Growing up, watching Nickelodeon was like a ritual. I never missed a single episode of my favorite shows— especially when it came to Rugrats. I decided to make a Chuckie Finister cosplay for the same reason that most other people flock to this character: it’s wild. Chuckie’s look is a lot more detailed and colorful compared to Tommy (who has always been my favorite Rugrats baby), which meant a DIY Chuckie would be a lot more fun— and challenging.
A Chuckie Finster cosplay is also a great way to level up your cosplay skills. It’s still technically a closet cosplay, but it requires a little bit more craftsmanship. Don’t worry—it’s still an easy build. All you will need are some basic clothing items, some paint, and an extravagant curly red wig.
Also, keep in mind that this Chuckie Finster tutorial can be used for both boys and girls. And, of course, you don’t have to use a crop top for the shirt. That’s just my preferred style.
Chuckie Finster Cosplay Details
Chuckie’s most noticeable features are his bright orange hair, purple glasses, and freckles. He always wears a light blue shirt with a Saturn emblem tilted in the center, with green shorts that have playful lime green zig zags plastered on them.
You can find the Saturn emblem that you will need for this costume in my FREE Chuckie Finster Cosplay Tutorial eBook. Get it here:
What You’ll Need
Most of these supplies are easily accessible on Amazon. I provided a link banner under each list for a visual of the products I used and how much they cost. Anything not shown in the banner will have its own link or can be found at your local craft/general store.
As I mentioned, you can either order a custom shirt or you can DIY a Chuckie Finster shirt. You can do this by downloading my eBook which gives the full breakdown of how I made my cosplay along with my Chuckie Finster Cosplay and Makeup Tutorial on YouTube.
Chuckie was originally going to be an antagonist on Rugrats. He was originally inspired by a bully from the childhood of one of the creators.
Chuckie was originally voiced by Christine Cavanaugh until Nancy Cartwright took over in 2001.
Chuckie is allergic to dandelions.
Kim legally adopts Chuckie, which officially makes her Chuckie’s mom.
Chuckie doesn’t have any siblings and likely doesn’t have any cousins, either.
He is the oldest Rugrats baby.
Chuckie Finster turns 30 in 2019. His birthday is April 15, 1989.
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Oh hey, guys! Welcome to Cosplay and Coffee. My name is Tiffani, and today I am going to show you guys how to build your own DIY home cosplay studio.
I have done approximately one professional cosplay photoshoot. And while it went well, I just couldn’t get over the need to know exactly what was going on behind the lens. Plus, I just felt extremely awkward.
If you don’t have a photographer to take your cosplay photos on the regular, or you simply want an idea of how to set up your own cosplay studio— congrats!
You’ve come to the right place.
There is no right way to set up or take your own cosplay photos. You can pick and choose from any of these tiers to get the setup that works for your skill level, budget, and space at home.
The following options are pretty much the trajectory that my own cosplay studio took. I started at Option 1 with just a phone and a mirror (which is still a method I use often) and ended with Option 3.
I’m not sure if or how I will upgrade my home cosplay setup, but if I do, you can find the updates here!
Option 1 – Beginner Home Cosplay Studio
You will need:
Cell phone camera
Natural light
Some of my best performing Instagram photos are cosplay selfies. In fact, some (like this Dexter cosplay) were just taken in a mirror in my bathroom.
The Hermione cosplay photo on the left was taken in front of a window. The natural light gives my photo even lighting so that you can see all the detail in my makeup. Even the freckles.
Some extra items that you can get for your home cosplay studio is a phone ring light and a mini or standing tripod.
The tripod obviously takes the hassle out of propping your phone against a stack of books. The phone ring light makes it so that you can get even lighting at any time, day or night.
The DSLR remote was cheap and became almost necessary. Before I would have to run back and forth from my camera to take every single picture.
You can see from my video why the stretchy fabric is the best for your cosplay backdrops. Essentially, it just means that you NEVER have to iron your fabric before taking photos. Just find a blank wall in your house, stretch out your colored fabric, and thumbtack it to the wall!
Remember:
You can mix and match these products to form your own cosplay photo setup.
For example, you can use your iPhone but upgrade to a ring light. I have the larger ring light to fit my DSLR, but you can get the smaller/cheaper option if you’re only using your phone.
Option 3 – Advanced Equipment For Your Cosplay Photos
1 x White Wood Floor Backdrop (vinyl Plastic material)
1x 7x10ft Backdrop Stand (height of 2.6ft to 7ft, width of 5ft to 10ft)
2 x 4.5″ Heavy Duty Spring Clamps (to hold your backdrop)
Black Reflector Umbrella x2
WhiteTranslucent Umbrellas + Stand x2
2 x 45W Energy Saving Bulb
1 x Convenient Carry Bag for Background Stand
I bought this off of Amazon as a complete impulse buy (beer may have been involved).
