How-To Guides from WonderHowTo: Page 289

If you don't want to buy your links pre-made, you can coil your own links. You'll need wire (sixteen gauge is the most common), metal dowel rods in the diameter you want, variable speed drills, wire cutters and at least two pair of pliers.

Scale mail is slightly superior to chain mail, since it has a greater ability to deflect blows. But it is a little trickier to make than chain mail - but not by much! This tutorial shows you how to make an excellent suit of scale mail.

No, it doesn't use actual dragonscales. This technique actually uses two different sizes of rings with the proper aspect ratio (at least three of the larger rings have to fit through the smaller ones). If you have enough rings, then just follow along to master this challenging technique.

It can sometimes be confusing for new armorsmiths to figure out the best way to attach a sleeve to a chainmail vest. However, the technique is actually quite easy, and this tutorial demonstrates how you can add a sleeve to a four in one style chainmail shirt.

Tailoring isn't just for fabric! To have the best chainmail shirt, that doesn't pull or hang too losely, you'll want to tailor it. Tailor your shirt around curves by slightly altering the pattern of your weave, and this video demonstrates how.

Looks like teacher wasn't paying attention! This tutorial shows you how to make it look like you have been bloodily and violently stabbed with a basic school pencil. This tutorial is for the back of the hand, but you can use this technique anywhere.

Like all famous artists, Frida Kahlo had a very colorful life. Raised in a small town outside Mexico City, she lived through the Mexican Revolution and was struck by a bus as a teenager, an incident which caused a broken spinal column, broken collarbone, broken pelvis, fractures, and a punctured uterus which led to infertility problems later on.

This tutorial is a great guide on how you can make a set of safe, foam-tipped arrows. You'll need to start with some hobby arrows, metal washers, wall anchors, a small NERF football, a hot glue gun, glue sticks, measuring tape and a foam golf ball or blue camping foam.

This tutorial shows you how you can take arrows which may be damaged, or just not up to spec, and repair or recondition them. The tutorial takes apart an arrow, which can give you some good ideas on how to construct them as well.

Want to make a pair of Renaissance pants? You can make a really cool pair of Renaissance pants or fantasy costume pants out of a pair of sweatpants. This tutorial shows you how to pull off this look using the thrift store.

This tutorial shows you how to make chainmail following the tradition European four in one method. You'll need many small metal rings of uniform size and some metal pliers (work gloves are also recommended!) Afer you make each individual unit, you're also shown how to bring them together in a larger piece.

This tutorial is aimed at a specific larp, but you can use this tutorial for any dark elf or svartaelf costume. You will need charcoal powder, whic you can buy from Ben Nye, and some pre-painted elf ear tips you can apply with spirit gum.

Why be a bright elf when you can dress up like an angry dark elven warrior instead? This tutorial shows you a fun makeup tutorial you can use to make yourself look like a svartaelfr as a costume or larp character.

No matter how good your zombie costume is, you're going to need to get your zombie walk down to convince people you're trying to eat their brains. Walk, talk and act like an extra on Night of the Living Dead!

Make a charm that will show off your Mythos Lore! This tutorial shows you how to make a silicone mold for a Cthulhu cameo. All you need is some silicone putty and a good idea for the charm or cameo you want to make.

Now you too can build your own prop of eldritch horror! Guaranteed to induce a SAN check in anyone who sees it, this tutorial shows you how to build a set of flexible Cthulhu tentacles out of one inch furniture foam, half inch furniture foam, steel wire, pantyhose, one inch PVC tubing, epoxy and a jar of latex.

If you're a fan of either H.P. Lovecract or Sam Raimi, you'll appreciate this tutorial which shows you how to construct your own prop copy of the Necronomicon, the Book of the Dead which features quite prominently in stories of eldritch horror.

Whether this is for Halloween, cosplay or some other event, this tutorial shows you how to do up your eye makeup to make yourself look like a Blood Elf hunter from the ever popular MMO, World of Warcraft. You don't need much, just some red and gold powder cosmetics.

The half updo is a perennial favorite in fantasy and period pieces, from Lord of the Rings to Mysts of Avalon to the Renaissance Faire or any other event for which you want a period hairstyle. Even if you're all thumbs, you'll be able to replicate this popular hairstyle.

