Fixing my Pikachu mascot Costume

Summary

In this video, Jennifer Squires shares her process of revamping a Pikachu costume to make it more robust and visually appealing. She plans to wear it to Wellington Armageddon in December. Jennifer climbs inside the costume and uses EVA foam and contact cement to create an internal structure, adding 'ribbing' for a fuller, more joyful appearance. She also discusses using a neck fan and moisture-wicking clothes to combat sweating. The video includes a step-by-step guide on measuring, cutting, and attaching the foam pieces to reinforce the costume's structure, aiming for a perfect circular shape at the top and bottom. The result is a more rotund and cheerful-looking Pikachu costume, ready for an event.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Jennifer Squires is the creator of the video, focusing on costume creation and DIY projects.
• 👾 The main project is revamping a Pikachu costume to make it look fuller and more robust.
• 🛠️ Jennifer plans to use EVA foam and contact cement to create an internal structure for the costume.
• 🧵 The costume's belly area is particularly targeted for reinforcement to prevent it from folding and appearing emaciated.
• 🎭 Jennifer has decided against wearing a witch costume due to discomfort from excessive sweating and has opted for a fan accessory instead.
• 📏 Detailed measurements are taken to ensure the EVA foam pieces fit correctly within the costume.
• 📐 A plan is outlined to add support at the shoulders, around the midsection, and under the arms for a more rounded appearance.
• 🔪 The process includes cutting out foam pieces based on the measurements and applying contact cement for attachment.
• 🔨 Additional materials like wire and red tape are used to provide extra firmness and rigidity to the costume's structure.
• 🌞 The costume is left to air out overnight due to the smell from the contact cement.
• 🎉 The final result shows a noticeably fuller and more joyful-looking Pikachu costume, with some minor cleaning needed.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video?

The speaker in the video is Jennifer Squires.

What is Jennifer Squires' project in the video?

Jennifer Squires is working on revamping a Pikachu costume to make it look more robust and less emaciated.

What material is Jennifer using to modify the costume?

Jennifer is using EVA foam and contact cement to build an internal structure for the costume.

Why does Jennifer want to change the costume's belly area?

She wants to firm up the belly area because it folds when she puts the costume away, and she wants it to look more rotund and less emaciated.

What event is Jennifer planning to wear the revamped Pikachu costume to?

Jennifer plans to wear the revamped costume to Wellington Armageddon on December 3rd of the current year.

What is the issue with Jennifer's previous witch costume for Halloween?

The witch costume caused Jennifer to sweat excessively, so she decided against wearing it again.

What solution did Jennifer find to deal with the heat while wearing costumes?

Jennifer bought a neck fan and clothing that wicks away sweat to wear under the costume for better heat management.

What does Jennifer plan to do to reinforce the costume's structure?

She plans to add EVA foam strips on the sides, back, and under the arms to create a more robust structure.

How does Jennifer visualize the costume's structure after the modifications?

Jennifer wants the costume to have a beautiful, almost perfect circle shape at the top and bottom, avoiding a caved-in appearance.

What is Jennifer's approach to attaching the EVA foam to the costume?

She uses contact cement, applying it to both sides of the foam, waiting for it to become tacky, and then attaching it to the costume.

How does Jennifer ensure the costume's structure is firm and rigid?

She adds wire and red tape to the internal structure of the costume to provide additional firmness and rigidity.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Revamping Pikachu Costume

Jennifer Squires introduces her project to improve a Pikachu costume, which currently has a sturdy head but a flimsy belly that folds for storage. She plans to climb inside the costume and use EVA foam and contact cement to create an internal structure that will give it a more rounded and robust appearance. Jennifer also discusses her decision to wear this costume to an event in Wellington, Armageddon, on December 3rd, and her strategy to combat sweating by using a neck fan and moisture-wicking clothes. The video will include a time-lapse of the cutting and application process of the EVA foam to reinforce the costume.

05:01

🛠️ Finalizing Pikachu's Internal Structure

After working late into the night, Jennifer adds the final support to the Pikachu costume, which includes wire and red tape for added firmness and rigidity. She uses contact cement to attach these reinforcements and plans to let the costume air out overnight on the carport due to the smell from the cement. The next day, she shows the costume with its new internal structure, which has significantly improved its shape, making it look more rounded and less emaciated. Jennifer expresses satisfaction with the revamped costume, especially considering she had never built a costume like this before. She invites viewers to like, comment, subscribe, and share the video to support the channel.

