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May the Fourth Be With You: Costume Building Simplified

May the Fourth Be With You: Costume Building Simplified
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It's May the Fourth, and in celebration of this Star Wars Holiday, online, WTXL ABC 27 has been taking you on a journey to a Galaxy Far, Far Away and Close, Close By... 

TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) -- Do you ever need a fancy costume for Halloween or that special event? Usually that involves a stop at your local big box store, or for those a little more creative, a thrift store. 

But, where is the fun in that? 

Have you ever considered making your own costume? For the ultimate Star Wars fans, like the 501stand Rebel Legions, it's not just about the thrill of wearing the costume, but making them. 

So let's get started. 

Lance Tomkins, Commanding Officer of the 501st legion, says that the first step is to "Start off with an idea. A concept of what you want to build." 

Joe Fisher, a member of the Rebel Legion, added "The biggest thing is a lot of personal self-sacrifice." 

Once you have your idea, the hunt is on to gather your materials to build your masterpiece. You can use a variety or materials like fiberglass, resins, and plastics. Plus, random everyday "found" objects are great additions. 

"Back when they made Star Wars Episodes IV through VI in the latter 70s and early 80s, a lot of their costumes were parts that existed back in the real world", said Tomkins, "They range from a vintage coin slot machine to an air max air dryer." 

Two of the more popular and speedy methods to make costumes include plastic resins and PVC plastic polymer. And using PVC plastics are cheap and quick. You can have a hard sheet of plastic and make it costume-ready in minutes. It's as easy as taking out a battle droid. 

With these methods,  determination, a bit of help you can get online, you too can help save the galaxy with the Rebel Alliance, or take over with the Imperial Army. 

"If you put some creativity to it, you can make everything […] completely by hand," said Fisher.