Problem: Article: If you’re unable to find the exact clothing items you need for your costume, your best course of action is to teach yourself a little bit about sewing. Look up tutorials for basic sewing techniques and follow along. Once you’ve sharpened your skills, you’ll be able to turn ordinary fabrics into one-of-a-kind garments.  Having some sewing skills in your repertoire is also useful for adding embellishments to items to make them more faithful to your source material. Record all of your major measurements (shoulders, chest, waist, hips, thighs, and inseam) so you’ll be able to tailor your custom clothing to your frame. Both of these materials are incredibly useful for crafting armor, shields, weapons, and anything else that’s made up of flat surfaces and angles. Not only are they cheap and easy to come by, they can also be cut, shaped, painted, and glued or taped without any special know-how.  Rummage through your closets or garage to search for scrap cardboard or plywood that you might be able to convert to costume components. If you don’t have any luck, ask around at area businesses—many stores give away old boxes for free.  Plywood will hold up better than cardboard if you’re going to be moving around in your costume or packing it up to transport it. You can make almost anything out of EVA foam. Just sketch your design onto a sheet of the proper thickness and density and carefully cut out the pieces using a utility knife. Hot-glue the individual pieces together, carve out fine details with your utility knife, then paint your props to add color and texture.  You can buy sheets of EVA foam at any craft store for just a few dollars. Browse user-submitted templates for various weapons and accessories on cosplay websites and message boards, or simply have fun figuring out how to put things together yourself. If you find a piece that’s the perfect fit but the wrong color, dying it is a quick and easy fix. Similarly, fabric paints make it possible to add detailed design elements to plain garments. Between sewing and recoloring, you should never find yourself stumped about how to pull off tricky costume components again.  Natural fabrics like cotton and linen tend to accept and hold color better than synthetic ones. With only some fabric paint and a few DIY stencils, you could transform a cheap shirt and pair of pants into a screen-accurate “Star Trek” uniform. Sometimes, there will be too much going on with a particular accessory to successfully recreate it using household items or materials like EVA foam. In these cases, it can be helpful to make use of a 3D printer or 3D printing business in your area. The printer will take care of the hard part for you, which means all you have to worry about is applying the finishing touches.  Many companies will 3D print custom items for a price. The cost of these services may vary depending on the size, complexity, and material of your item. If you plan on making cosplay a long-term hobby, it will be worth your time to gain some experience with 3D design software like Meshmixer, FreeCAD, or Vectary that you can use to create your own models for printing.
Summary: Learn how to sew to make fabric components from scratch. Make basic accessories out of cardboard or plywood. Experiment with EVA foam for crafting complex accessories. Modify the color and texture of your components with paints and dyes. 3D-print especially difficult or complicated pieces.

Problem: Article: Giving your friend some space may win you more attention in the long run. You can get to a point where you have made yourself so available that you become disposable. Maybe your friend knows you are always 100% accessible so they don't value your presence as much. If you are always sitting by the phone waiting for the friend to call, they may not feel the need to respect your time. You may need to step back from trying to spend as much time together as possible and find other activities to fill your schedule. If you have doubts about your friendship, make new friends to explore what types of friends work out best for you. Admit that you need attention from friends and find new friends that are willing to give you what you need. Fine tune your skills in being a good friend in return as well. Make space in your schedule for other friends. In addition, set boundaries about your availability to this friend so that they understand you have obligations to others. Doing this can help to make your time more valuable to this friend. Find something you can share with others or  do on your own to fill your calendar. Sharing an interest and finding a friend who is an expert in the new hobby/activity can start a solid new friendship. Take this time to practice listening and learning as new friends talk about themselves and the interest. People like to talk about themselves and appreciate the sincere attention. It is also a good idea to find an activity that you can do alone. Not only does this allow you to foster growth in other areas of life, but it does not leave you dependent on anyone else for enjoyment. This does not mean doing something dangerous or illegal; it is more like opening yourself up to a new challenge in the name of mixing things up.  Challenge how your friend defines you by exploring an interest they wouldn’t expect you to do or wouldn’t want to do. Join a new club at school just for the experience and to make new friends. Keep some of your life a mystery from this friend so you pique ongoing interest. Keeping a little mystery in your friendship can gather a great deal of attention from a relationship that may otherwise become stale.
Summary: Spend some time apart and don’t call as often. Make some other friends. Get a hobby. Do something your friend would never do with you.

Problem: Article: An empty room is ideal for creating a craft space, but even a corner of a room will work. You can make a craft space out of a garage, shed, or large, walk-in closet as well. Look for a space that has access to natural light. It is also best if the space is quiet and not close to inside or outside traffic.  Consider how much room you will need for your supplies and to carry out your craft making. Choose a space where you will have easy access to electrical sockets. Clear out the space until it is empty if there is already furniture or items there. Once it is empty, clean it thoroughly. Sweep, mop, dust, and remove any stains that may be present. You will want a fresh start to create your craft space. For a smaller space, you will not need to prepare it as much because it will probably already be painted and prepared. You may want to  paint a larger space before adding furniture and supplies. Also consider the flooring. Think about carpeting, rugs, or tiling.  You can buy paint for the walls at home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes. An easy fix for a floor is a large rug that will cover a large amount in the room. Consider the size of the space before purchasing or obtaining furniture. A small space will probably not be able to fit a lot of furniture. Your space should at least be able to fit a desk and chair. For a larger space, you will need a desk, comfortable chair, and table, along with organizational furniture. The desk should be large enough to work at comfortably. You will at least need to have a table lamp in your craft space. A table lamp is good for small-scale projects that require extra lighting. Look for an adjustable lamp that can be moved to be closer or farther away from the object you’re working on. For a larger space, consider at least two lamps to place around the room. You can purchase lamps at furniture and home improvement stores, like Ashley Furniture and Ethan Allen.
Summary:
Choose a space in your home. Clean the space. Prepare the space. Put in furniture. Add lighting.