This costume took me over 300 hours and about $350 to create. I have added tips to make it cheaper below. Below is a complete list of the materials I personally used, including cost, quantities, and locations you can purchase the items. Prices are in Canadian dollars.

Materials - Quantity - Seller - Cost - Additional Notes

BASE MATERIALS:

Craft foam - 4 rolls - Michael's - $9.99/roll
Plaster casting - 1 roll - Michael's - $16.99
Plaster - 1 box - Michael's - $11.99
Black felt – 1 large sheet (sold folded in a pack) – Michael’s - $6.99

FABRICS:

Green fabric with metallic sheen - 1m - Fabricland - $6
Black stretch pleather - 1.5m - Fabricland - $22/m (was 50% off)
Red stretch pleather - 1m - Fabricland - $22/m (was 50% off)
Gold stretch pleather - 1.5m - Fabricland - $22/m (was 50% off)
Copper stretch fabric - 2m - Fabricland - $28/m (was 70% off)
Silver fabric with metallic sheen - .3m - Fabricland - $2
A black stretchy fabric of your choice for the bodysuit (I had some on hand from a previous project).

*Note: Fabrics should be stretchy. If they are not stretchy, they will not form over the shapes properly. You can use non-stretch fabric for the cannon (and silver parts), but be sure to curve your foam with the fabric before cutting it or it will end up too short and won't allow the foam to bend.

LIGHTING:

String of battery-powered LEDs – 18/strand, 4 strands – Target - $6.99/strand

*Note: buy 5 strands if you want them in your cannon

LED camping lantern – 1 – Walmart – $22.57
Stained glass window paint (green) – 1 – Michael’s - $4.97
Small LEDs – 2 – Dollarama - $2/ea

MISC.:

Green translucent file tabs – 5-6 sheets – Walmart/Dollarama - $1-3/ea/pack
Yellow and orange translucent file tabs – 1 sheet each colour – Dollarama - $1
Thread (black and red) – I already had this on hand
Leggings – 1 pair, tough, with a slight stretch (not too much give) – Suzy Shier - $33
Velcro – about 3m or more – Dollarama - $1/pack
Cotton Quilt Batting – 1 bag – Walmart – $6.99
AA batteries – 16 or more – Target - $24 (large pack purchased)
Balloons – 1 pack – Walmart - $2.28
Pair of old shoes with a black sole (or can be painted black)
Snaps - 4 pairs+ (I had these on hand)

BUILDING MATERIALS:

Goop-brand glue – 4-5 bottles – Walmart/Home Depot - $9.93
Packing tape – 1 roll – Home Depot/Dollarama/anywhere - $2.28
Plastic wrap – 1 roll – Dollarama/Walmart/anywhere - $1.75
Double-sided carpet tape – 4-5 rolls – Home Depot - $5.25/ea
Masking tape – 1-2 rolls – Home Depot/anywhere - $2.75
Glue gun and glue (already had on hand)

Tips to save money:

Use Michael's 40% off coupons (available in their monthly flyer and online)
Shop around, including mechanic and home hardware shops for deals (craft stores tend to overprice)
Ask other cosplayers (Facebook groups are good) for good locations to purchase items

Tips to spend more money to make a higher-quality product:

Use worbla and paint it to make a longer-lasting costume

Tools Needed:

Scissors
Sandpaper
Sewing
Machine
Pen
Black sharpie

Step 1: Step 1: Corset

Use the plastic wrap to make a cast of your body from the bottom of your breast to the bottom of your groin (for lack of better vocabulary). Cover all of the areas that the corset and "golden diaper" will need a pattern from. Make sure the wrap is firm on your body - not suffocating you, but also not too loose.
Using cellophane tape, cover all of the plastic wrap with 1-2 layers of tape.
Carefully cut the cast from your body up the side and tape the cast back together.
Using a Samus image, trace out the pieces you will need. Every Samus picture seems to vary somehow, so make the pieces from your favorite one or a mix of them, as I did. Make it symmetrical. Use measuring tape and folded pieces of paper to help you make perfect shapes.
Cut out the 5 main pieces from the cast - the vertical front piece, side sections, back, and "diaper." Leave the small pieces intact.
The side pieces will need to be cut to create a flat shape from a bent one. You will be creating "darts" so that your flat shape will then again form into a curved one. I recommend cutting from the center of the cast and making vertical darts, stopping before you cut clear through your piece (at least leaving an inch at the top and bottom). This process will depend on your personal shape. I made two darts on mine, each one 1/3 away from each edge. You want your piece to lay flat. If you mess up, simply re-tape the cast and try again, or use the other piece since you'll be doubling the side pieces anyway (you only need one to make the pattern).
You will need two base pieces for your corset - one for the base, and one to cut the pieces out of. The base should be cut slightly narrower on the top and bottom than the top piece to make sure the foam doesn't show through. The top part pieces can be cut slightly wider on the sides by 1-2mm each as when the pattern is laid on top and curved, it will become smaller (think of the outer edge of a race track). Very small adjustments are fine. Going too big means the corset will be too loose.
After cutting out the pieces, you will need to glue the base pieces back together, creating one corset base. Use masking tape to bring the edges together. Using a piece of cardboard (I cut out pieces of the box the glue came in) or a craft stick, spread Goop glue over the seams. I used two thin coats. After it is dry (leave for about an hour), take off the tape and glue the other side to make it really secure. This piece will go on very tight, so it has to be strong. If you wish to test the size of the corset before gluing it, tape it together and check.
Tape and glue the side pieces where the darts are for the overlaying piece. Remember to glue one the opposite way as the other so that it curves in the right direction.
Cut out the individual pieces from your cast and trace them onto your foam. This is a good time to clean up your edges and make sure they're precise.
Number your pieces on both sides. This helps so that you know where they go when the piece is finished.
Cut strips of the double-sided tape and place a few on the front. If your tape shows through the fabric, either place it so that it is hidden or cover the entire front in tape.
On the back side of the pieces, surround the outer edge in tape. 0.5-1cm strips of tape work fine.
Undo the tape on the front side of the pieces and lay on the wrong side of your gold fabric, leaving about 1.5cm of an edge around them.
Cut out your pieces.
The corners of the pieces will need to be cut off, leaving a flat edge on each corner. This way, when you fold over the fabric, the edges meet instead of bunching up. Add slits to any edge that is concave, and cut v-shapes into any curve that is convex. I usually make these about 1 inch apart, depending on how deep the curve is. You don't want too much bunching of fabric or the fabric to be too tight when you fold it over.
Undo the back side of the tape and tape back all of the edges.
Sort out your finished pieces so you know where they go on your corset.
To make gluing the pieces down easier, I did it in sections. first, I did the front pieces. I used double-sided tape to tape the pieces together at the back first here and there, so I had one big front piece. Next, I removed the back of that tape and applied glue to the blank corset. You will have to move quickly with Goop glue, so you can glue gradually. Use masking tape to tape down the edges as you glue. Note that the glue might make your fabric release from the tape as wet tape doesn't work. If you work quickly and tape down the pieces instantly, you shouldn't have this problem. Also, ensure your tape doesn't damage your fabric, which is something that happened to me. Use small pieces if this is the case for you. Make sure you glue right up to the edge of the fabric-covered pieces without letting the glue show.
Add the side pieces the same as above after the middle dries (give it a couple hours).
For the back, you will now want to cut your base piece up the middle. Add the back in two parts - left and right. Using double-sided tape, tape the back pieces together at the back here and there to keep them together while you glue the big connected piece down.
Trim any excess foam that might be showing if the back is too big. Test to check the size is correct on your body. You will likely need someone to help you with this to pull it together.
Cut at least 3 strips of velcro to keep the corset together at the back. I used Goop to glue the velcro on and taped it down until it stuck. I used strips of the rough side facing outwards and sticking out, and covered the inside edge with felt using more Goop to keep it strong. I used strips of the soft side facing in so it would attach looking as one piece. If you like, you can use a hidden lacing system (could be useful if you need to strap it up yourself).

