I really wanted to make a Totoro cosplay, but most Totoro cosplays I saw on the internet were either some kind of dress or a Kigurumi-like garment. But I wanted for something more simple and warm temperature friendly, so I decided to make a jumpsuit version of Totoro.
Please note, I am not a professional seamstress or cosplayer, and this tutorial is far from perfect.
UPDATE: I have since changed some things on this cosplay, the changes will be noted. Here a pic of the new version :)
This cosplay should be fairly easy if you have a basic understanding of sewing.
Basic supplies needed:
- Sewing machine or a sewing needle
- Sewing chalk
- Scissors
- Sewing pins
- Measuring tape
- A ruler or yardstick
Accessories patterns- Totoro Pattern
Playsuit
- Gray and white cotton ( I think I used a 1yd precut piece but I may have used 2yd for the gray and a 24cm by 24cm scrap for the white)
- Gray and white thread
- Gray felt
- Zigzag stich on sewing machine (serger is optional)
I was going for a summer-friendly, picnic-themed cosplay so that I could survive longer in the heat. I based the playsuit on The Essentials Club's "DIY // Tie Strap Jumpsuit", link here. The costume follows the tutorial almost perfectly with only a few minor changes.
First, change the shape of the front. In the tutorial, the jumpsuit is created with a v-shaped front. I removed the v-shaped front and I made it look more like a pair of overalls with a more rectangular pannels for both the front and back.
The second alteration is after your jumpsuit is completed. I added a pocket to replicate Totoro's fuzzy belly. I used the pocket dimensions from Jess Dang's "DIY Overall jumpsuit from scratch - Step by step tutorial", link here, start at timestamp 6:48. I cut five little curved shapes, pattern in pdf, like the ones on Totoro's belly, out of gray felt. Using a straight stitch, I attached the felt shapes to the pocket. Then attach the pocket to the jumpsuit.
Ears
(There is certainly a better way to do this, but I was working with what I had on hand and here is what I came up with.)
- Thin metal headband
- Screws
- Purple insulation foam board
- Gray paint
- Sandpaper
- Mod podge
- Hot glue
- Tacky glue
- E6000
I started with a thin metal headband, one that could easily be hidden under wig hair while sitting on top of the wig. Deciding where I wanted the ears to sit, I marked the spot, and then using E6000, I glued two screws where I had marked. (These are to keep the ears sturdy.)
I took two pieces of purple insulation foam and glue them together to make a thicker piece. Don't use hot glue for this, it will dry in hard globs and makes the next steps harder. I drew and cut out the shape of Totoro's ears, making the shape bigger than I want it to end up (it will become smaller while sanding). Taking sandpaper, I began shaping the ears to how I wanted them to look. I rounded out the corners, completely rounding the base of the ear, and tapering the ear from the top to the bottom so that it has a wedge shape to it. Once I got it to a shape I like, I covered it with two to three coats of mod podge, giving it final sand after the glue dried.
I glued the ears to the headband, making the glue as neat as possible. I paint the ears gray and finished with mod podge.
Bracelet
- Oven-baked clay (black and white)
- Black pipe cleaner
- Black embroidery floss
- Colorful beads (I used metallic pearls)
- Glue (I used fast drying super glue)
- Black paint
I took black oven-baked clay and made a round bead with a hole. Before I baked the clay, I texture it with aluminum foil and added the whites of the eyes, and then baked according to the instructions. Once cooled, I added the pupils to the eyes with paint. I found that the bead would spin and face backward on a normal string, so I used a pipe cleaner instead, but I did glue embroidery floss to the ends of the pipe cleaner to look like I had used string. I began to string the beads on the pipe cleaner, placing a colorful bead in between the Soot Sprite beads. I was using the colorful beads to represent the Kompeto, the Japanese candy, you see the soot sprites eat in Spirited Away. And you're done.
Leaf hair clip
- Green felt
- Dark green paint (for the leaf details)
- Magnets
- Hair barrette (the little snap metal ones)
- Hot glue
- Thin wire
Print or trace the leaf pattern, and use it to cut two pieces of felt. Take a piece of wire and glue it to the inside of one of the felt leaves. Glue the second leaf on top, sandwiching the wire between the two leaves. I took a short piece of wire and wrapped a long rectangle of felt around it to make a stem. Use dark green paint to paint the leaf veins and other details on the leaf before gluing the steam in place. Glue a hair barrette in place on the underside of the leaf and then you're done.
Shoes
I purchase a pair of gray tennis shoes from Target.
Steve
The little soot sprite keychain that sits in my pocket has been dubbed Steve. I bought him at a con a while ago, but there are several similar ones on Amazon. The soot sprite isn't necessary for the costume it was just a cute last-minute add-on.
Acorns
I found some décor acorns on sale after the fall at a craft store. They were originally metallic, so i repainted them to better fit my needs.
Wig
I bought a short gray wig from Epic Cosplay, link here.
UPDATE: I purchased a different wig for this cosplay. It is from Amazon. If you're concerned like I was, about purchasing a wig from amazon, I personally think it is amazing and so cute, and would highly recommend it. It is thinner than the epic cosplay wig, but the waves help hide the thinnest. Link here.
Shirt
I got my undershirt at Michaels craft store. It is just a plain gray t-shirt.
UPDATE: I have since purchased a different gray shirt from a thrift store that has a softer neckline. The shirt from Micheals has a very thick and harsh neckline and wanted something less harsh.
And you're done!!! Hopefully, this tutorial was helpful. If you have any questions or need some help, please comment and I will try my hardest to help!!!
Thank you so much for reading, and happy cosplaying!!!
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