How to make a cardboard costume helmet

Step 2 First form the base

For this example I'm going to construct a Boba Fett helmet from the infamous Star Wars character but these techniques can be used to make almost any helmet. I was able to download some Fett helmet templates from the Dented Helmet forum. http://www.thedentedhelmet.com

The templates are designed to be printed on letter size paper so just open the files with a program like Adobe Acrobat and print them so they fit on letter size paper. The best way to work with the templates is to cut them out and tape the separate sheets together. I then glued them to the cardboard with some rubber cement and then cut out all the pieces with an X-Acto knife.

The first step is to make the form for the helmet base. This is used to help establish the basic helmet shape and is later removed from the helmet. The form is made from templates pages 4, 8, 11 and 12. The patterns on page 4 and 8 are glued together by cutting a slot in each piece on the center line and then fitting them together. Join the patterns on pages 11 and 12 together and cut them from a single piece of cardboard and then glue that piece to the patterns from pages 4 and 8.

Now make the inner helmet surface. This is done by cutting out the patterns on pages 18, 14,17 and 13, taping them together and cutting them from a single piece of cardboard. This single piece is then wrapped around the helmet base form. Getting the cardboard slightly damp (use a misting spray bottle) will make it easier to bend. Then I epoxy the joint at the back of the helmet.

Next make the helmet outer surface- it is made the same way as the inner surface and is wrapped around and glued to the inner surface. Once the glue is dry cut out the cheekbone sections on the helmet inner surface. Now make the cheekbone sections by gluing the cheekbone template parts together and bending the cardboard and tacking it into place using a glue gun. I only use the glue gun on the inside of the helmet. Then I smear white glue over all the joints on the outside of the helmet.

Comments

[jop82h]

On page 12 and 11, I don't know what to do with the circle with the plus inside of it and the line though it. Am I suppose to fold there or cut or something else?

[Honus]

You should cut on that line- that cutout section is where the cheekbone area goes. Look at the diagram that shows how pages 11 and 12 go together and you can see how it's cut there.

[jop82h]

Thanks!

[dnyers]

So i cut out the base and glued it to the two other pieces. then i cut out the Inner layer (one whole piece). i got water on it and Wrapped it around the base as good as possible. but only the top corners on the inner layer fit enough to be glued. obviously this is a problem since the back section of the outter layer gets cut out of the stencil. would you like pics?

[Honus]

Pics would be great.

[dnyers]

So 8,4,11,12 are all cut out of cardboard and glued together?

[Honus]

Yep!

[splayford]

I don't understand - are ALL of the instructions here or are they only available with a paying membership? Something is missing as step 1 to step 2 has a huge gap of instructions missing.

[Honus]

Everything is here. When this was originally written is was meant to show how any cardboard helmet could be made- not necessarily specifically a Boba Fett helmet but so many people wanted to make a Fett helmet it sort of evolved into that since that's what I used as an example.

Step 1 is about materials and Step 2 is about building the helmet base using the templates provided. Once you cut out the templates it's really pretty straightforward. If you let me know what you need help with I'll try and help out as best as I can.

[barney2]

I have a basic question re templates. The PDFs are waaaay bigger than an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. How do you print those a full size when they are bigger than a piece of paper?

[andre.miotti]

You can print it at printer shops.

i dont know how you call this kind of shop at USA, im not american, but i do a lot of big size printing cause im an architect.

A full size plotter can print up to 43 inches.

[Honus]

You don't need a large printer- the templates are designed to be printed on Letter size paper.

[Honus]

Just scale them so they fit on 8.5" x 11" paper.

[barney2]

Sorry, but that makes no sense. I need the helmet to fit my head, not a scaled down version of my head. Am I missing something?

[Honus]

The templates are designed to fit on 8.5" x 11" paper. When they are printed to fit on that size paper they will make a movie size helmet, which is pretty big.

[Jaden Vynark]

Hey Honus do you cut off line J. Because I did I don't really understand it too well.

[Honus]

Yep- that's where the cheekbone section get glued in.

[sitrean]

I made this helmet and I was amazed how thorough the template was.  You take a look at the dome and think, "well this looks loopy" but I persevered and now I have an amazing Spartan helmet using the same basic design.  Note: plaster alone wont do it, you have to use resin, or else it will start to crack when it flexes.
THANK YOU!

[ronnyjodes]

i'm going to ask a mega stupid question- i've printed the template off but i can't seem to figure out what bit sticks where. any help would be brilliant!