It was only $75!
This is great if you have a ton of space in your home to take your own cosplay photos. You will have to watch my video to see how I use mine to easily change out my backdrops.
Let’s just say, it saves a lot of thumbtack holes in my wall.
Just so you know, I am not a photography expert. At all. These are just the items I have purchased over the last 3 years. I’m still learning to use some of this equipment, but for the most part, the learning curve wasn’t too steep.
Now my home cosplay studio consists of my Canon T5i, a DSLR remote control, a ring light, 4 umbrella lights, a collapsable backdrop stand, and multiple interchangeable backdrops.
I am SO sorry about the audio. My camera didn’t tell me that my mic died, and it was my second time filming it.
If it’s any consolation, I have been stressed about it for the past 7 hours trying to fix the audio. I hope you stayed till the end to see my resolution to this annoying glitch (lol).
Anyway, I cut out about a minute of footage because it was just too awful. So here is some more information you should know about Luca Jackets and their women’s Southside Serpents jacket!
It may just be the most comfortable jacket that I own now.
Seriously.
As I say in the video, the materials used in this design just work together. Luca really knows what he’s doing.
The design as a whole has so many minute details and it is truly fascinating. I love the green accents, and I especially like the snakeskin detail on the inside of the jacket.
The grunge/weathered logo on the back makes this look like an authentic Southside Serpent jacket. Did Luca even really make this, or was it stolen off of the set of Riverdale? They’re both in Canada, after all!
So in short, here are my favorite things about this serpent jacket:
The material is lightweight and cooling, yet still keeps you warm
It’s colorful and playful with its design
The women’s Southside serpent jacket fits like a glove. I recommend ordering your normal size or maybe one up (I wear a S-M and got a Medium)
Versatile and can be used with a Jughead, Archie, or Betty Cooper outfit!
Cons of Women’s Southside Serpents Jacket
I wasn’t trying to be funny in the video when I said I couldn’t find many cons about this cosplay jacket. It’s truly a work of art.
That being said, I feel like some people might have an issue with the “worn” look. I don’t know why, especially if you’re looking to do a Riverdale cosplay, but to each his own.
There are two deep pockets (which have green accents on the inside; did you notice?), but the zippers are mainly for show.
And I guess one more thing that can be said about this jacket is that the Southside Serpent jacket design on this jacket is a bit different from the show. You can see my side my Betty Cooper cosplay side-by-side as a comparison.
However, that’s likely due to copyright issues. Other vendors who sell this jacket use the same altered design.
So sorry to burst your bubble but this Riverdale Serpent jacket is the real deal. If you want an easy closet cosplay and a nice faux leather jacket that you can wear on the daily, I truly recommend this jacket. It’s a bit pricer than other retailers, but it’s well worth it.
I had to cut this part out of the video because of the god-awful audio, but I had a hard time choosing which jacket I wanted from Luca Designs.
There are so many good ones!
(I also just want to say that I think Luca Jackets should sell a blue crop leather jacket for anyone who wants to cosplay the animated version of Black Canary. I can’t find that jacket anywhere).
Luca Designs heavily focuses on the cosplay and fandom community (you can probably spot them at your next convention!), but they also have jackets that you can buy for everyday wear.
Cosplay has literally been a thing since masquerade balls in the 15th century. But in case you’re still wondering, “what is cosplay?” let me fill you in.
To be fair, I didn’t discover this community until 2015. Before that, I was just a normal human being– oblivious to the magic that was happening at comic-cons all around the world.
Many people have their own perceptions of the cosplay community. Some find it very strange while others are pretty neutral to the whole concept.
This community is full of fun, fantasy, and believe it or not… drama.
As a whole, we’re generally pretty welcoming to anyone who is interested in costume design. But some cosplayers have different definitions of what cosplay is and who is and isn’t accepted into the community. Some can be pretty territorial and downright harsh.
So let me just explain this whole cosplay concept from a relatively new insider’s point of view.
My first convention happened by accident. On the way to the airport (for my first ever airplane ride), we found out that there was going to be a Supernatural convention in Las Vegas… which was, coincidently, our destination.
Naturally, I convinced my sister to buy tickets on the spot. We eagerly joined the many Dean, Sam, and Castiels, fangirled at the live cast panels, and we even met Misha Collins (who plays Castiel). I didn’t need to ask what cosplay was because the concept seemed pretty understandable.
There were plenty of cosplayers roaming about the Supernatural convention, but I honestly barely paid any attention to them. The whole convention itself was pretty overwhelming and the energy was palpable enough that I couldn’t focus on anything other than my pure enjoyment.
