Your First Armor Build, Start to Finish

Every finished suit of armor started the same way: one pattern, one mockup, one first build. This is the path Prince teaches across the tutorials, laid out end to end so you always know what comes next. Each step links to its full guide or the video moment that demonstrates it.

Watch: New Leatherworkers: Start HERE!

The path

1. Pick your project and your material

   Leather is the traditional route and the medium of most tutorials; foam is lighter, cheaper, and very cosplay-friendly. The same patterns drive both, so this choice doesn’t lock you out of anything. Guide: Foam or leather?

2. Gather the short tool list

   You need less than you think: the right leather, a utility knife, shears, a hole punch set, and a firm punching surface. Guide: The tools you actually need to start.

3. Print your pattern

   Standard home printer, standard paper, a free PDF reader that prints tiled pages. Guide: How to print your armor patterns.

4. Prove the fit before you cut

   A paper or foam mockup catches sizing problems while they’re still free to fix. If the mockup runs big or small, adjust the print scale and go again. Guides: mockup fit testing and how sizing works.

5. Cut, shape, and assemble

   Trace the confirmed pattern onto your material, cut the pieces, punch the hardware holes, and shape where the design calls for it. Wet forming is where flat leather becomes armor: shaping leather with wet forming. Strapping holds it all on you: making buckle straps.

6. Color and finish

   Dye it, paint it, or both; then seal it. Guide: dyeing vs airbrushing.

Common questions

Where to go next

Start with the tool list, then print your pattern. The rest follows one step at a time.