[rotemvalkrie]

 I am having a hard time understanding where you got the piece for the thing in between the cheekbones? template page number would be nice.

[Honus]

What part exactly do you mean? All of the cheekbone parts are on pages 1-3. If you mean the section that has the visor that's on pages 16 and 19.

[jazpeople]

 Can each of the 7 pages print on a page of computer paper?

[Honus]

I'm assuming that you're talking about the rangefinder since that's the only file with 7 pages. Each page will print on a single sheet of US letter sized paper (8.5" x 11")

Are you viewing and printing the files using Adobe Acrobat?

[jazpeople]

 Thank you so much i figured it out and iam on my way (taking lots of pictures)

[HanusBobaFettMaker]

hello again my fine sir! I seem to have a question, did you just bend the cardboard? I am a little confused on how you bent it, and if you like put some sort of stick on material to stay in that shape, like sintra sheet..templates make no sense to me as well :P but I am finished with the JP! :D

[rickycolonj]

Hey no prob dude i know im a little late with the reply but if you go to "Mercs.firespray.net" search for cardboard helmet and theres a very deep and elaborate tutorial for this....

[Honus]

Just mist the cardboard with a bit of water to bend it and then hold it with some masking tape while it dries to hold the shape. Then just glue it in place.

[hailkinganthony]

Another thing i had a problem with was the cheekbone thing, i dont completely understand that either. Like do i cut out along the curve on the templates on page 16 and19 and then glue on the cheekbones?or do i just glue it on top of the... i dont know how to word it... i guess the "front" like where you cut out the visor area. so then it would be, the inner surface, the outer, then the cheekbone. all glued together?

[hailkinganthony]

Ok so im starting this project and im stuck, i posted a few comments and got some answers but im still unsure of how to do this. for forming the base, do i use the templates labeled JK and LM page 19 and 16? like do i cut those out and glue them together, then cut out the opening to look out of? and page 15 and 19 go together, are they two separate pieces or should i make them one? I have a terrible eye for 3D puzzles, please help!

[Honus]

Pages 15 and 19 go together. Ditto for pages 16 and 20. You can make them together as one piece if you want. I found it easier to make pages 16 and 19 as one piece but it really doesn't matter. These four pages form the outer part. pages 13,14,17,18 form the inner surface. The outer surface is glued to the inner surface and then you cut out the visor area.

[hailkinganthony]

thanks helped alot.

[yakman98]

Hey Honus, my 11 year old son and I are trying to build the helmet, we're new to this kind of project and we're really struggling. Would you consider re-writing the instructions to cover the construction more step-by-step, or e-mail us off post? Just pretend that we know next to nothing (not a big stretch!) Thanks in advance!

[Honus]

Hi there! I don't have the ability to re write the instructions right now as I'm in the middle of multiple other projects. What specifically are you having trouble with?

[hailkinganthony]

Question, just looking at this deciding whether to make this or not, do you use the templates and past all of them on cardboard, cut them all out the glue them together to make the helm? Sorry if this is obvious question.

[kaptaink_cg]

Glue sticks work pretty well too. A little quicker than Rubber Cement.

[Honus]

Yep that's how you do it. Rubber cement works pretty well for pasting the templates on cardboard.

[Gears117]

Wow honus thanks, my helmet looks fantastic, it fits perfectly and is awesome! thanks again

[Honus]

Cool! Make sure to post some pics!

[michaelinga]

Honus, Great costume and thanks for the patterns! I have a couple questions for you regarding the helmet building process. Yesterday I built this helmet for my son but after finishing it did not fit him, too small. So I decided to make another, I can give the other to my younger son. I took the time to really study the templates and I think I have it figured out. First question: On the first step are you cutting a piece of cardboard for the inner surface and then gluing another piece of cardboard to that for the "faceplate" template L and J? The other area I had problems in yesterday was the dome, it appears to me that the dome template is too small. I made my helmet yesterday and used the dome form pieces to cut out my dome supports but after I put the dome together it seems too flat. when looking at your pictures it seems like my support pieces are much flatter than yours. Is there a template for the dome support pieces that is different than I am using? Thanks for your time. Tom

[Honus]

Tom, You are right in that the faceplate is made from two pieces of layered cardboard. I don't know about the dome coming out flat- was everything printed out at the same size? There aren't any other templates for the dome support pieces.