What Tools Should I Buy?
For some tools, it is better to invest, whereas for others, cheaper may be better. These are my personal recommendations on what tools you should purchase as a newer maker.None of these recommendations are sponsored, they are my personal opinions! All prices shown are from this article's release in August 2024 and may not reflect current prices.
Table of Contents
- Sewing needles
- Sewing machine
- Pins
- Sewing clips
- Clippers
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
- Thinning shears
- X-acto knife
- Mannequin head
- Brush
Sewing Needles
A cheap variety pack will work well! They are under $5 USD on Amazon. Although they are optional, curved needles work wonders for sewing hard-to-reach areas.
Sewing Machine
I use a Singer 4452 as my sewing machine. It does a great job and fits my needs quite well! It is around $200 USD when on sale.
You may find luck with a second-hand machine. As long as it can handle faux fur without issues, it should be fine. Poke around Facebook groups, marketplaces, Ebay, local thrift stores, or recycling centers. Some local makerspaces may also have them for you to go in and use.
You don't *need* a sewing machine, but they help speed up the process significantly and create stronger stitches than handsewing! I recommend them especially if you intend to make more than one fursuit.
Pins
I like pins with large pinheads. Pins with small or even no pinheads can get lost in faux fur easily. This pack was $4 USD on Amazon, but you may be able to find a smaller pack for cheaper.
Sewing Clips
Sewing clips are my go-to for holding pieces of fabric together while sewing! No more poking yourself or accidentally sewing over a pin. You will definitely want to purchase these online, as many fabric and craft stores charge unnecessarily high prices for the same product. On Amazon they can be found as low as $3 USD for a pack of 25, or $6 USD for a pack of 100.
Fur Clippers
Carpet clippers meant for tufted rugs work great for faux fur! Look for one with an acrylic guard. These can be found on Amazon for about $45 USD. They preshave wonderfully, but I have been too nervous to try them for a final shave because of the way the acrylic guard is set up! Instead I use a separate (discontinued) pair of clippers for a final shave.
Although I have not tried them myself, I have heard wonderful things about the Sminiker brand, available on Amazon for about $30 USD. You should be able to get away with only using these if you only want one pair of clippers.
You don't need an expensive $200+ pair of clippers. Often, these cheaper clippers work even better than the expensive ones. Avoid clippers meant for human hair, they will not work on faux fur (learned this the hard way, oops).
Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
I use a Surebonder cordless hot glue gun. It was $16 USD on Amazon and has lasted me for years so far. I recommend using a full size hot glue gun (like this one) instead of a mini sized one. Look for a high-temperature glue gun, as low-temp will make your fursuit less resistant to heat.
I like Gorilla brand full-size hot glue sticks. Gorilla sells a 45-pack bag for $8 USD, which is more than enough for one fursuit.
Scissors
$15 USD Fiskars scissors work great as fabric scissors for me. I recommend having at least two pairs of scissors (paper, foam, and duct tape all dull scissors really fast). Try to get different colors to differentiate them.
Expensive fabric scissors will work as well and cut fabric like a dream, but my Fiskars still work great after years of use!
Thinning Shears
My $11 USD pair of thinning shears is one of my favorite tools! These are wonderful for fine-tuning a shave. They're not required, but highly recommended.
X-acto Knife
Honestly anything you find on Amazon will likely work! My blade holder was from a family member so I don't know where it came from. The key here is to get cheap bulk blades that aren't name brand.
This $17 USD 300 pack of blades has lasted me years. I bought my second one a year and a half ago and I've barely made a dent in it. You may be able to find a cheaper or smaller pack if you don't need 300.
Mannequin Head
Dream Vision Creations sells a $90 USD foam mannequin head. I haven't used it, but I recommend it over my Monster Makers Ed Head (which is still good!). This is because DVC's are made of foam, allowing for pins to be inserted into the base. If you only want to make one fursuit, you can either keep it for displaying your head, or you can sell or give it to someone else who wants to make a fursuit.
Avoid getting a cheap craft store mannequin head or something off Amazon. A proportional mannequin head will result in a significantly better fitting head.
Brush
Fursuitsupplies.com sells a $10 USD slicker brush with a button that retracts the bristles! It works quite well, I like it a lot. Some brushes have little balls at the end of the bristles. These are more gentle on the fur. Brushes without the little balls are able to pull fur through the backing, making them useful for creating non-poof hairstyles.
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