Keywords

💡Pikachu costume

A Pikachu costume refers to a wearable outfit designed to resemble the popular Pokémon character Pikachu. In the video, Jennifer Squires is revamping her existing Pikachu costume to improve its structure and appearance, making it look 'more joyous and bold'. The costume is a central element of the video, as it is the subject of the DIY project.

💡EVA foam

EVA foam, or Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate foam, is a versatile material commonly used in crafting and costume making due to its lightweight and moldable properties. In the script, Jennifer plans to use EVA foam to create an internal structure for the Pikachu costume, which will provide support and shape to the costume, making it appear fuller and more robust.

💡Contact cement

Contact cement is an adhesive used for bonding materials together. In the context of the video, Jennifer uses contact cement to attach the EVA foam pieces to the costume. It is essential for creating a strong and durable bond between the foam and the costume fabric, ensuring the structural integrity of the revamped outfit.

💡Internal structure

An internal structure in costume making refers to the framework or support system built inside a costume to give it shape and stability. Jennifer discusses creating an internal structure for the Pikachu costume using EVA foam and contact cement, which will help the costume maintain its form and prevent it from collapsing or folding when not in use.

💡Ribbing

Ribbing, in the context of the video, refers to the vertical or diagonal lines of support that Jennifer plans to add to the costume using EVA foam. These lines of ribbing will help to give the costume a more rounded and three-dimensional appearance, contributing to the overall aesthetic that Jennifer is aiming for.

💡Measurements

Measurements are critical in costume making to ensure that the pieces fit correctly and are proportionate. Jennifer takes measurements of the costume to determine where to place the EVA foam pieces for reinforcement. The script mentions measuring the shoulders, the bottom where the feet stick out, and the area between and below the armholes.

💡Reinforcement

Reinforcement in this context means adding extra material to strengthen and support certain areas of the costume. Jennifer discusses reinforcing the sides and the butt area of the costume with EVA foam to prevent caving in and to maintain the costume's shape.

💡Wellington Armageddon

Wellington Armageddon is an event mentioned in the script where Jennifer plans to wear the revamped Pikachu costume. It suggests a specific occasion or setting where the costume will be showcased, indicating the motivation behind the costume's improvement.

💡Time lapse

A time lapse is a video technique where time is compressed, showing hours or days of activity in a short period. Jennifer mentions putting the viewers 'onto time lapse' as she cuts out the foam, which implies that the detailed process of cutting and attaching the foam will be condensed into a shorter video segment for the sake of brevity.

💡Wire and red tape

Wire and red tape are materials used in the final stages of the costume's reinforcement. Jennifer adds wire for additional firmness and rigidity and uses red tape to bind and secure the structure. These materials are part of the finishing touches that contribute to the costume's final form and stability.

💡Spot cleaning

Spot cleaning refers to the process of cleaning a specific area or spot on a fabric without washing the entire piece. Jennifer mentions that the costume will 'just need a tad bit of spot cleaning' after the contact cement has been applied, indicating a final touch to ensure the costume is clean and ready to wear.

Highlights

Introduction of Jennifer Squires and her project of revamping a Pikachu costume.

The costume's head is sturdy, but the belly area needs reinforcement to prevent folding.

Plan to use EVA foam and contact cement for creating an internal structure to firm up the costume.

Jennifer's intention to wear the costume to Wellington Armageddon on December 3rd.

Decision to replace a witch costume due to discomfort from excessive sweating.

Use of a neck fan and moisture-wicking clothes to improve comfort during costume wear.

The process of taking measurements for the internal structure of the costume.

Description of the planned structure including ribbing and support under the arms.

Jennifer's crude drawing of the measurements for the EVA foam pieces.

Time-lapse demonstration of cutting out the foam for the costume's internal structure.

Application of contact cement to both sides of the foam before attaching it to the costume.

Building reinforcement for the costume's butt area with half-gluing technique.

Incorporation of wire and red tape for added firmness and rigidity in the costume.