Step 2: Step 2: Golden Diaper

Using the bottom part of your cast, make two cuts evenly on the sides.
Tape together some newspaper or white paper to create a pattern.
Lay the cast onto the paper. The cast is likely uneven and will need some adjusting. Outline the cast on the paper with a pen and add an inch to the top parts (you want the corset to come over it a little so your bodysuit doesn't show). Fold the paper in half to check if the front piece and back pieces are symmetrical (the backside will be larger than the front - the fold goes the other way [like folding your butt cheek parts together]). You can hold the paper up to light or press through it to check the edges.
Cut the symmetrical pattern out slightly larger than what you need and check it on your body by taping the sides back together. Make sure it fits as you like it. If it is too big, cut it smaller (easier to make a pattern smaller than to make it larger).
Trace the pattern onto the foam and cut out one piece. Lay that piece on top of your raw foam and bend it where your body bends. You can use tape to keep it in place. Trace the shape and cut it out. The bottom side will be slightly smaller than the top. Cut about 2mm from the edges around the legs and top of the bottom piece so the foam won't show when you attach the pieces later.
Apply some double-sided tape to the front side of your "diaper," and around all of the edges of the reverse side.
Remove the tape on the front side and lay on the wrong side of your fabric.
Cut the fabric, giving 1.5cm of an edge around the foam. Trim the corners and cut some lines around the curved section to allow for easy wrapping.
Remove the tape on the back and fold the fabric over the edge.
Prepare some tape and glue down the inner piece to the outer piece of the "diaper" bit by bit, making sure it stays aligned.
Cut a strip of felt about 3 inches wide and the height of the separated edge of the "diaper." Use this felt to attach one of the sides of your "diaper." Use Goop glue to hold it together and tape it down while it dries.
Cut two strips of velcro to attach to the other side to secure the "diaper" on. Add one piece to each end of the open edge (or use one thicker piece of velcro). This way, you can put your leg through one hole, and just do up the other.

Step 3: Step 3: Vest

There are 2 ways you can make this pattern. The first way is how I did it, but you can also use the method below that.

To make the rib section and have the chest appear bigger, it is good to make a full vest. To make this part, I traced a pattern from a vest I already owned. You can also use a t-shirt that fits nicely (not loose or too tight). You'll want to make the arm holes slightly larger than what your shirt would have (but button-up vest-sized arm holes should be fine).

Prepare some paper to create a pattern on.
Trace a pre-owned vest or t-shirt onto the paper. You can trace right up to the edge as we will have no seams to worry about. If you are using a shirt, pull back the sleeves where they meet the shirt to make the curve. You might need to make the arm holes larger later on during testing. This will be your back piece.
Make another copy of the pattern for the back, but increase the hole size for the neck slightly. You'll want the neck to come down approximately 2 fingers from your collarbone (a little lower is fine).
Tape the shoulders and sides together of your pattern and cut the front up the middle.
Try on the paper pattern and make adjustments. You'll want it to fit like a glove. You might need to create darts in the chest depending on your bust size. This means pinching an area of the paper from under your arm to your bust until it is flush around your side and chest. After you make a pinch, draw a line on both sides of the folded paper as a guide of where to cut.
The angle at the bottom of the vest almost follows a natural rib line. It is lower on the sides and comes up the front and back. The bottom of the vest should come about an inch below your bust line where the corset will fit. Use your Samus photo as a guide.
Measure and draw out the lines where the separate pieces will need to be inserted (armour rib lines).
Trace the back and front piece onto foam and cut it out. These will be the inner lining pieces. You can also use felt for this step, although foam makes the piece stronger. Tape them together and try it on to ensure it fits. Make adjustments if needed, but remember to include any adjustments into your pattern.
Glue the inner piece together, using tape to hold it as it dries.
Cut out the top piece of the front and back of the pattern. When you trace the pattern onto the felt, make the front of the vest a couple mm longer in the center, as when it fits over the liner, it will end up being too small otherwise. Glue the darts and sides of the vest together, leaving the front and shoulders open (skip the gluing if you want to make this step easier but with a visual seam [but do glue any darts made]).
Cut the strips of the ribs of the pattern apart. After tracing them on the felt, you will want to leave an inch above the piece to be able to secure it to the vest. Leave an inch on each end so you can adjust the size if needed.
After cutting out the strips, you will want to do a test fitting. Tape all of the rib pieces in place. You will want to number them so you know the order to place them in as they'll be slightly different sizes. I made an error of not doing this and accidentally reversed my order (you can see in the photo it is a bit wonky in the front). Luckily this was not noticeable when I had the red chestplate on. Ensure the sizing is correct and make adjustments where needed. If you find the back sticks out, you might need to make darts in the foam and glue it back together.
Now it is time for fabric. wrap the bottom part in fabric as we've been doing in all the other parts. Glue this around the base of the inner part of the vest. Repeat this for the 4 rib pieces. Tape them down as you go. Make sure to press the pieces from time to time to make sure they stick really well.
The top piece can be done one of two ways: the easy way that shows seams, or the hard way that is visually seamless. For the easy way, simply wrap the pieces in fabric as we've been doing and attach to the vest. A seam will show in the side a little bit. Since your arm will be at your side, nobody will really notice. If you want to go pro with this, you can wrap it differently. With the whole upper piece glued together (minus the shoulders and front), put tape around all of the edges inside and out of the vest. Lay out a big bolt of the gold fabric and lay the piece in the middle. You want to be able to wrap the piece from the left side to the right side from behind. The seam will end up on the shoulder instead of the sides. Make sure your fabric can stretch enough as you tape it down and make the curved shape. Once you have it all taped on the front side of the vest, you can make your cuts and secure the fabric around the edges. You want to make sure you have no funky bends happening in your fabric as you do this part. Glue it to the main vest part.
Attach two strips of velcro to secure the front, as we've been doing.

