So I made a thing, and…yeah.
Most of my LARP gear is actually at my boyfriend’s house, so this is made from what limited pieces I have here, so it is pretty basic. I’ve added links to the things that I can find links to. This isn’t really organised, I kind of grabbed things from drawers and arranged them on the ground, but I hope it helps any new LARPers out there.
1 (one is at the top of the image, the other at the bottom, sorry :S) These are both inexpensive elastic belts that I bought at Ardene. They’re great for adding a little bit of detail and holding your shirt in at the waist (because hourglass figures are sexy), but they can’t really hold weight, so putting a pouch or a scabbard on these belts looks a little bit silly and also stretched the elastic. Some people don’t like the elastic because it’s not “period,” and that’s okay too.
2 This is a handmade leather pouch that a friend of mine makes, I paid $30. (Larpers are very crafty people, so you might be able to find someone who takes commissions! Ask, and don’t expect an artist or artisan to just give you something for free <3) It’s a simple bag so I can wear it with multiple characters and it doesn’t look out of place. I can also use it in different settings (Fantasy, AND Post Apocalypse, for example) and in real life!
3 This is a repurposed saddle bag. It looks like leather, but it’s plastic, so it won’t get ruined by rain or mud, which is fantastic. Obviously everyone doesn’t have access to used equestrian gear, but always keep your eyes open, Thrift Stores are beautiful places for finding LARP accessories, even if you have to alter them a little bit to fit your character/setting. Pleather is a pretty good, cheaper, substitute for real leather. Leather gets expensive!
4 This bag is handmade by me! It’s crochet and it only took me a couple of hours. Making things by hand is a really awesome option, because then it’s exactly what you want with the added bonus of being one of a kind.
Some closing words on bags: I like simple ones, but it’s easy to dress up a simple bag with trim or buttons. Go for something that can handle what you’re going to put it through (Mud, rain, running through underbrush) and try to avoid things that look too out-of-period (like zippers). Thrift stores are great because they always have different things, and their cheap! You might not find exactly what you want, but it’s not too hard to alter things and make them unique.
5 This is just a regular belt, but this is the kind that you can hang things off of. I love the colour, and it’s nice and resilient. A decent leather belt works in most settings, and their handy because they keep your pants up.
6 This is a frog, they hold your weapon! (As long as it has a cross guard, or something wider than the shaft. My poor sword would slip right through) They’re simple, but they work well. Just make sure your weapon doesn’t drag on the ground(!!!) This one goes on your belt and the weapon goes through the ring.
Notebooks. Is your character a writer? Do they keep logs of their adventures? Taking time to write things down will help you remember things, but it may make other characters suspicious of you.
7 is a basic notebook from the dollar store, it was either $1.50 or $2.00, and I saw them in black and brown (at Dollarama) but they might come in other colours too. This one has an elastic to keep it closed.
8 is hand made paper hand bound in hand tooled leather, so it was way more expensive. These are beautiful, and I love books like this, but I am not saying that this is what you need to look awesome, dollar store notebooks are awesome for LARP. I wouldn’t be too upset if I dropped my dollarstore notebook in a puddle (except in game) but if I dropped my leather one in water or wet mud I would feel horrible!
So the expensive books look freaking awesome, but dollar store books work just as well, with the added bonus of not worrying too much if it falls out of your bag when you’re running for your life (except in game, because now anyone could have your secrets…)
Two of my shirts for two different characters, and the extent of my costuming I am currently able to pull from.
9 happens to be made completely of organic fibers, and has some leather details and wooden beading. This is an IRL Elf sweater. I don’t have more of Aliriel’s costuming here to compare, but I love her wardrobe because of how well it all fits together. Every shirt she wears has some kind of plant motif, on this shirt it’s the dark brown border, it looks a bit like leaves. Every shirt/tunic she wears also has slits up both sides.
It happened organically, completely by accident, but themes and motifs in costuming are great, because they kind of shows your character’s preferences. Aliriel grew up on a mountain surrounded by nature (plants on all of her clothes) and moves around a lot (the slits up the sides of her clothes allow for more movement in her hips and upper legs, for running or evading attacks.)
I suggest trying to find something that you can carry through multiple costume changes for the same character, whether it’s a colour, a motif, or a specific item (like a belt or vest). It can bring you whole costume together, because your character is a person, and people do things like that with their clothes too.
10 is a long shirt for my special snowflake character. Her whole costume is blue (the blue bag from the first picture is hers too), and that’s her costuming motif. She’s an Air Mage, and at Epoch Toronto Air magic is blue. Being an Air Mage is important for how she sees herself, it’s a more defensive magic, and most of her race tend to be pretty violent, so she dresses in that colour because she finds it helps her remember herself and why she refuses to fight or harm another sapient being (L O L, Tragic backstory.)
Find something about your character that is important to them, and see if you can kind of show it through their clothes.
11 You don’t need special cutlery, but if you can afford it and feel comfortable taking it to a LARP, it just helps add to your character’s, I don’t know, realness? These chopsticks and spoon are going to my Elf, who’s a wanderer. Having your own cutlery when you’re wandering kind of just makes sense.
Little things like that can really bring out who you character is, and awesome props are awesome.
OH GOD SO MANY EARS So you want to play an Elf, or another race that requires pointed ears?
Good news, you can buy them all over the internet <3
12 are not actually ears, obviously (there are 2 sets of 12), they’re ear cuffs. they help hide the seam where the prosthetic ends, or you can just wear them because they’re awesome. (a small warning, they do get a little bit tender after a while, and they’re really hard to sleep in if you sleep on your side) You can buy these at Claire’s, apparently!
