 100 ct - Walmart.com

*Foam- 15.97*
If you're making a partial, you'll only need one roll of foam. You won't even need the entire roll of foam, if you are careful with what you are doing. The roll walmart sells is 2 feet x 6 feet and 1 inch thick. It's 16.00, but you'll be able to use the remaining foam for another project.
Project Foam - Walmart.com

Pet Clippers: Walmart has a cheap set of clippers that serve well for fursuit shaving. I suggest trying to find one at a local walmart so that if you only use them once, you probably can refund them and get 25 dollars back in your pocket.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wahl-Pet-Clipper-Kit-Basic-Series-Dogs/11035697

So far, you're at 30.00. It's not a bad start, but now we'll get into the furs.

*Fabric Empire:*
I cannot stress this enough-- always get quality furs. If you start with shoddy fur, your ending project will reflect that since the fur is almost the most important part of a fursuit.
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There is an extra way to save money with buying fur from this shop. With every purchase, they give you a "15% off your next purchase" coupon when you show them a picture of what you made with materials from their shop. What I would do is buy one color of fur and make maybe the tail first, send the picture in and redeem your 15% off and apply it to the other 3 furs that you haven't bought yet. Cha-ching!
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Each of these are 21.90 each.
Vermillion:www.fabricempire.com: Red Long Pile Shaggy Faux Fur Fabric
White: www.fabricempire.com: White Long Pile Shaggy Faux Fur Fabric
Black: www.fabricempire.com: Black Long Pile Shaggy Faux Fur Fabric
Red-Orange (The color is rust, but i think it captures the color of red orange well) : www.fabricempire.com: Faux Fur Long Pile Shaggy RUST
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All the furs cost 87.60. If you buy one first at 21.90 and redeem the coupon, the remaining furs (65.70) will now cost 55.84. Not too much, but it would feel nice to have a few bucks back in your pocket.
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Extras: Allow 20 in your budget for needles, thread (you should just get white and a dark red/black. no need for all different colors), sewing elastic for the tail/armsleeves, and scissors. You don't need to get new materials if you already have some of these. If you don't know how to make fursuit eyes, you can buy a premade pair from someone on etsy or look up some tutorials online.


All in all, your approximate total to get materials would be around 160, given you stay within your materials and price range. Shipping costs can sneak up on you, so make sure that you take the extra costs into account. You should have 200 as your max budget and stick closely to it. If you find that something costs too much, you can cut it out as long as it doesn't affect the major aesthetics of your final outcome (Buying one less fur color could help, but you should get the clippers to make for a nice shave).

I hope that this isn't confusing at all! Please let me know of any questions you have and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. (and let me know if there's anything to be edited.) ^-^


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## crystallinecanine (Nov 9, 2017)

crystallinecanine said:


> Re-using one of my responses to a past post.  It does not cost a fortune to make a suit, if you spend the money wisely. I was raised to be savvy with money, so I look for every opportunity to save money, even when making suits. I will give you a rundown of how much it costs for me to make a suit.
> 
> I make partial suits, mostly. They don't need a lot of fur, nor do they use a lot of foam, like fullsuits do. The main stores you will need to shop at are: Walmart, Ebay, and fabricempire.com. Don't get joann.com fur, no matter how low the price. It is horrible and a waste of money.
> 
> ...




Also!!! bigzfabric.com is where I mainly get my furs now. The straight shaggy fur is 19.99 a yard and they have at least 20 different color selections. Muy bien ^^


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## Covet-Kun (Nov 9, 2017)

crystallinecanine said:


> Also!!! bigzfabric.com is where I mainly get my furs now. The straight shaggy fur is 19.99 a yard and they have at least 20 different color selections. Muy bien ^^


Stellar! Thank you so much for laying it all out for me, I will use this to my advantage. You're awesome!


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## crystallinecanine (Nov 13, 2017)

Covet-Kun said:


> Stellar! Thank you so much for laying it all out for me, I will use this to my advantage. You're awesome!


You're welcome! It's difficult when starting out as a suit maker; I wish that I had something like this when I started, so I hope that it can ease the adventure for you a bit! ^^


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