Cloud Strife Cosplay

Finally got Cloud done! There are a few things I might go back and tweek, but it's not the end of the world if I don't XD

Final Fantasy VII is perhaps still my favorite game of all time. Even though it's been forever since I've played through the original game, I still remember almost every detail from it because I played it so many times when I was in middle school. When FFVII Crisis Core first came out in 2008, I was bummed because I didn't have a PSP, but I eventually got to play it thanks to a friend that let me borrow it. I feel a bit late joining in on the FFVII cosplay fun, but at the same time it's a bit refreshing because the fandom isn't as hectic as I remembered it being several years ago. Out of all the characters from the different FFVII titles, I wanted to cosplay Cloud, Aerith, and Rufus. I decided on Cloud, and I'm really happy I picked to do him first.

Since this is my first real photo upload for this costume, here comes my wall of text on the construction details:

Wig: Lookie at this! Photo documentation of the process and everything :3

Scarf: Found a white ribbed-knit cotton fabric and dyed it green in a bucket. It came out a bit brighter than I planned, but I decided it would be ok since the in-game references have a bit brighter of a green compared to the fancy CG references or my Play Arts figure. It's essentially just a tube of fabric with the seam in the back. I added a fleece interfacing on the inside to add some thickness and sturdiness.

Jacket and pants: Made both out of the same blue denim fabric I bought at JoAnn's. I dyed the denim I used for the Jacket in a bucket of navy blue dye to make it slightly darker than the pants, but there isn't a huge difference. I used McCall's 5391 for the pants (it's a shorts pattern. I had to lengthen them lots) and Simplicity 5386 for the jacket (it's a Matrix coat pattern. I just used the top portion of the coat, modified the sleeves, and made an extra piece that goes down the center-front).

Harness & leg-straps: I had this fancy looking brown vinyl we found on clearance at JoAnn's last summer. I just made straps out of that stuff and inserted craft foam paper on the inside of the bigger pieces for extra thickness. I got studs and buckles at Tandy Leather factory. There were some metal pieces I needed for the belt that I couldn't find anywhere, so I got my fiancé to help me bend and cut some heavy-duty wire for the rectangular pieces, and the silver belt loops are made out of craft foam covered in a shiny silver vinyl. The belt on my leg has heavy-duty Velcro attached to it so that it does not fall down, and the smaller ones around my ankles have velcro to help keep them in place.

Pauldrons: Much thanks to for helping me with these. I made the original curved base with a paper-mache technique, though instead of paper and glue I used fabric scraps and fabric stiffener. I formed a couple layers of it around a balloon, let it dry overnight, popped the balloon and let the inside dry, and then we cut it down into two pieces close to what I was wanting. This is when I handed them to Kyle and he made a layer on top of that with wonderflex. To hide the seams and most of the bumps, Kyle coated them in bondo and fiberglass resin, sanding down what he could afterwords. I added a trim of craft foam strips around the edges and sealed them with a few layers of Mod Podge before Kyle painted them. He loves adding wear-and-tear and battle damage when he can, so he left some areas with the bumps dents intentionally and then painted them to give that effect. The result is really nice, and we're hoping there's enough time where he can help me do something similar to my knee pads and weapon props. To attach the pauldrons to my shoulders, we used velcro.

Rifle: I'm super proud of this thing. Made it out of foam board, black craft foam paper, a cardboard tube, and lots of hot glue. I added an eye bolt on the top for the strap, and Kyle helped me bend and cut the wire for the metal pieces on the very front and back of the gun. It's painted in a few spots with acrylics and sealed with Mod Podge so it has a nice matte finish, but Kyle wants to help paint it so that it's got some more realistic textures. Kyle also made the strap for it, but it's probably just temporary until we can have time and materials to make one that's more accurate.

Tonfa/baton: I couldn't decide if I wanted to make it out of PVC or wood. Wood would have given more accurate results where the intersection of the pieces would be, but I ended up picking PVC because it would be lighter and quicker to make. I spray-painted with an orange paint that bonds with plastic, and the ends are made out of craft foam that was sealed with a watered-down glue mixture and painted with black metallic acrylic. I based the size on the figurine's proportions, so it's actually a bit larger than the in-game version.

Gloves: This is the prettiest pair of gloves I have ever made so far! Used the same pretty leather-looking vinyl and Butterick pattern 5370 as a base.

Knee Guards: you can't see them in this photo, but you'll see them eventually. I used cardboard scraps for the base shape, covered them in craft foamy paper, and sealed them with a watered-down glue mixture before painting them with a metallic paint (see [link] ). The straps that go around the back of my knees are made out of craft foam covered in a shiny grey vinyl that matches the paint pretty well. :3 Eventually Kyle is going to help me add some wear-and-tear to these too.

Boots: I just got a pair of men's work boots at K-mart. I would like to make boot covers eventually since Cloud's boots are supposed to have a zipper instead of laces, but I'm not going to worry too much about it since that part of the boots are mostly covered.

So I think that's everything! I'm currently crunching to help Kyle finish Zack, and I've got a couple more wigs to style before A-kon. I might post a couple more photos before the con of Cloud, but we've also got 2 photographers doing private shoots of us at the con as well. Much thanks to everyone that's been following my progress on Facebook, and I hope you guys like the results :3

Photo taken by with some edits by me. He thought it'd be cool if I had "Crisis Core" along the left side, so I mimicked the logo text in photoshop and made the layer more like an overlay.

Other photos:


Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core is (c) Square Enix