This instructable will show you how to make most of the components to a Link costume, from the Legend of Zelda. With what I had, this wound up being a hybrid between the Link from Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. This will include the making of:

- Master Sword & Scabbard
- Hylian Shield
-Tunic, Hat, Leggings,& Undershirt (Altering)
- Navi
- Bracers, Padding, & Gloves (Altering)

I apologize in advance for the not so great step by step pictures. The webcam in my laptop is better than the camera in my cell phone, and I don't have a point and shoot to use at the moment, my old one died, so excuse the crappy webcam quality. Thanks, and enjoy. :)

Step 1: Navi

For Navi, you will need:
-Styrofoam Ball (Whatever size you want..I wanted a really tiny one. c: )
-Blue Glitter
-Silver and/or blue glitter glue
-Glue (I used modge podge)
-Scrap Fabric, blue or translucent
-Thin Wire
-Glue Gun (and glue sticks for it..obviously)

Alright, Navi was pretty easy to do. I used a skewer and stuck it into the styrofoam ball less than a centimeter in. I then just submerged in it the modge podge, waited for enough to drip off, and rolled it around in the glitter. For the wings, I painted a section of scrap fabric with glitter glue and then sprinkled a little more of the blue glitter on that. While it was drying, I used the wire to get a shape for the wings. Once dry, I hot glued the wire wings to the fabric and cut them out (make sure to put fabric on both sides). Stick the ends of the wire (be sure to leave enough..one of mine was a little shirt and I had to remake it) into the styrofoam "body" and just hot glue them in place for a little extra reinforcement. To mount her, I found a stiff piece of wire (think stronger than a paper clip) and hot glued it into the scabbard, and stuck and glued the other end into her.

Step 2: Hylian Shield

For the Hylian Shield, you will need:
-2 Sheets of foam board (the stuff for science fair projects..)
-Craft Foam (I used FunFoam, which has a peel off backing and already has an adhesive on it)
-Paints: Blue, silver, red, gold, black, plus silver fabric paint.
-Modge Podge or Matte Medium
-Glue Gun
-Newspaper

I began by folding a sheet of newspaper in half and drawing half of the shape of the shield. I cut it out, traced the unfolded newspaper on a sheet of foam board, and cut that out. I really wanted to get the shield to curve, so I soaked it in water and tried to curve it into shape. It worked better than I expected. While that was drying, I cut out the shapes for the triforce and the fourth triangle at the bottom out of the leftover pieces of the same piece of foam board. I cut the crest and silver pieces out of funfoam. I painted the funfoam and crest pieces their respective colors: gold for the triforce, red for the crest, and silver for the pieces on top. I mixed a little black with the silver to make a darker silver to make the angular effect on them. The base of the shield was painted blue. I then cut another piece out of newspaper to represent the silver part of the shield. I cut it out and painted it silver. I then used some of the darker silver to dry bush on top of that so it appeared more like brushed metal. It's not too visible in the picture, unfortunately. I glued everything in place, used dots of fabric paint to make the rivets, and then did a layer of modge podge over the whole thing once it was dry. I used a glue gun to attach pieces of fabric cable to allow the shield to have some sort of handle. I made a larger one for my arm to fit through, and another to hold on to. I also made a large one on top to fit over the hilt of the sword so I could wear it on my back as well.

Step 3: Master Sword & Scabbard

This sword was without a doubt the most difficult component of this costume. Here's what I wound up doing, but I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you're out of options. Again, mine was pretty horrid.

You'll need the following:
- A foam children's play sword
- Plaster & Plaster Strips
- A Styrofoam block (about 2" x 3" x 9"..a good size for the hilt)
- A medium sized styrofoam ball
- A small piece of cardboard
- Glue Gun
- Dremel
-Cable Fabric
- Silver, Gold, and Blue Paint

I began by ripping the handle off of the play sword. There is usually a plastic rod throughout the handle and blade of these play swords..take it out. If there isn't one, you'll need to get something that you can use to go through the whole thing, like a thin wood dowel or something. I hot glued little triangles to the tip of the play sword to make it appear as a sharp blade. I then used plaster strips over the entire blade and painted it silver. For the hilt, I looked at reference photos and did the best job I could do with the time I had..which wasn't much. I carved the styrofoam block into the shape of the hilt, used the medium styrofoam ball to make the circular part under the hilt (I cut it in half first), and used the other half to carve into two diamond shapes. I then slipped the plastic rod through the blade, hilt, semi-circle, and then the handle from the foam sword. I used the glue gun to make it all stick together. I used plaster to fix some mistakes in the hilt and then sanded it down once it dried. I painted the hilt/handle blue, and the diamond pieces gold. I glued them to the hilt. I then glued a piece of wrapped cable fabric to the handle and painted it blue as well. I modge podged the whole hilt/handle and was done with the sword.

