How to Make a Zorro Mask

For both masks, you’ll need something to mark the two areas that you will be cutting out for the eyeholes, possibly a white marker of some sort, and scissors to cut them out, of course.

For the head-covering mask, you be using a black scarf that is large enough for you to cover from the top of your nose all the way to the back end of your head and still be able to be tied around the back.

First, with the black scarf unscathed, cover the top of your nose and your head as you will when you use the final product.

Next, mark off the areas of the scarf that are covering your eyes.
Third, remove the scarf and perfect the outline of the eyeholes so that they have an oval-like ship at the same angles as your eyes.

Cut out the eyeholes.
Now, test out the mask and ensure that the eyeholes are right where they should be and that the scarf wraps around the back of your head so the mask doesn’t slip off.

If everything is perfect, then congratulations, you have made your very own Zorro mask.
As for the version that does not cover the head, you will need a black strip of cloth that is wide enough to cover from the tip of your nose to the top of your forehead.

Wrap the strip around and tie it behind your head.
Mark the areas that are covering your eyes.
Remove the strip, perfect the outlines of the eyeholes, and cut them out.
Test out your new mask.
And there you have it; you are now ready for your next Zorro adventure.

How to sell an Iron Man costume

Take a picture of your own item
Many auctions end with no bidders and few (if any) lookers and watchers simply because the clothing seller has not taken a picture of their item.  Your buyers have only what is on their computer screen to tell them whether or not your garment is worth the time and money to bid on it.

Pictures that are blurry and unclear give the buyer nearly no idea of what the garment actually looks like, and can often make your item look in worse condition than it really is.  Be sure to focus your camera properly, and if the picture doesn't turn out right the first time, try it again.  Practice makes perfect!
Dark pictures also will cause problems with clarity.  If you cannot get sufficient light inside to take a good picture, take your items outside in the sun for a much better result.

Taking multiple pictures enhances the value of the item and gives your buyer the opportunity to see your garment from many angles.  Taking pictures of the back and the front of the garment is a must, and additional pictures of little details.

You must describe your item
For every seller that lists a garment without a picture, you have a seller who puts up one picture of a costume with little to no description.  Be sure that you describe your costume in detail, especially anything that makes it unique or comfortable.  Remember that you are the eyes and the hands of the buyer, and they are relying on you to know what you are selling.  Describe your item as if there were no picture at all in the auction!

Reveal any and all imperfections.
Whether it's a tiny little run or snag or a re-done hem, be sure to note any modifications to or imperfections in your costume.  This includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: spots; stains; runs; tears; holes; moth damage; mildew damage; pilling/piling, unraveling; odd smells (including tobacco or moth ball odors).  It may take more time during listing, but it will increase your customer's confidence in your integrity and your honesty.

How should I ship my costume?
When you have successfully made your sale and your buyer has paid for their item, you have a number of ways to ship your item.  In the United States, most sellers prefer to use USPS (United States Postal Service) to ship their items.

Shipping via USPS Parcel Post is the cheapest way to send your costume via USPS.  You will need to purchase (or find) packaging material to put your garment in to use this service.  eBay clothing sellers use many different types of mailers to ship their goods, including Tyvek, Poly, Paper and Bubble Mailers.  Shop around before purchasing and be sure that you're getting the best deal on your mailer purchase.

If shipping via USPS Priority Mail (typically a 2-3 day delivery), you can receive free mailing supplies, including boxes and tyvek mailers.  By far, USPS Priority Mail flat rate boxes are the best deal for shipping for shipments that include many items -- for one flat fee, USPS will ship anything you can fit in their flat rate box to anywhere in the United States of America (including Hawaii and Alaska).

Whichever method you use to ship your item, be sure that you ship safely:  If the mailer you're using isn't already waterproof, place your costume in an inner bag (grocery bag, small trash bag, ziplock bags, etc.) that will provide the garment with water resistance.  You don't need to package the item to withstand water submersion, but do keep in mind that many buyers live in residences where the USPS carrier will need to leave the package exposed to the elements.  One good rain storm can ruin the costume your buyer just purchased, so be prepared!

If you print your postage online via PayPal or the USPS website, Delivery Confirmation is a must-have and is free.  Delivery Confirmation provides proof that the item you sent was dropped off at its delivery location, and if you accept PayPal, DC is a requirement for seller protection.  Don't let that package leave home without it!