Alternative method:

Create the pattern using plastic wrap and cellophane tape (see the corset step).

Step 4: Step 4: Red Chestplate

I have provided images of the front piece so you can draw out the shapes I have used. Note that different images of Samus show slightly different patterns on the chestplate. You can also refer to Pixelninja's pattern here, although it is essentially the same (enter the address into your search bar): http://www.pixelninja.se/progresssamus.htm. Draw the main shape of the chestplate on paper and make sure it fits your own body properly. Once it is symmetrical, draw the smaller shapes.
Trace and cut out two copies of the front in foam. Cut away about 2mm from the edge of one of the pieces. This will be the bottom base piece.
Cut out the smaller shapes out of your pattern and trace them onto the other foam piece you cut out. Cut out those small pieces of foam. Wrap them in fabric as we've been doing.
Using thin pieces of double-sided tape, attach all of the pieces together at the backs.
Cut two pieces of the green translucent folders to fit the spaces made. The edge at the bottom should be flat. Glue or tape it down.
Prepare some strips of tape and gradually glue the front part to the base. This should be glued fairly well as it will hold the battery packs for the lighting system.
There is a bottom edge to the front and back of the chestplate. The width of this depends on your preference as different images of Samus show different chestplate sizes. I made mine fairly flat, but if you would like it raised more, make it larger. Trace the bottom edge of your chestplate onto paper from the edge to the center (you'll double the pattern for the other side). If you want a larger chestpate, increase the angle from the edge to the center. Mine is about 2 inches in the front, and 1 inch for the back (the jetpack side). Create your general triangle shape and fill in the details of the shape as shown in the second photo.
Cut out your main shape and cut 4 pieces. Trim 2mm off the sides of two of these pieces.
Cut out and trace the smaller pieces on the larger ones and cut them out.
Add double-sided tape and wrap in red pleather as we have been doing.
Glue the smaller pieces to the larger ones.
Tape the edges to the main piece on the outside edge very well. Using Goop glue, glue the pieces together on the inside edge (use a popsicle stick or piece of cardboard to apply the glue). Be careful on the edge with the green translucent plastic. You can either add a little glue to the edge or not glue it at all (as long as it sits flush with the edge, no glue is needed there). Let dry for a couple hours.
I created a back piece for the battery packs to sit in and to help prevent light from escaping the chestplate. simply trace out the piece you need using a piece of paper and matching it to the bottom curve. I attached a picture so you can make a similar shape. I covered mine in green fabric and used extra foam as a backing (you won't be able to see this part). I attached velcro to my battery packs and velcro to the chestplate to make them stay still.
For the jetpack at the back, I have provided an image to create a pattern from. Ensure you can join the shoulders together (use the front to create the correct shoulder length so they match perfectly). Note that the back comes up higher than the front piece and the arm spots are longer.
Create two pieces of your pattern and repeat the top process. The back doesn't stick out much on Samus, so about 3cm of bottom edging is enough.
To make the round jets, create a tube of paper the size you want the jets to be. Fold the tube in half and make a mark on the left side about 4 inches down. Draw a diagonal line from that point to the right corner of the 4 inch section. I've provided an image. Cut on the red line as shown. There should be another inch or so of jet at the bottom of the cut. Trim any excess. I had to play with this shape to get it right.
Add the cut outs into your pattern. They're about 1cm high and 4-5cm wide with a 1cm gap on mine.
Trace out 2 of these patterns, cut them out in foam, and attach the fabric as we've been doing. You'll want to add a lot of tape around the edges with the holes as there is less fabric to fold over. I've attached an image to help see how to make the cut.
Place your pattern behind your finished piece. roll your jet until the edges meet and mark where the paper might now be too big (as it is now in the inner circle). mark and trim it. Mark the paper about 1cm above where the top of the last hole is on the pattern and trim it down. This will be the black part of the jet. You will need to add just under 1cm to your pattern when you trace it onto the felt.cut out two of these pieces.
Roll one of the felt pieces again in the finished red jet piece to double-check the size. Trim it down if necessary and make sure none of the edges pop out.
Cover the piece as we've been doing, except leave more fabric on the bottom side as it is a big visible hole. If you wish, you can simply use black foam for this part and not worry about wrapping it. You might want to do some test wrapping as rolling the piece forces the fabric to bunch up on the inside. You might have to cut some slits in the fabric to prevent bunching. Tape or glue the black piece into the red one and glue the edges together to create a tube. Make sure not to glue them together flat or they might not be able to be rolled into a tube shape later.
Prepare pieces of masking tape. Apply glue to the inner edge of the edge of the slanted side. Attach to the area you want it to go without sliding it around. Press down the edges. Applying the glue to the inner edge will prevent the glue from showing on the outside.
The chestplate is attached the same at the shoulders as the "diaper" is. One side has felt attaching the two pieces, and the other has two pieces of velcro. Later you will attach velcro under the shoulders to attach the shoulder balls, and also around the bottom to attach the lighting.