For the scabbard:
- Cardboard
- Blue Construction Paper
- Modge Podge
- Masking Tape
- Blue Paint
- Gold Poster Board
- Glue Gun
-Two Belts (It is easier if one is not a classic "buckle" belt, but rather the kind with loops that overlap onto each other)

Using your sword as measurement, I cut out two pieces of cardboard the length of the blade, and about two times as wide. I tried to get it to curve by taping it together while the sword was inside. After it was taped into a reasonable shape, I modge podged the outside with blue construction paper. Once dry, I painted it with the blue paint. Using a reference picture, I cut out the designs of the scabbard out of the gold poster board, and hot glued them into place. To wear the scabbard on my back, I attached two larger pieces of gold poster board to the back so that I could slip a belt through it. I then wrapped that belt around another to create an "x" of sorts. In my case, it worked like a push up bra.. >_>

Step 4: Tunic, Hat, Leggings, & Undershirt

For the tunic and hat:
- Green Fabric (how much you need depends on your measurements)
- Sewing machine and thread

I used this pattern I found online for the tunic.
www.angelfire.com/ia2/barony/newmembersguide/sewingtipstxt.html
It's very straightforward and simple. Just make it a little bigger than your measurements, especially if you're a girl. I had a bit of trouble fitting into it without popping a seam. Cut yourself a neckline, and make the front box-shaped. For the hat, I used scrap fabric from the tunic. Measure around your head where you want the hat to sit, divide it by two, and then add an inch or two, depending how loose you want it to be. Make that length the base of a triangle (make it however long you want), and cut out two pieces. Sew them together, and you have a hat.

For the undershirt and leggings:
- A white turtleneck
- White leggings
- Eyelets and whatever the tool to put them in is called..honestly, I don't know what it is. A plier-like tool..
- Brown Dye or Tea Bags
- A Shoelace

For the turtleneck, I cut off about half of the neck so it went up my neck a couple inches. I cut a slit down the middle of the neckline, and hemmed the whole thing. I put four eyelets in (two on each side of the neckline), and laced a shoelace through them. I then followed the instructions on the back of the bottle of dye, but I used the tiniest amount of dye in relation to the amount of water I had, so that my fabric dyed to an off white, rather than brown. You can dye your fabric using tea bags as well. So, dye the leggings and turtleneck, and then let them air dry. After that, mine were a little too dark, so I washed them in the washing machine, and then put them in the dryer.

Step 5: Bracers, Padding, and Gloves

For the bracers, you will need:
- Cardboard
- Fabric Cable
- Brown Paint
- Modge Podge
- Construction Paper
- Elastic
- Glue Gun

First, just draw a rough shape of how you want the bracers shaped on the cardboard; just do one for now. Make it bigger than you'd think it would be, and make sure the grain of the cardboard is vertical, just like the outline. Cut it out, and bend it along your arm, the way you'd like it to fit. Trim it however you'd like. Tracing it, cut out the other one. Using modge podge, glue the construction paper on both sides of each cardboard cutout. Try to make them keep the curved shape by bending them every so often. Once dry, use hot glue to get the fabric cable along the edge of each one. Paint the entire things brown. Try to match the brown of the belts/boots you are using. Once dry, paint a layer of modge podge over each one. Then, glue elastic loops on the inner curve of the cardboard so they can be worn. Be sure to make the elastic larger than needed, remember that these are going over gloves and padding. Sorry, no finished picture of the bracers on here.. D:

For the padding, you will need:
- Blue knee socks/soccer socks
- Needle & Thread/Sewing Machine

These are ridiculously simple. Put one of the socks over your arm until the end comes up to your elbow. Mark about an inch past your wrist, and hem it. Do the same for your other arm. Again, sorry for the lack of picture..but pretty straightforward.

For the gloves, you will need:
- An old pair of brown leather gloves
- Scissors

Again, ridiculously simple. Cut off each finger. All done. :)