How to Make a Biker Costume

Anyone looking for a fun costume that is easy to put together and looks great, should consider a biker costume. There are varieties of ways to create a biker costume, depending on the look that an individual wants. Women can choose to be a biker chick or a biker's "old lady," and men have options for several biker looks, including the tough biker gang member or the old white-hair biker. Before making a biker costume, consumers should find a wig, makeup, leather outfit, boots, and accessories.

Find the Perfect Biker Costume Wig
To begin the biker costume, the first item a person needs is a biker wig. Many of the wigs offered work great for male or female bikers, especially since many male bikers wear their locks long. The type of wig chosen sets the tone for the rest of the biker costume.

Adding facial hair to the wig helps differentiate male from female bikers. A long blonde wig looks hot on a female, but can look scruffy on a male if worn with a long blonde mustache. Even without facial hair added to the costume, placement of the bandana on the head helps send different male and female signals.

Biker Costume Makeup
Female biker chick costumes work well with bright red lipstick, colorful eye shadow, long nails with nail art, deep rouge, and sometimes, fake eyelashes. Male biker costumes do not require any makeup with the exception of eyeliner for the rock star biker look. Makeup works for both male and female biker costumes to create scars. Scars offer an added toughness to the costume and provide some character.

Rock the Leather Outfit
No biker costume is complete without leather. Leather biker pants, chaps, biker vests, and of course, a leather jacket are all part of the biker look. T-shirts need to have a motorcycle theme, such as Harley Davidson, or at the very least, skulls and crossbones on the front. Keep the colors dark, preferably black. Some of the items needed are inside of the average closet, while people have to purchase others. Faux leather is fine and saves a lot of money for items that require purchasing.

Do Not Forget the Biker Boots
Biker boots are leather, tall enough to cover a portion of the calf, and have a chunky heel that helps them lock onto the foot pegs. Authentic biker boots are costly so consider borrowing a pair or finding something more affordable that fits the look. Any dark boots work with this type of costume. As long as riding an actual motorcycle is not part of the biker costume, any style of boots is fine.

Biker Costume Accessory Options
After completing the main portion of the costume, such as the wig, makeup, clothing, and boots, adding more accessories enhances the effect. There is a variety of choices for biker costume accessories. An individual can choose as many accessories or as few as they want.

How to Make a Cosplay Costume

The fantastically costumed fans parade through the convention, dressed as their favorite anime, movie, superhero, or book characters. From sexy to gruesome, science fiction to steampunk, the possibilities are endless when designing a cosplay costume. While experienced cosplayers design elaborate outfits that perfectly match the selected characters, beginners should focus on choosing a character and building a simple costume piece-by-piece. When collecting the parts of a cosplay costume, fans should start with the obvious elements, such as outer garments, accessories, makeup, and hair.

The Character
Selecting a character is the first step in the costume design. Whether fans portray a well-known persona, such as Superman, Sailor Moon, or Doctor Who, or a lesser-known character, such as Mercy Thompson or Akasha, each has specific elements that immediately make the character recognizable.

Step-by-Step
A large photograph or poster of the character in the desired costume is helpful when making a cosplay costume. Once fans carefully examine the elements of the costuming, they can make a list of the essential pieces of clothing, whether a royal blue spandex bodysuit with a red cape, or a tan jacket with a fedora. Making a cosplay costume does not mean that fans must sew, although some fans do make their costumes from scratch. It usually means that they put together the pieces to make a complete costume.

Outer Garments
Beginning with the outer garments, fans select the spandex, jacket, trench coat, or skirt that the character wears. Color is as important as style. Superman would not be the same character if he appeared in red spandex and a blue cape. Sailor Moon would not be the same without her short skirt and sailor-style top with a red bow. On the other hand, Dr. Who had 12 incarnations, so if the cosplayer mixed a brown trench coat from the 10th incarnation with an overly long, striped scarf of the fourth incarnation, a purist would probably notice, but most casual fans would simply see the Dr. Who persona.

Accessories
The accessories also help make or break the cosplay costume. Whether the character wears a mask, stockings, elbow length gloves, or a bow tie, all are recognizable elements in that particular character's personification by the cosplayer. If the exact style of red boots is not available, then a Sailor Moon cosplayer might wear red high heels to complete the costume. Cosplayers portraying vampires, such as Akasha, may wear plastic fangs, while zombie fans may drip small strips of fake skin or body parts as they move about the convention.

