Ears.. best way to make them

[Savaaha]

Whats the best way to make them , what materials? picked out my tail need ears now  '>

[Nok]

I really dont know anything about making anything. x.x I can barely use my hands to fold a paper airplane. =P ...Okay, not even barely, I -cant- fold a paper airplane. ; I dont even know why Im posting here. =P

I think, next time I find a con' to go to, I'll just BUY a tail. Should be easy enough to find, right? ^^;

[Alex Lapin]

You may want to consider asking in the Fursuiting area. The people there will have the experience you are looking for.

[Shana-chan]

The way that I'm gonna make my ears (it's rather incognito-style) is make a cute little hat with them. I'd be more than willing to make one for someone else if they'd like (of course, you'd have to pay for the fabric and such  '> ). For prices and concept sketches if you're interested, send me an email (watershellrainwater@yahoo.com).

[Aurrin]

I made two pair for a grand total of about $5.  Get a pack of comfortable hair-bands, (preferably with the little teeth on the underside), some plastic canvas (looks a plastic grid with square holes) and some cloth of the appropriate colors.  (I was doing fox ears, so I got red for the outside and white for the inside.)  (please forgive the crappy quality of the pic, it was rushed)

Pic:


Step 1: Cut out a big, lopsided piece out of the corner of the canvas (roughly as shown).  Bend it like a taco and trim as needed until you get it in the shape you want.  Then, keeping it bent, trace out a bottom piece to match (blue line to blue line) and cut that out too.  If you like the way it turns out, then make a second one to match.

Step 2: Trace out these pieces onto the fabric (remember to do it on both pieces, both colors, for a total of 4 red pieces and 4 white pieces)  Trace a second line around each of the pieces, giving yourself room to sew it later.  Cut out around the outer line.

Step 3:  Ummm.... oops... I forgot to number one of them step 3.  Oh well, in keeping with the pic, on to...

Step 4: Now sew your ear-frames together in the back.  See those blue lines in step 1?  Those should be together to make a concave, 3D ear.  This may take a couple of tries, because this plastic stuff isn't the easiest junk to work with.

Step 5: Okay, now go back to the cloth.  Sew the matching big pieces together, along the inner lines that you drew.  Put the lines to the OUTSIDES when sewing it, so you can see them.  You may want to sew just a little to the inside on the white piece and a little on the outside of the red pieces' guide lines, so that the red will lap over the front edges when it's finished.

Step 6: Now add on the bottom pieces, again with the traced lines to the outside so you can see them.  Do that for the red and for the white, both ears.  (In the diagram I left it slightly unfinished so you can see what I'm doing.)  Don't worry that it won't lay flat, it's not supposed to.

Step 7: This is the tricky part.  Take that 'sock' you've sewn and turn it inside out.  Now, all the seams and all the trace lines are on the INSIDE, and hidden from view.  CAREFULLY push the ear-frame inside the sock.  It helps to poof the sock out completely and then punch the white part inward once it's completely inside.  You should have two flaps on the front bottom edge, tuck these inside either above or below the bottom of the ear-frame, and sew it closed. (thread shown in blue)  These stitches will be more visible, but it shouldn't be very noticable if you match the thread color to the inside color.  Also, make one stitch in the very back to keep the inside fabric pulled to the inside of the ear.

Step 8:  Now, you should have two ears.  Go look in a mirror and put on the head band.  Position the ears like you want them, and note where that makes them fall on the headband.  Now go take them and sew (thread shown in blue) them onto the head-band.  If you did like I told you and got a band with the little teeth on the inside, the teeth will catch the thread and keep the ear from slipping side to side.  Tie it off, and you're done!

 '>   Hope that helps.

[Savaaha]

huge hugs Aurrin!! Thanks so much for the instructions. My tail will be here within a week. Im so excited! I sent a scan of my natural hair color to the people and they are matching it for me.

[Savaaha]

Ears are on the way '> Ive got the patterns cut materials ready. '> thaks again Aurrin

[Aurrin]

Great!  Let me know how it turns out =^.^=  Don't be afraid to fiddle with the design to get it to your tastes.   '>

[Savaaha]

I did alter the shape slightly, making them longer amd more horselike. I just need the band and Im set.

[Savaaha]

Its a miracle!! I can hear!!!  horrible pic of neat ears

[Nocte]

That's a nice pair of ears, Sava!
Did the tail arrive already?

[Savaaha]

yup, beautifully done one too. The color was slightly out oc sync with my natual hair color so I dyed my hair '> All I had to do was tye in my little native bobbles in the hair (Turqoise stone,mother of pearl shell,silver feather)

Edit: me trying to take a picture of my butt(with tail)

The plan is to redo the tail to a belt where it will flag like Im holding it. Right now the belt it came on it just hangs '> Theres a pattern for such a belt already online.