13 are faun ears, available here (they’re pretty big, so if you have small ears like me they’re a bit of a hassle to put on, but they’re really cute when you get them on.)
14 are X Long Elf Ears, and they’re…really long. The latex they’re made from is really thick, so they are a bit heavy so they droop a bit if you put them on at the wrong angle. Trial and error! Also, these ones smell horrible when you first get them, but the smell goes away, just keep them out of the package for a while <3
15 are a set I bought at Walmart at Halloween! It was $8 for the ears (which i had to trim, they covered the whole ear, which makes hearing hard), Spirit Gum (for putting them on), AND Spirit Gum Remover (for taking them off if you have that kind of patience, I just pill mine off and rub the spirit gum off of my ears), and a tube of fake blood. The latex is really thick, so they’ll keep their shape, but it makes the seam VERY visible. But, really good value, because it comes with Spirit Gum AND REMOVER!
16 is Spirit Gum. I put it on the prosthetic and then wait for it to get tacky before putting it on my head, it sticks better that way, but you can pt spirit gum on your ear first if you know where the prosthetic is going to sit.
17 is Spirit Gum Remover.
18 Little hair elastics, great for small braids! If you can find a horse supply store then buy these there! They’re for braiding horses’ manes, and you get more of them, for less money, and they’re stronger than the ones for people. They generally come in white, black, ad brown. I have a huge bag of them, it was $2.50 and it will last me forever. (or a good long while, anyway. I’m pretty sure I’ll lose the bag before I run out.)
19 Makeup! For those races that need it. I use Kryolan Aquacolor because it doesn’t make my skin angry, and it last really well. When I bought them the big ones cost about $20 and the small ones cost less than $10. One of the big ones could last a Drow (full coverage of face and neck, limbs covered by clothing or body suit) for years, as long as you let it dry between uses so it doesn’t get mouldy.
20 are ways to apply the makeup. Aquacolor goes on with a slightly moistened brush or sponge. The white is a little translucent, but every other colour I’ve used covers really nicely, and lasts most of a weekend with very little reapplication, and I don’t use much barrier spray either.
Natural-fibre brushes apply better than synthetics, same with natural sponges.
21 is a pair of horns that I am working on! If the race you want to play needs horns, you can either buy some on a site like Etsy (there are some really gorgeous ones on Etsy OMG) or if you’re crafty you can make some. I use Super Sculpey (it’s beige, and as long as you don’t make them too big, it makes pretty durable horns.), and then attach then to a bandanna.
22 and 23 are also ears, but I have no idea where I got them. 22 Are latex ears that I trimmed down a lot, and 23 are silicone ears. I’ve heard silicone ears last longer, but these ones don’t suit my face :/
SEVENTH PICTURE HOLY CRAP FINALLY
24 are my old, scuffed up combat boots. These were my first LARP boots, and I think they worked fine, but I have heard people complain about combat boots.
I like them because they’re sturdy and they give a lot of ankle support, which is awesome when you’re running through the forest and step on a hidden rock or a branch.
I don’t wear them for Fantasy LARP anymore, but they’re my Post Apocalypse LARP characters boots.
25 is a pair of winter boots. They have good tread(meant for snow, great for frosty mornings or battles in dewy grass) and they’re waaaarm. I pretty much only wear these for Fall/Winter events because they do get a little bit too warm for the summer. I feel that they work for my character, with the (faux)fur on the inside and the brown, to go with the rest of her brownbrownbrown costume.
26 are my newest boots, and they’re perfect. They’re hand made deerskin, with a crepe sole, so they have grip and will last outdoor wear. They’re also quiet for forest sneaking.
They’re also the most expensive.
I find footwear hard to buy, because good looking durable period footwear is expensive. The most important thing you should look for is comfort, honestly. If you have a pair of running shoes with covers over them to look like boots, then I think that’s fine. If you have a pair of plain running shoes because you don’t know where to get In Game looking shoes? That’s fine too. Everyone starts somewhere, and at the end of the day I would (personally) rather be comfortable and able to keep walking than be fashionable.
More Props! (I did appologise for being disorganised<3)
Props are great, they are your characters stuff! They can tell us a lot about your character.
27 Do they do calligraphy, or any other kind of fancy writing?
28 Are they always ready with a tankard for drink? (Thrift Store! It cost $2)
29 Do they have a weird fondness for masks? Maybe they’re an actor? are they on their way to a Masquerade? (Costume store, I think it was $6?)
NINTH PICTURE should really be part of the eighth :/
30 Maybe they’re a gambler. (I bought these at WalMart! they look so cool <3)
Props can mean anything, make up a little back history for them, and when people ask about them, you have In Character stories to tell!
IF YOU CAN’T FIND A PROP, THEN MAKE IT! <3
Being craft is awesome, and learning new things is great! And if you can’t figure something out, ask fellow LARPers who can! They might be able to help you, or you can ask for a commission (if they do that<3)
FIRST PICTURE (because doing things out of orderrp)
These definitely don’t have to be latex to look awesome or be fun, but my foam-and-duct tape staff is (in a stunning departure from the expected) at my boyfriend’s house. I just happen to be fucking spoiled when it comes to weapons.
31 Epic Armoury’s Elven Long Blade is beautiful and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. It’s nice and light, so you can use it one handed, and the hilt is long enough that you can use it two handed if you prefer.
32 Jacky, The Sledge Hammer Short is lovely, it has a super squishy handle, the head needs to be worked in a bit, but Calimacil weapons sometimes do.
This has been pretty long, I’m sorry :<
I hope it helps someone <3
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