Makeup and Hair
Although the fan's eye color and skin tones may not match the character's eye color and skin tones, it is more important to make up the eyes and lips to match the character's look. Theatrical makeup used as a light base before adding dark shadows around the eyes and cheekbones better emphasizes facial features. Body paint, markers, henna, or temporary tattoos can replicate tattoos or artwork featured on the character's body, such as Mercy Thompson's coyote paw print tattoo under her belly button. A commercially produced or custom-made wig can replicate the character's hair. Alternately, fan may dye their hair or use a weave to add length to natural hair if necessary to portray the character.

How to Make a Dora Costume

The "Dora the Explorer" animated television show encourages children's creativity and curiosity. The 7-year-old Latina cartoon girl, along with her pet monkey, go on exciting play-along adventures and include young viewers through singing, dancing, and other engaging activities. Costume supplies from eBay let young fans dress up like the well-loved main character. It is easy to make a Dora costume once fans know how to assemble the backpack, wig, and clothing.

Making the Different Parts of a Dora Costume
Pre-made Dora costumes are available on eBay, but creating a costume from scratch fits a child's measurements better. The different parts of a do-it-yourself Dora costume include the magical purple backpack, short black wig, colorful clothing, pet monkey, and makeup.

Magical Backpack
The magical purple backpack Dora wears during her adventures is essential to the costume. Costume makers need a 48-by-12-inch sheet of cardboard, four 9-inch-by-12-inch sheets of felt in purple, white, black, and red, one light-yellow sheet of paper, colored pencils, a black marker, a glue gun, fabric glue, a ruler, and scissors to create this accessory.

Instructions

Costume makers draw a template, and cut it out from the cardboard. They attach the purple felt to the cardboard using the glue gun. Strips of purple felt create the sides and side pockets, while another piece of purple fabric makes the backpack's flap. Costume makers then glue two long strips of cardboard covered in purple felt to the backpack to create the backpack straps.

They then draw a face with the black marker and use the red, white, and black felt. They cut the eyebrows from yellow paper or felt. They draw another face on the light yellow piece of paper and roll it to create Dora's magical map.

Wig
A short black or dark brown children's wig recreates Dora's signature bob. Dora wigs in smaller children's sizes are available on eBay. Older children dressing up as Dora might need an adult size wig. Costume makers should measure the circumference of a child's head with a flexible measuring tape to find the wig size.

Clothing
Dora's typical attire is a pink T-shirt, orange shorts, yellow socks, white sneakers, and a flower bracelet. Regular children's clothing makes up most of the outfit. Costume makers string yellow beads and a large blue flower bead onto elastic string to make Dora's bracelet.

Pet Monkey
Boots is Dora's pet monkey and best friend. A Boots plush doll is ideal for a "Dora the Explorer" costume. This plush monkey comes in sizes ranging from 6 to 13 inches. The Boots doll must be suitable for a child's height. Boots the size of a Beanie Baby is great for infants and toddlers, while a larger version of this pet monkey is better for older children. Boots plush dolls also come in a variety of poses, including standing, waving, and sitting.

Makeup
Dora has tan skin. A foundation in a medium shade gives children with light skin a natural sun-kissed glow. A light layer of makeup also covers any freckles a child might have.

Top 5 Reasons to Wear Organic Cotton

Organic has become a major trend for health-conscious consumers. Clothing made from natural fibers is generally better for the environment and more sustainable than synthetic fabrics, such as polyester and nylon, which feature oil-based products. They also have other benefits, such as being more breathable and comfortable. However, like other crops, many of these fibers, and particularly cotton, grow with the help of chemical pesticides, which wreaks havoc at every level. Organic cotton offers numerous benefits over traditionally grown cotton and other materials. Consider the five reasons to choose organic cotton clothing.

1. Organic Cotton is Chemical Free
Choosing organic cotton is great for anyone looking to remove chemicals and toxins from their lives. Organic farmers do not use any chemical pesticides and fertilizers. They also commit to using non-genetically modified ingredients. In the U.S., these farmers also face strict regulation and oversight, including inspections. Foreign producers wanting to import to the U.S. must also undergo certification. Any organic product is subject to strict labeling requirements as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lays out specific guidelines for organic clothing labels:

It is worth noting that containing organic fibers does not ensure that the manufacturing process is entirely organic. Clothing made in compliance with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) may also hit the market as "organic" in the U.S., but again, there are differences in products made with 95 to 100 percent organic fibers and those made with at least 70 percent organic materials.

Cotton Products Appear in Food, Too
Cotton comprises shirts, dresses, and even denim, but it also makes its way into food products. Cottonseed oil is useful as cooking oil or in condiments, such as salad dressings. It is also an ingredient in some baked goods, such as cookies, as well as salty snacks, such as chips. Moreover, some farmers feed the cottonseed hull, where pesticides can accumulate, to livestock, which means pesticides from non-organic cotton can even reach dairy products and meat. Opting for organic food helps reduce the problem.