Step 5: Step 5: Thighs

Wrap your thighs in paper from the knee to the hip bone (you won't want to use plastic wrap as you want a flatter shape).
Draw out the shape you need (I have provided reference photos). The shape at the bottom is higher at the front and back of the knees and longer at the sides. The gold thigh piece is higher at the front and back and lower around the side. The copper side piece comes up high. It should look as though your armour could attach from the thigh to the "diaper" in order to give it that robotic look. This high thigh is also where you'll hide your battery packs. There are two "tabs" on the back side and one on the front. They should move vertically down your leg in the center.
After you have one large thigh piece, cut out two copies of the outer copper side. We will follow the same pattern of doing two of each foam shape (outer and inner) to create strength and hide our raw edges of fabric. The one we just cut will be the inner side. To cut the outer side, curve it how it would be to your thigh and wrap foam around it. Trace around it (remember our inner and outer track theory to building these shapes). You now have the larger piece to place on top.
The main image of my costume shows the shape you'll need for the thigh. You'll have to trace a circle slightly larger than what you need. Mine is about 2 inches in diameter. Make sure it is centered properly and that there is enough room to add the doughnut and decoration on top. Add your lightning bolt shape and cut them out.
Wrap fabric as we've been doing and wrap the hole in the middle like the hole in the jetpack.
Lay in your green translucent file tab plastic, cutting it to shape. Make sure there is about 1cm at least of edging to glue it down. After you glue it to the back, flip it over and make sure all of the edges of the opening are glued to the plastic. This is because you will sweat in this costume and sweat will release the tape that is holding the fabric in place at the back. Use tape to hold down the edges as soon as you apply glue.
Attach the backing piece of foam from the center working out. Prepare a lot of masking tape to tape things down as you work. You'll want to glue it into a curve shape - otherwise the inner piece will be too short and it will be difficult to wrap it around your leg later.
Cut the doughnut shape out. It is about 1.5cm wide. Wrap in fabric, taping it very well. I even added extra tape on the back to secure it well. Attach glue to the thigh side and attach the doughnut and tape down quickly as to not release the tape. Make sure the edges are glued very well (you might have to to in again with a thin stick and some glue to get the edges down). Repeat this process for the decoration above the doughnut.
The pattern for the inner thigh should be made an inch wider than the pattern, and the edges on the sides should be made flat (remove the notch from the thigh). Repeat the foam-cutting process the same as the thigh.
There is a semi-circle cut out from the inner thigh. Trace these out of the outer edge piece you will cover in fabric and cut them out. Cover in fabric as usual and glue them in place to the inner foam side.
When both sides of the thigh are done, fit them together with tape to test how they fit. Make sure you have an inch of gold on the front for when we secure it with velcro. Use glue to attach the back sides together (they will overlap).
On the front, attach velcro to the back of the copper side and to where it will attach on the gold side. you will want velcro all the way down to attach it well. Use Goop glue to attach the velcro to make it stay. Sweat from wearing this costume releases any tape adhesive, so velcro with tape on the back won't work.

Step 6: Step 6: Calves

You can use plastic wrap and cellophane tape to create the shape for your calf, which is probably easier than the wrap-it-in-paper technique I used. Once you have it wrapped, you can create your shapes. The bottom edge can be flat around the ankle. The top is lower at the back and comes up to the front. Draw a straight line up the front and back of the leg. You'll need to leave room for the spike at the knee, which is about 2 inches from the center to corner on both sides of the line. You'll want to cut this edge with a slight curve outwards (instead of a straight line as shown in my diagram).
Cut the calf piece carefully off your leg using the front line you've created.
Cut your pattern apart at the front and back. They should be able to lay flat on your foam.
Now, you don't want to create an exact copy of this pattern. You will want to make it about 3mm larger on each edge (front and back of the leg). This is because this is a narrower body piece that must also accommodate lights and will thus need more room. Create these patterns the same way we did the thigh (smaller inner piece, larger outer one).
Glue the front sides of the inner pieces together, using tape to hold it together before applying the glue.
While the glue dries, create the cut-out you'll need for the translucent plastic. It is the same design as the thigh but smaller and on both sides. Once you do one calf, trace out the pattern on the rest and cut them out.
Wrap in fabric as usual.
When the glue is dry, match up the front and back pieces and trace where the cut-out is. Cut this out slightly larger on the bottom side so the foam won't be seen.
Glue the translucent plastic to the hole (making sure not to stretch it). If your plastic is flimsy, you might want to make two layers of it as this part of the leg takes more abuse than the thigh. Make sure all the edges are glued very well, especially on the calf as you will sweat a lot.
Glue the fabric-covered parts to the leg base.
Fit the piece over your leg and secure with tape from the top. Stop placing tape down the leg before you are unable to take the piece off your leg/put it on. We will glue this part from the inside and use velcro to secure the rest of it (2-3 pieces). The leg should fit comfortably with a slight bit of extra space. It definitely shouldn't be too tight. If you made a mistake and made it a bit too loose, you can add velcro to your tights when we get to that part to secure it.
Lastly, we will add the spikes. I drew the general design for the spikes. Some Samus designs have this longer than others. Create the shapes in paper until you have one you like and fit them to your leg pieces before cutting them out. You need two per leg, and then another two smaller ones to back it. Cover the front in fabric and the back in foam as we've been doing, and glue the fronts and backs together, remembering to have left and right pieces. Tape the front curved sides together and apply glue in the back. When they're dry, glue them to the legs from the inside. In order to hold them while gluing, I placed tape in the middle and sides of the piece from the inside and glued between the space. When that was dry, I removed the tape and glued the rest.

Step 7: Step 7: Helmet

You'll want to get started on the helmet at this point as plaster takes a while to dry.

To create the shape of the top of my helmet, I used plastic wrap to cover a helmet purchased at a party supply store and covered it in two layers of strips of plaster casting. If you don't have a pre-made helmet to cast over, you can plaster-wrap the top of your head, including your ears and the back of your head. You will want to build it up, keeping it smooth and thick so the helmet has room to slide on your head. After I allowed my plaster to dry, I pulled the plaster off and used a sideways balloon to fill in the eyes and face. The area towards the chin should come out straight - probably more straight than mine did. You'll need to use Samus photos as a reference. I noticed the slants at the sides of my eyes weren't perfect, so I fixed it up a bit with layers of foam and glue. After you are done the main shape, you want to cover it in layers of plaster until it becomes smooth. You want to create a really smooth surface, especially if you choose to paint it (which i highly recommend and is easier). After the plaster dries (takes at least 24 hours to fully dry), you will want to sand it to take out any bumps.