Jennifer's plan to let the costume air out overnight to dissipate the smell of contact cement.

Assembly of all the support pieces to complete the internal structure of the costume.

Final appearance of the revamped Pikachu costume and Jennifer's satisfaction with the result.

Jennifer's decision not to disclose where she bought the original costume due to cost concerns.

A call to action for viewers to like, comment, subscribe, and share the video.

Transcripts

hi everybody my name is Jennifer Squires

and here we make paint create so and

have fun this is my Pikachu costume

and he needs a bit of work his head is

nice and sturdy and solid and fine it's

down here when you get to his belly

because he Folds

to put him away that I want

to firm up I want him to look less

emaciated so what I'm going to do is

going to climb inside it use some EVA

foam and contact cement to build some I

guess ribbing and an internal structure

so that this all you know plumps out and

he looks

you know more

joyous and boldness and you know rotund

he won't be able to fold down anymore

and that's fine but I'd rather him look

more you know bulbous and happy then

you know emaciated because I've decided

this is what I'm going to wear to um

again and then Wellington I'm not going

to wear the witch costume I sweat like a

pig in that

for Halloween so I bought like a fan

that sits around your neck and it blows

air up and down your back and I've

bought some clothes that Wick away the

sweat

to wait inside this and I'm going to

wear this for as long as I possibly can

stand it Wellington Armageddon on

December 3rd pardon me of this year

so the next thing we've got to do is

start taking measurements we've got to

put a strip of Evo foam down here

down the sides on both sides and down

the back and then we'll build

a really hoof-like structure around the

top

the middle

bottom and maybe another one just

underworthy arms so it doesn't quite

cave in as much

so that's the plan for this one is to

reverbish Pikachu

okay so we need to take measurements

here

so this is internal structure you can

see how it goes in right here from the

arms and then down

here

we also need to reinforce the sides

because uh too close to each other and

from the inside

this is what the top looks like we don't

want it to look like this we want it to

have a beautiful

almost perfect circle

here

and the same at the bottom

so I'm going to climb out of this after

I have finished

measuring and then we'll get to cutting

some EVA foam okay here is my very crude

drawing of measurements I'm going to do

silent on the shoulders

at the bottom where your feet stick out

one piece across between the armholes

and another piece below the armholes

that'll go all the way around

and then we'll see what the shape looks

like from there now I'm going to put you

onto time lapse and cut out some foam

and depending on how awkward it is you

may or may not see that

[Music]

foreign

one day I'll get a fancy camera that can

film all of this properly but for right

now I think the first one I'm going to

do is this piece which is going to go

between the armholes

I've got my contact cement

chip brush

and I'm just going to paint it on both

sides wait till it gets tacky and then

stick it in there

and continue on from there

foreign

[Music]

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foreign

this is the reinforcement

for the butt I'm going to glue half of

it and stick it in

and then glue the next part down because

this

contact cement all the way around the

outside is just gonna be

we're almost too difficult to handle

for a day since the last clip it's dark

out it's quite late at night but I

thought I would

glue the last support that I've made to

go inside Pikachu I've added some wire

and some

red tape

to give it some more firmness and

rigidity I'll glue that in with the same

contact cement that I have been using

and then I will

pop it on tomorrow hopefully the smell

would have got out I'll just leave it

out in the carport so it can air out

overnight and then I will show you what

it looks like

all right these are all the supports so

that's the neck hole there and these are

the um holes there's support at the neck

hole along and across the breastbone

this is the midsection one we just put

in

this is the feet I think he looks far

more rotaned he's upside down at the

moment so it's hard to tell than he used

to be just needs a tad bit of spot

cleaning

because he's been having to be out on

the porch to air out because it's

contact cement but yeah

for never having built a costume like

this before I didn't build him but I am

revamping him

I'm not going to tell you where I bought

it from because it's just not worth the

amount that I pay for it and the amount

of shipping costs and then the Amana in

which you turned up okay so he

okay so I'm gonna put them on now and

show you

what he looks like

foreign

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

thank you for watching please like

comment subscribe share this video with

his friends do all the things that will

place our algorithm overloads and we

will see you next time

I can't reach

editing Jennifer Fade to Black