Here is a simple guide to making costume animal ears. The ears I made were for a casual Espeon cosplay.
Check out a full video tutorial, or keep on reading for a written description!
I am an intermediate-beginner cosplayer myself, so my tutorials aren't the most intricate; however, that's why they're a great place to start for fellow cosplay beginners.
There are a few different methods to making animal ears. It all depends what look you are going for, and what materials you have on hand. The easiest method is to use cardboard.
To get a rigid, particular shape, you can also use metal wire. If you use metal wire, you can attach that to a headband and cover with fabric.
With this method, I decided to create a plush-style ear using fabric and pillow stuffing. You can use your fabric of choice. (I used pillow case for mine.)
Materials:
-Fabric
-Pillow stuffing (from a craft store, or empty out an old pillow or plush)
-Craft Felt (optional)
-Hot glue or fabric glue
You can sew by hand, but to speed up the process, I used a sewing machine. Here is a fantastic beginner sewing machine that I used:
Steps:
Trace your desired shape onto your fabric and cut out 4 of the same shape. Be sure to leave about 2" for seam allowance. When cutting out your pattern, leave a out 5-inches of fabric at the base of the pattern because you can use the excess fabric to affix it to the headband.
Sew the 2 pieces of fabric together. If your fabric only has the pattern on one side, sew the pieces together with the patterned side TOUCHING. Be sure to leave an opening to add the pillow stuffing.
Turn the pocket you created inside out for a cleaner looking seam.
Stuff with pillow stuffing! I suggest breaking the stuffing into smaller pieces so it's easier to move around. The more stuffing you use, the more rigid it will be, allowing the ear to hold its shape when you are wearing it.
Sew the pocket fully closed. Sew where you want the pattern to end, still leaving that extra 5-inches of fabric loose at the base of your ear.
Decorate! I used felt to decorate mine. I cut out a piece of darker felt to use as the "inner ear."
Secure to headband. For mine, I wrapped the excess fabric around the base of the ear and sewed tightly to the headband. To make sure it is extra secure, you can use glue to help keep it in place.