Once it is dry and you decide you want to cover it in fabric comes the hard part. I honestly don't know how I managed to pull it off, but this is what I did. First, I laid out my fabric and made sure I could cover the entire helmet in one go, starting at the front. There is only one seam seen in the helmet, and that is in the middle line at the top. The fabric wraps centered in the front and ends at the back. I edged the bottom of the chin with glue and secured my first bit of fabric. I continued gluing the fabric around the face of the helmet until it was all secured. Next, you'll have to pin the fabric at the back firmly. You can glue the front edge over the inner part and secure it. I trimmed excess fabric off to make it easier to work. I drew a line down the middle of the helmet. I folded back the fabric to make a clean edge and pulled it towards the center line on both sides. It needed to fit tightly. I didn't glue all the way up the eye piece of the face to allow room to work. You don't want any wrinkle lines, so you have to shape the fabric carefully. This took me many hours as it was meticulous to shape the fabric. I did a small hidden stitch to bring together the sides of fabric, and the material had to be pulled tightly. You want to trim extra fabric so it doesn't show through and make it bumpy.

Once it is sewn and smooth, you can glue the fabric to the inside of the helmet. You might need to work the fabric again to make it smooth. You might end up with a few small wrinkles. Again, painting it is much easier. You can use my images to work out the lines you need to draw. Use a pen to make dots to where your lines need to go before you use your sharpie marker. Images of Samus and her helmets online are useful. I decided to line the face of the mask in black also to make it look sharper.

I included a pattern for the ear pieces. You can cover the piece in fabric as usual, or paint it. Use the same idea for the jetpack shapes to make the tubing hookups, but smaller. I created fake tubing out of silver fabric and felt pieces, which was kind of tricky. I recommend getting tubing from a hardware store. Sometimes dollar stores sell that stuff also to connect bunches of wires.

For the silver mouth part, I cut a piece out of foam to the shape of the section you would see and added 1cm to the sides. I cut .5cm sections out of them, put double-sided tape on them, and wrapped them in fabric. I left loose edges on each piece (kind of like if you put your finger in the center of a tissue and lifted up the sides). Each piece had 1cm of extra fabric. I put the top piece down, then the next piece below, until they were all in order. I pushed them tightly together and added double-sided tape to the outer edges that wouldn't be seen, then flipped it over and added double-sided tape all over the back of that. I removed the seal on the front side of the tape and glued it to the back of the mouth piece of the helmet. I lined the entire helmet in felt by cutting strips of it and laying it in (removing the seal of the tape on the back of the mouth piece in the process). Cut your translucent plastic to fit so there is about 1cm of edge to glue down. Add extra felt around it to keep the edges clean.

I purchased a light from the dollar store in my area that could change colours with various hits of the button. It had a wand attached to it, so I broke it off and created a felt cover for it. I added velcro to the cover and the inside of my helmet to keep it in. If you can't find proper LEDs, a system that can hold in a green glowstick or glow bracelet would work well too (you just need a way to change them out once they wear out).

Step 8: Step 8: Shoulder Balls

Blow up a balloon to be slightly larger than your helmet (you can use a measuring tape if you like to check the size).
Draw a line down the center of the balloon. To help to do this, I tied a string around the balloon from the tied part to the top.
Draw a line .5cm to the left and .5cm to the right of the center line, so you have a 1cm gap.
Draw a 2 inch line away from those lines.
Draw another 1cm line away from those lines.
Use the image above to draw the shape at the front you will need. Note that the shoulder side comes up almost 2 inches. Make sure your pattern is somewhat identical on the other side.
Using plastic wrap, cover the front section. Cover the plastic wrap in a layer of cellophane tape. Trace the shape in pen and pull it off. Cut out the shape and cut darts in it until it becomes flat (you can see the lines where I made mine).
Repeat the same process for one of the top pieces.
Tape the pieces back together on the outside and glue them on the inside. Remember to shape the pieces properly to have opposite sides.
To create the dimple in the foam, use a small tube (I used the bottom of a spool of serger thread) and center your piece over it. Press down on the hole firmly around the edges until you get the shape you want. You can heat the foam if you like, but it wasn't necessary for me.
Place double-sided tape on your front pieces as usual, including the back where you will secure the back of the fabric. Also place the tape around the indent.
Remove the backing of the tape around the indent only and spread a thin layer of Goop glue on the indent. Place it down on the wrong side of your fabric and press the fabric down into the indent. Press the fabric down until the glue secures it. Repeat this for all 4 parts.
Wrap the center strips in fabric as usual.
To create the copper band around the outside, you will want to trace the piece as we did the others, but create another bit of space in order to glue it in. You can see I extended my piece almost all the way to the edge where it ends. I added a dart to the bottom of the thick piece to keep it rounded. cut out and cover in fabric as usual.
I added two bands of black to cover the remaining spaces. I actually ran out of black pleather and made one solid piece instead of making 3 bumps. If I had more fabric, I would have use the same technique that I did for the mouth piece of my helmet to create the bumps here. However, this also looks fine. I created a piece that could fill the gap but made it slightly larger on the sides and top, and created darts to round it out.
Now we want to attach the pieces. To do that, we must cut a whole ton of little pieces. In the last picture you can see that there are many small foam pieces where the lighting is. You will need (per shoulder): 8 x 2cm pieces, 4 x 2.5cm pieces, 2 x 4cm pieces, 4 x 3.5cm pieces, 30 x 0.3cm pieces. Each piece should be about 3cm wide. I have included a pattern of how to glue these pieces to the inside of your shoulders. Starting with the inner strip, glue down the pieces where they need to go, using tape to hold them in place as they dry (the indent is where the shoulder will be). When the pieces are dry, you can remove the tape and attach the second center strip to the tabs you've created. While those are drying, you can add the last sets of tabs to the outside edges that the front and back parts will connect to. When those are dry, attach the front and back pieces. Now you will have your main shoulder dome.
Attach double-sided tape to the sides of the gaps between the tabs. Remove the tape and place 2 of the thin 0.3cm strips evenly in the spaces.
Attach double-sided tape to the top and bottom edges of the larger tabs. You will need to cut 3cm x 2cm (approximately) strips of green translucent plastic (will need 30 of them). Tape these into place where the spaces of the thin strips show.
You might need to add extra reinforcement to keep the domes solid, so glue some long thin strips in place where needed. Using strips of felt, line the insides of the domes between the tab sections to clean it up and cover any exposed tape.
To attach the balls to your shoulders, you will need to add a strip of velcro that hangs off the shoulder edge, rough edge facing in. Add a piece of velcro to the neck side of the shoulder of the jetpack/chestplate. The velcro will wrap around and attach to the shoulder, and will remain hidden to viewers. Create a 1.5 inch tab of felt and sew a snap to it. Attach this to the opposite side of the dome pointing outward. This will snap to your bodysuit.
Cut 30 1.5cm strips of rough velcro. Glue these about .5cm away from the translucent plastic sections. This is where you will attach your lights later.
Lastly, you will want to crate the crescent moon shapes at the top. Measure how far your 1cm lines are. The edges of these pieces should just reach over the edge of the outer lines, as shown in the image. Draw a line on paper the same length and draw a short semi-circle above it as high as you want it to go. The line you drew will need to curve slightly. Cut the pattern out and test how it fits on your ball. You will need to cut out 8 of these. Wrap them in fabric as usual. Tape two curved edges together and glue them from the inside using a long stick. Make sure they glue together well. If you have problems with the first piece, attach felt or foam to the back side and try again. Once they are finished, glue the very inside of the straighter edge and apply them across the larger divisions of the tabs you made (the 2 inch spots). Hold them down until the glue sticks, making sure the gap spreads open a bit in the center (see my image). I used Goop glue and had to hold it for about 5 minutes until it could stick by itself. I gave it a few extra presses as it dried further.