Ear tips are a versatile part of any science fiction or fantasy costume - make yourself look like a Vulcan, elf, fae or any other creature with pointed ears. Not only are you shown how to attach the ears, you can make blend in with the skin of the wearer to look as natural as possible.

This tutorial shows you how to make pieces of chainmail jewelry by using the Persian style - also called the woven-V style. This is a simple pattern that builds off the tradtional four in one style, which you can use to make any number of jewelry pieces.

The Byzantine pattern is a variation on the box chain pattern, it just has two extra links per unit. This tutorial shows you how you can make a string of chainmail using this beautiful pattern, that you can eventually turn into jewelry.

Whether you were inspired by the movie "300" or just want to add to your costume or prop collection, you can make a replica of a Spartan helmet out of papier-mache. This won't stand up to heavy abuse, but it will still look awesome!

Make your own armor with a weathered look out of Sintra (or expanded PVC foam). You'll need a heat gun, a padded cushion, paper towels, rub'n'buff in silver leaf, a knife, a marking pencil, water and a can of spray primer. Trace your piece onto the Sintra, then use the heat gun to shape it. Useful for costumes, Halloween or larps.

This tutorial shows you how to make a Renaissance or medieval costume blouse. You will need a sewing machine and about a yard and a half of fabric. You don't need a pattern, just one of your own shirts to use as a fitting guide.

If you're only fighting with foam, you don't want a professional hunting weapon. But you can refit a commercial crossobw and make it larp safe. Starting with the Cobra crossbow, you can modify it to safely shoot foam tipped arrows at a boffer larp.

This tutorial series shows you how to use Sintra (a type of PVC plastic that bends under heat) to make a piece of Spartan-style leg armor. This focues on making a shin guard, but you can use this method for any piece of armor you want to make.

Corsets can be a fun and sexy addition to any costume or outfit, but how can you make sure it looks its best on you? This tutorial shows you how you can lace someone into a corset comfortably and elegeantly.

Make an authentic piece of Roman armor! You will need quite a lot of metalworking tools, including hammers, drills and rivets. But if you have access to a workshop and the raw materials, you can make a replica of classic Roman armor, the lorica segmentata.

Want an extra creepy and gritty costume for this Halloween? Make yourself look like you have slashed wrists! This tutorial uses Cinema Secrets slashed wrists kit, and shows you how to apply it for the maximum creepy impact at your next party.

Go beyond the broomstick and pointy hat! Use the Cinema Secrets special effects prosthetics and makeup collection to make yourself look like a warty, scary witch. This is a perfect way to make an impact with a traditional Halloween costume.

If you don't want to be something scary or creepy for Halloween, how about going as a cute little kitty cat instead? This is primarily for children, and shows you how to make your child up to look like a cat. Meow!

Don't want to be something scary for Halloween? You can be a beautiful faerie instead! Using a blue and white palette with a little silver glitter for accents, this tutorial shows you how to create a lovely sparkly fairy look for yourself!

This tutorial makes you look like you just stepped off the set of the Terminator movie. You can also use these techniques to make yourself look like a burn victim, an undead or any other creature which has dark, mottled skin.

A bun is usually thought of as severe and uptight, but it can be quite sensual and carefree if you style it right. Take a look at this hairstyling video to learn how to create a very easy yet impactful low side bun for school.

Even getting your hair trimmed at the salon costs a fortune these days, so why not cut back on unnecessary expenses and do the trimming at home? Take a look at this video to learn how to cut edgy side bangs using a razor.

If you're scared of curling your hair because you don't want to damage your hair through heated products like flat irons and curling irons, then here is a more eco-friendly, heat-free alternative that costs almost nothing but produces gorgeous results.

In our opinion, the best kind of curly hair is the kind that looks the most natural. So rather than tight ringlets that look like they've obviously been twirled around a curling iron, we're talking about loose, carefree waves that are slightly undone.

Yoga arm binds are part of what make seasoned yogis look like walking pretzels. Arm binds add difficulty to any yoga pose, testing your flexibility and balance. For this reason, many people find it hard to hold a standing pose with an arm bind, let alone get to an arm bind position.

Katy Perry's music video for "California Gurls" was irresistably cute and fun - so well done, in fact, that we won't be surprised if we see half the girls dressed up as Katy with her cupcake boobs this Halloween. But before you decide which outfit you want to wear from the video (the candy dots dress? The cupcake boobs?), make sure you get her makeup spot-on.