Then my sister asked me to go to MegaCon Orlando with her in 2016. I hastily put together a Thor cosplay because I don’t need to be coerced into working with my hands. I crafted together my $10 costume and we headed out the next day.
And from that point forward, I was hooked.
What Is Cosplay?
Cosplay is a play on words for “costume play.” Most people know this.
What they don’t know is that there is no rulebook for cosplay. Cosplay, as I mentioned, has always been around. The whole masquerade era can now be considered a form of cosplay. Costume play itself gained traction in the ’80s and again in the 2000s, but now cosplay is slowly becoming a mainstream past time.
Different Types of Cosplays
There are unspoken “tiers” to cosplay as well. There are the novice cosplayers. That would have been me in my crafty Thor cosplay made out of craft foam and hot glue (still staple ingredients for any cosplayer, to be honest).
Then there are the closet cosplayers and the whole Spider-Verse community. I favor both of these when I don’t have time to craft. Closet cosplay is when you essentially take whatever is in your everyday closet and fix your hair and makeup to resemble a popular character. My Debbie Thornberry is an example of a closet cosplay.
You can also buy ready-made costumes from cosplay stores. Spider-Verse suits are extremely comfortable, affordable, and again, pretty much a staple “easy” cosplay.
I’ve come across people in my real life who do think cosplay is a bit strange. And, admittedly, I’m always a little self-conscious about it.
That’s why I’m always so surprised when people tell me how cool they think it is. Everyone from my grandma to my childhood best friends will comment on the costumes they see me doing and tell me how much they enjoy seeing it.
Just this past Christmas, a relative (who I would instantly pinpoint as one of the people who would label cosplaying as “weird”) gushed over my character designs.
On the whole, it’s pretty close-minded to label cosplay as a “weird” past time or hobby. It’s true that it’s mostly older adults (25-35 years old) that are a part of this community. But that’s likely due to the fact that cosplaying can be expensive.
And while some people are insecure about the fact that adults are wearing costumes on a regular basis, most people are pretty cool with it. Whether you know it or not.
I’ve always thought that if people are judging cosplayers for turning themselves into characters, why don’t they do the same for actors? They’re literally doing the exact same thing.
Likewise, it takes blood, sweat, and tears to sew and to manipulate foam to make armored cosplays. Do I think it’s strange that some people put the same amount of energy into their own hobbies, like working on cars, baking, or filming YouTube videos?
Of course not.
Should You Join the Cosplay Community?
Like I said at the beginning, this community is notoriously welcoming. Most people rave about each others’ costumes or ask for crafting advice. There’s something to be said about the unequivocal bond you make with someone who’s just as passionate about Supernatural or Iron Man as you are.
However, a word of caution: be leery of the gatekeepers and the internet trolls. Reddit (r/cosplaygirls), in particular, is full of nasty people who seemingly hate their life.
Unsolicited advice is also becoming an increasing problem (“great job! But you should have made your armor a little bit redder!”). And if you know anything about the Star Wars gatekeepers, you’ll know that nothing is ever good enough for these types of people. Especially when it comes to your cosplay.
But should you join? If you enjoy art, have a passion for literally any fandom (from anime to Disney), and you don’t mind burning yourself with a hot glue gun for the rest of your life– then welcome to the cosplay community!
My Supergirl makeup is not meant to look exactly like Melissa Benoist. I tried to reshape my face when I did my first Supergirl video and it was sub-par and I didn’t really see a difference.
My recommendation when doing your own Supergirl makeup is to stick to neutral colors. No blue or red or crazy comic colors (even if you aren’t doing the CW version).
I think you can get pretty much all of these makeup products from Target except for the eyeshadow palette. If you can’t find it on the cheap, I (clearly) recommend any e.l.f eyeshadow!
I didn’t mention a lip color in my tutorial because I put on lipstick and hated it, so I just wiped it off.
My lips are naturally a dark red, plus I lick my lips a LOT, so by the end of the day, I don’t have color on anyway. To give you some input, just go for a light pinkish lip stain or lipstick!
Supergirl makeup products I use (or mention)
Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation
e.l.f Primer
Kat Von D Shade + Light palette (the colors all the way to the right)
I am so sorry if my tutorial seemed confusing at all. PLEASE DM me on Instagram if you have any questions. I’ll try to keep an eye out on the comments under the video as well. If I change the way I do my Supergirl hair routine at all, it will be updated in this blog!
Do you guys want me to do more cosplay transformation videos? But maybe actually do a transformation this time? I’m an amateur makeup-ist so don’t expect too much. I love learning new techniques though, so I guess if I end up creating a cosplay that I’m really proud of, I’ll share the makeup transformation!