Step 9: Step 9: Arms

Using paper, make a mold of your upper arm.
Draw the shape you would like your arm band to have. I made mine short because I'm a short girl, but you can make yours longer to suit Samus' shape. The band is longer on the outside and shorter on the inside of the arm. Cut out the pattern and create the upper and lower foam shapes as usual (fitted pattern on the bottom, larger one on top).
Draw the extra shape as shown on your pattern and cut it out. Cover the main pieces in fabric and glue to the base form while holding a circular shape (I taped my edges closed as the glue dried). Cover the added piece in fabric and glue to the surface of your arm bands, taping them in place as they dry. Add two pieces of velcro to keep them in place.
For the forearm, create a mold of your arm. The wrist is flat around, but the elbow is narrower on the inside and outside, and wider on the sides.The outside edge I made longer and made it into a point.
Cut out the pieces as shown above. You will end up with 2 pieces (one thin strip for the outside).
The pattern you make will need to be slightly larger than your arm. You will need to be able to slide the piece off and on without velcro. If this isn't possible, you can alter it to add the velcro. Create two sets of shapes as usual and cut them out (larger piece over the base piece).
There are two shield-like shapes on the sides. Form them on your pattern and cut them out.
Cover the pieces in fabric and secure onto the base as usual. In the above example, I stitched them together. If you have any problems creating nice seams, you can use this technique to keep things tidy.
The elbow guard is a hexagon, cut in half, cut with a curved center. Create two of these shapes and attach them like you did the knee spike on the leg armour.
If this piece spins around on your arm, secure it with a piece of velcro to your bodysuit.

Step 10: Step 10: Shoes

To cover my old pair of shoes in fabric, I cut a thin strip of foam that encircled my entire shoe and came together perfectly at the back. I used double-sided tape to secure a wide piece of fabric to this strip and taped the raw edges to the other side to hide them. I used Goop glue to secure the entire piece to my shoe.
Next, I stitched the fabric at the back using a hidden stitch. I trimmed any excess fabric away.
I stuck double-sided tape to my shoes and secured the fabric. I gradually pulled the fabric toward the back of the shoe so I didn't have to cut as much out of the front. I used wedges with a wide opening, so this was trickier.
I pinched the remaining fabric at the front of my shoe and trimmed it away, leaving just under a 1cm edge to sew with. I cut a slit into the front of the pinch so I could fold the edge over. I used a hidden stitch to stitch the front of the shoe. If this ends up messy for you, that's fine. You can cover the mess with the next part.
Wrap the ends of the fabric to the inside of the shoe and use double-sided tape to keep it down. Cut long thin strips of felt to cover the raw edges of fabric and glue it down well with Goop glue.
There are two additional pieces to this shoe. the first part is the odd tongue. You will want to wear the shoe when you make this part as your foot will increase the size of the shoe. I used this to cover the hole in my shoe. You can see how Pixelninja did hers here: http://www.pixelninja.se/progresssamus.htm. The length and width of the base part will depend on your shoe. When you have the shape you want out of paper, cut it out of foam and glue the angles together. Cover in fabric and back it with felt. You can use the same pattern for the felt, but cut it to be smaller. You don't need felt where you'll be gluing it to the shoe. Glue the finished piece to your shoe with Goop glue. You might have to hold down the piece as tape might not work. You might also have to have your foot in the shoe to ensure you're gluing it so that it fits properly in the end.
The strap around the shoe might require more of a crescent shape depending on your shoe. With your shoe on, try out different straps. Cut out the pattern out of foam, wrap in fabric, and back it with felt. With your foot in the shoe, glue it to where it should be.

Step 11: Step 11: Cannon

The size of your cannon will depend on the lighting you will use and the length of your arm. I used a camping light from Walmart that was exactly the diameter I needed and had a handle on the back for me to hold onto. You could buy an extra string of battery-powered LEDs that I will describe in step 14 or search for a similar light. The lights where you push the front of it to turn on can also work for this.