 

2. Organic Cotton is Better for Sensitive Skin and Allergies
Even in the manufacturing process, most traditionally grown cotton faces various chemical treatments and harsh dyes. Organic clothing also does not go through the same chemical treatments. If dyed, the material's dyeing features low-impact or natural colorants. For those reasons, organic cotton clothing can reduce irritation and minimize allergic reactions. Babies and children have much thinner and more sensitive skin than adults, which makes them even more prone to these sensitivities. Look for organic cotton children's clothes. You can also find organic cotton baby products, from clothing to cloth diapers.



3. Organic Cotton is Better for the Environment
Cotton is one of the world's "dirtiest" crops; despite making up about 2.5 percent of all the world's agriculture, it uses about 25 percent of the world's insecticides and 10 percent of the world's pesticides, according to the Soil Association and the Organic Trade Association. Those chemicals can contaminate groundwater, harm biodiversity, and affect soil fertility. Groundwater contamination can even affect oxygen levels in the water and harm aquatic life.

By contrast, organic farming methods restore nutrients to the ground, do not contaminate groundwater, and can actually help other plants and animals thrive. Organic farming also helps offset the effects of climate change by locking CO2 in the soil and reducing greenhouse gases released into the environment by avoiding fossil fuel-based fertilizers in favor of organic ones.

4. Organic Cotton is Better for Farmers
Chemicals used in traditional farming methods not only wreak havoc on the environment; they have a devastating effect on the people who contact them. With the vast majority (75 percent) of the world's cotton grown in developing nations, the impact it has on those farmers is crucial to note. Some of the chemicals used, such as Aldicarb, can be lethal to people, while others can cause sickness or birth defects. Many farmers in rural areas pick the cotton by hand, thus increasing their risk of exposure. Growing organic cotton is far safer for the farmers, and it can even be less expensive for the farmers because they do not have to purchase expensive chemicals.


5. Organic Cotton Clothing is Often Manufactured Under Higher Standards
Companies that manufacture organic clothing often have the same sort of values as their consumers. More companies are embracing social responsibility and ensuring their products come about ethically. Do your research into different companies and learn what steps they take to minimize their impact on the environment.

In addition to looking for certified organic clothing, you can also ensure the ethical manufacture of your garments by choosing Fairtrade cotton. FLO International, the global organization behind the movement, works to ensure that cotton farmers, both organic and nonorganic, receive a fair, living wage for their work. You can also look for clothing manufacturers who participate in the Better Cotton Initiative, a global effort to make cotton production sustainable and abide by ethical standards.

Auctioning Your Shoes

Start with a fabulous picture

Use a good quality picture to display your shoes you are trying to sell! I take pics of the side, front, back, and underneath. This will help to show the quality of the shoe. If there are any unique features, take close ups of them! Also, if there is any damage to your shoes, take close ups of that as well! You want your buyers to know exactly what they are buying so you don't end up having to deal with a return. Use the macro feature on your camera to accomplish this. 

Provide a description

Not only do you want your pictures to tell the story about your shoes, you should write a lot of detail about the shoes. 
Things you may want to include:

• Name of the brand of shoe
• The size of the shoe : If the shoe runs big or small, let the potential buyer know.
• Material of the shoe
• If the item is used, describe how many times the shoe has been worn, where the item is worn at on the shoe etc.  
• What packaging material comes with the box? IE If you are shipping the shoes in original box, let the buyers know.  

Remember, NO SURPRISES to your buyer. 

Set your price

Try to do some research to see what other people/sites are selling your shoes for. If it's a shoe that is very popular and cannot be found in stores, you may be able to sell it for higher than you paid. If the shoe is very worn out though, you will want to deeply discount the shoe to reflect the usage.

Now in auction, you will want to consider what is the lowest price you are willing to sell it for. On many auction sites, you can set a ceiling price as to the lowest you are willing to sell it for so you don't have to part with your lovely shoes if you don't get the price you want. 

Package it up!

Congratulations if you got the price you wanted for the shoes! Now time to package it up for your buyer. When I ship shoes I put them in a box bigger than the shoe box, and then put the air bubble packaging inside. Often times I see companies ship out shoes and not provide the extra bubble and then you end up with mashed up sides of the shoe box, NOT good.  The other tip I can offer is put some rubber bands around the box length and width wise.  This should keep your shoes safe and sound!