If you have a round light, you will need to make sure it comes out a warm yellow colour. You can do this by creating layers of yellow and orange translucent plastic. I cut 3 circles of plastic the same size and cut different-sized holes to create a gradient effect as seen in the last two photos. You can also use yellow stained glass paint to get a similar effect. I added a doughnut of black foam to prevent any silver from showing. If you use LEDs, you can paint the tips of them with stained glass paint to make them a custom colour. If you use a string of LEDs, buy some thick yellow foam (or layer thin pieces), create a circle with holes in it, and poke them through, securing them at the back. You can use a number of methods to create a similar effect. You don't have to wire a bunch of raw LED lights yourself to make it look good.
Grab your foam and form it around your light so that it is firm. Mark where the edge meets. In the first picture, you will see this will be the front of the cannon that angles to become smaller. This should be about 5 inches wide. Divide the piece into 4 pieces with a pen, and make darts at one edge about one inch long. If you want a really smooth curve, you can add multiple darts. Mine is a bit more angular.
Form a piece over this one and create the overlaying piece that will be covered in fabric.
Glue the base piece together.
Cut out the 4 pieces of the piece to be covered in fabric, cover in fabric, and glue to the base piece. Tape it down as you go.
Create the tip of your gun. Create 2 rings (one to fit over the other, as usual), cut the top in 4 pieces, cover in fabric, and glue to the base. The rings should be the same size as the tip of the first part you made. Make sure it fits by creating a paper pattern first.
Wrap the piece you have in foam, mark it where it comes together, and cut a strip about 4 inches wide. Wrap the bottom piece in fabric (only the bottom edge will be shown) and glue it to the base, taping it down as you go.
Repeat the above step two more times, but make the piece narrower so they meet. The pieces are about 1.5cm apart.
Wrap the piece you have and make it as wide as it will fit your arm comfortably with your light/handle system. If you don't have a system in place to hold the cannon, now is the time to install one. you can crate a handle out of foam if you don't have a handheld light and glue/velcro it into place. Cut 2 pieces as usual, one on the inside, and one for the outside. Glue the inside piece to the base of your cannon, taping as you go. Tape the large seam together and use glue to seal it. Glue your fabric-covered piece to this base piece.
As you see on my cannon, there are a couple of main shapes to make. Create these to fit your cannon, cover them in fabric, and glue them to your base.
To get more structure from the large cylinder at the top, use 1-inch strips of foam to go around the inside of the cannon top. Continue layering these strips until it is sturdy.
I used felt to line the inside of my cannon to cover the raw edges. To do this, cut a piece of felt about 1.5 inches wide that goes all the way around the top of the cannon on the inside, and glue it from the center working out, allowing some felt to stick out the top. Tape it as you go. While the glue is drying, stretch the top of the felt that is sticking out by pulling on it bit by bit all the way around. glue the top of your cannon edge and press the felt down over it, taping it as you go. Make sure you stretch the felt enough so that it lays flat on the outside edge. Repeat the same thing for the front of the cannon (youmight need a wider piece of felt).
If you wish to add depth to your cannon, draw or paint on lines around the edges of the pieces you have. You can also do this to the pieces before you glue them together. I used a black sharpie (just make sure it doesn't bleed on your fabric).

Step 12: Step 12: Glove

For the glove, I used one of those cheap gloves kids wear, or that people wear under other gloves. They're usually available at dollar stores or in cheap fashion stores. You'll need one in black. During this whole sewing process, make sure your fabric is cut in the same direction (mine had a one-way stretch, so I made sure it could stretch side-to-side, and not up-and-down). I made this glove while I waited for the glue to dry on other parts of my costume.

Trace the tip of your fingers and leave .5cm of an edge when you cut them out of your copper fabric. You will need 2 of each finger.
Put the right sides together and hand-stitch around the rounded part. Tie it off and flip the pieces right-side out. Put on the glove, slip the finger part over the glove, and tuck in the .5 edge at the bottom. Sew the fingers on using a hidden stitch.
For the finger parts of your 4 main fingers, you will need some oddly shaped pieces. They will be wide in the middle and narrow at the ends. The narrow part will go under your hand, and the wide part is on top. This is so you can bend your hand and have room to do so (look at your fingers when bent - top part is long, and curled part is short. See the example above. Again, cut these pieces out with .5cm extra, fold in half with the coloured ends together, and sew along the flat edge. Flip them right-side out, put them on your gloved hand, tuck back the raw edge to fit your finger bone, and sew using a hidden stitch. Leave a little bit of black showing. This gives the glove a mechanical look.
Since the thumb is a different shape, you will need a larger piece of fabric. The top is shaped the same as the pattern, but the bottom comes down much longer. Shape it to fit your hand, cut it with a .5cm edge, and sew as usual.
Next I made one large piece for the top of the hand. I used a large piece of fabric and pinned it to my hand until I go the shape I wanted. I left an inch at the bottom. Once I stitched around the main part, I folded the bottom of the fabric at the wrist over once and tucked it under. I pulled the glove edge inside-out so I could sew it easily. All of your edges should be hidden and neat.
I sewed the palm parts in a similar way. I took a guess how much fabric I would need and pinned it into place, stitching to hide the raw edges while the glove was on my hand. Make sure to let some black show through and leave an inch to fold under the glove.
For the top, I cut about 6 layers of foam in the same shape. I cut a circle in all of the layers for the light. I used a long light that changes colours (the same for my helmet) that was in a tube shape, but you can use whatever you can find. To make space for the light, I cut a notch in all but one of the foam pieces so I had a groove to sit the battery tube of the light into. The one piece I didn't cut sat on top. I used double-sided tape to tape all the foam pieces together. Next, I put double-sided tape all over the top of the foam and covered it with fabric, leaving an edge to cover the sides and go around the back. Using double-sided tape, secure the edges, trying not to make any creases, and tape the fabric under. Cut a small hole in the top and some slits to tape those edges down. You can use a strip of felt or fabric along the inside edge to clean it up. When you are done, sew this top part to the top of the glove using a hidden stitch. I left a gap where I could insert my lighting system from the wrist.
Cut a few circles of translucent green plastic a bit larger than the circle you made and tape them to the circle you made in the top of your glove.
Cut a doughnut out of foam and cover in fabric the same as for the leg pieces. Using Goop glue, glue this down well to the glove. Make sure you can access the button for the light for the glove easily. Mine can be pressed through the plastic. I created a little cover out of copper fabric to hide the black plastic of the lighting system I inserted.

Step 13: Step 13: Bodysuit

If you don't wish to sew a bodysuit, you can use a black long-sleeved turtleneck shirt and create elbow pads. Otherwise, sew the bodysuit as instructed below:

Use a shirt that fits you snuggly to create a pattern for the top. If you have a large chest, you will want to make the front slightly larger than the back. Trace the body (not the sleeves) of the shirt onto your stretchy black fabric. When you cut it out, leave a 1cm edge and at least a foot of fabric at the bottom. You will also need to create a turtleneck at the top and fit it to be comfortable and so your head can enter it. Sew the sides, shoulders, and neck. Try on what you have made and see where it needs to be taken in if it is loose. Using pins, outline where you want the garment to curve around your thighs and fold under your groin. Leave a 1cm edge when you make your cuts. Keep trying on the garment and adjust until it fits properly. Pull the back through to the front and see where you need to snap it between your legs. Mark it and leave a 1cm edge when you cut. Sew your edges twice around your legs - once with a straight stitch, and once above your straight stitch with a zigzag stitch. This will keep your edge from wanting to pop out. Sew in two snaps in the crotch to secure it.

For the sleeves, fold your pleather in half. The folded edge will be the top of your sleeve, and the cut edge will be where your armpit is. Using the angle of the bodysuit arm hole, match the shoulder edge to the folded edge. You should have the fabric pointed down at about a 45 degree angle from the arm hole (you can look at a t-shirt to see how it should go together). The sleeve you make will have to be extra long and wide in some places. The shoulder should be slightly wider and longer (by about 1cm), and the elbow should be longer by double that. The bicep and forearm should fit like a glove. You will need to cut extra elbow and shoulder pieces. After these pieces are cut out (leaving edges for sewing), take your shoulder and elbow pieces and cut out pieces of cotton quilt batting the same size. I used 3 layers per joint. Sew your batting to the top of the fabric you are working with to secure it as you work. pin your joint pieces to your arm piece and sew 4 bands into them (about 2cm or less wide). This can be really tricky. Make sure to keep straight lines so that they meet up when you fold the fabric over. The elbows will be straight lines, but the shoulder will require lines that are thicker on the outside and thinner at the armpits. When you are done the elbows, you will need to do some hand-stitching. Turn the sleeve inside-out and make stitches up the elbow vertically where the sewing machine stitches are (you'll make 5 stitches). Pull the thread tight to bring the padding together. This creates a rubbery joint appearance (see photo). Do this around the elbow 4 more times. If you want extra strength, go over the stitching twice. Make sure your edges are clean and no padding is sticking out. Any tough raw edge might cause chafing, so add pieces to make it soft if needed.

Now You will want to try on your bodysuit and make adjustments if needed (making sleeves slimmer, etc.). put on your vest, chestplate, and shoulders. You will need to add the snap to attach the balls to the arm so they don't flop around. Find the best placement for them and pin the location. Sew the other side of the snap to that place. The tag you attached to the shoulder dome will fold under itself when you snap it, so it will be hidden from view.

Step 14: Step 14: LEDs

These are the LEDs I purchased from Target. They came as a string of 18. Having more is fine, but having less will be more tricky. Target has a huge selection of these types of lights on their website. You'll need 4 packs of them.

Prep your lights for painting by taping your lights so they are separated and pointing upward. If your lights are already green, you can skip this.
Using paint for making stained glass window art, paint the tips of your lights. You can just drip it on and use the tip of the applicator to spread it around. If you want to reuse the lights, this method is good as the paint can be peeled off.
You will need to make little holders to hold your lights in place inside your costume. Cut strips of felt about an inch wide and 2 inches across. Fold the fabric in half and test how wide you need to stitch it by placing your light inside the fold. It should be very snug, but not impossible to pull the lights in and out of it. If they are stitched too loose, the lights will just fall out. You can make these wider than 1 inch if you want some extra hold. Use a sewing machine to stitch these. Make a few extra ones in case some end up too loose or too tight.
Cut about 2cm strips of the soft side of velcro and glue them to one of the sides of your felt covers. You can use a hot glue gun for this. Use the soft side so that your string of lights doesn't get stuck up, as the rough side will stick to felt.
On your chest piece, put rough velcro above where you would like your lights. I left a bit of space so that people would see the glow of the LEDs instead of seeing the light itself. You can choose how you would like your lights to be seen and place your velcro accordingly. How much velcro you use depends on how many lights you have. You will need 1 string of lights will go from the left side of the chestplate to the left shoulder, and another string will do the other side (see photos included in the chestplate section). You will need a bit of length to reach from the chestplate light to the shoulder. I had to compromise one of my lights so that it could reach (had a string of 18 lights, 2 in the chest, 1 compromised to reach the shoulder, and 15 in the shoulder). I covered the extra light in felt so it wouldn't glow and look funny. You can tape extra lights also. You can use tape or velcro to keep wonky wires in place. Run the lights up the chestplate and up through the shoulder. Add velcro to the back of your battery pack and add another piece of velcro to your chestplate to attach it. You should be able to access your on-off switch easily.
For the legs, you will want to distribute your lights in thirds. For the left leg, your lights will want to run down your thigh and down the left side of one of the calf pieces. Leave some wire between them. You can colour the wire black if you want it to be hidden more. The lights will go from the left downward, then wrap around and up the right side. You can tape the wire to the front of the ankle part as the back is the velcro side. You can tape down any annoying wire if it sticks out. The right leg will work the opposite way - down the thigh, the right side of the calf, and up the left side. Your leg pieces will be attached by the wire. Attach the battery packs with velcro at the top of the thigh piece, making sure you can hit the on-off switch easily.

Using velcro allows lights to be pulled out and reapplied easily. They are easy to stick down and adjust.

Step 15: Step 15: Leggings

Purchase a pair of leggings that are fairly thick and don't have too much stretch to them. Thin leggings might rip as they are worn (I first started with leggings like that and that happened). Too much stretch means the thigh pieces will gradually slide down.
Sew or glue a 5-6 inch strip of velcro to a piece of felt that is 1cm wider than the velcro.
Cut another piece of felt the same size. Repeat this 4-6 times or more.
Hand-stitch these velcro pieces to your leggings - one in the front, and one in the back. You can add more if you need more support. I recommend doing as much as you can as it will make your costume more sturdy. Place one of the pieces of felt on the inside of the legging behind the velcro piece to make the velcro sturdy and protect your leggings better.
Add velcro to your leg piece where the velcro matches up.

Step 16: Step 16: Putting It On

Here is the order in which I put this costume on:

Leggings
Bodysuit
Left calf, left thigh
Right calf, right thigh
Shoes
Golden diaper (this step should come before #3 if you can't put your shoe and thigh through the hole)
Corset
Vest
Chestplate with shoulders already attached (you might have to remove the velcro on the side where the chestplate attaches at the shoulder and stick it back on after). Snap the shoulder balls in place.
Upper-arm bands
Forearm piece
Glove
Helmet
Cannon

You can carry your helmet around if it is too hot. It photographs well if you hold it at your side. Wear your hair in a ponytail and spray it well so you don't have messy hair from taking the helmet off many times.

That's it! I hope this was thorough enough. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will try to answer for you.

As part of the Formlabs contest, I would use a 3D printer to create detailed pieces for costuming that would otherwise be too challenging to make accurately, and of course, post instructions for those pieces on Instructables.com!