How to make cosplay horns with EVA foam and Air Dry foam clay?

Horns are an essential accessory in many cosplays, as they add a distinctive and realistic touch to fantasy characters, demons, mystical creatures or even personalized versions of heroes and villains. Depending on the design and level of detail you are looking for, you can make cosplay horns with different materials, such as EVA Foam, clays, resins, thermoplastic materials, or even papier-mâché. The key is to choose the right material according to weight, comfort, and the desired finish.

There are various techniques for making cosplay horns or EVA Foam horns, from simple methods for beginners to advanced techniques for those seeking greater realism.

In this tutorial, we will guide you step by step so that you can create strong, light and well-detailed cosplay horns. With a little patience and creativity, you will achieve an impressive accessory that will elevate the quality of your cosplay and make your character come to life.

Materials needed to make cosplay horns

• Air-drying clay such as Air Dry foam clay.

• Pencil and sheets of paper or the printed pattern

• Scissors

• Craft knife

• Sculpting tools

• Sandpaper

• Cosplay paints and miniature paint brushes

• Hot glue gun

• Water (for molding and gluing the clay)

• Headband or hair clips to fix them (optional)

• Transparent sealant (optional)

How to make EVA foam horns step by step?

1. Prepare the pattern. Taking into account the design you want for your cosplay horn, draw the pattern for the base on a sheet of paper and cut it out to use as a template. If you like the design of the EVA Foam horn that we show you in the photograph, as well as in the video, we will leave you our pattern so that you can download it and use it in your creations.

2. Make the pattern in EVA Foam. Once you have cut out the pattern from the sheet, use it as a template on the EVA Foam to redraw it. Cut it out with a cutter.

3. Glue the parts together. Using a hot glue gun, join the different parts of the cosplay horn to create the basic shape.

4. Seal the joints. Place a little Air Dry putty on the joints of the EVA Foam horn to seal them completely.

5. Sand the cosplay horn. To make the surface even, use sandpaper on the Air Dry and remove all imperfections.

6. Design your cosplay horn. Once you have achieved a uniform base, you can add details to give your EVA Foam horn a different touch or imitate a specific character. Use modeling tools to shape the putty and give it exactly the shape you need. You can soften the clay and make it stick to the surface or to itself by wetting your fingers a little.

7. Leave to dry completely.

8. Paint. Once dry, the cosplay horn will be ready for the final touch and can be painted to look just like the character chosen for your costume. Before applying paint, remember to give it a coat of primer to even out the surface and provide a better grip for the paint.

Ideas for cosplays with horns

Currently there are many characters from anime, video games, different cultures, series, films, comics and manga with horns. Among such a wide variety, we highlight a few if you need ideas to accompany your cosplay horns and get a suit worthy of an award:

1. Maleficent

Maleficent horns are some of the most sought-after, as this character has grown in popularity since the release of the movie starring Angelina Jolie in the lead role. Her striking costume has not gone unnoticed among cosplayers. The Maleficent horns are large and have specific details, so you would need to create a new pattern, although you can use the techniques we have shown you in this tutorial for EVA Foam horns.

2. Tiefling - DnD

This humanoid race from DnD is known for its infernal heritage, manifesting itself in physical features such as horns, tails, unusual skin tones, and brightly colored eyes. They are known for their wit, charisma, and a penchant for arcane magic. Although there are very different characters within this group in terms of morphology, most of them have horns, so our EVA Foam horns are perfect for this type of cosplay, with which you can perfectly imitate the Tiefling horns.

3. Necromancer - Diablo

These masters of the dark arts, capable of summoning and controlling the undead, have dazzled many of the players of the Diablo saga, which has led to a large number of cosplayers interested in creating costume of these characters. And, although they don't have horns on their anatomy, since they are humans who use necromancy magic, many of their costumes feature a skull with a horn on the shoulder, as protection. In this case it will be easier to make a horn cosplay with the pattern we have provided.

4. Draenei WOW

The Draenei are a race from the Warcraft universe. This alien race fled their home planet, Argus, to escape the Burning Legion. They are characterized by their elegant and majestic appearance, with skin of various bluish or purplish tones, hooves, long tails, and, of course, horns. There are characters with different curvatures on their horns, so you could use our horns cosplay pattern perfectly and, if necessary, change the curvature of the EVA Foam with a little heat. You can use a hot air gun.

5. Oni (Japanese Mythology)

Oni are creatures from Japanese folklore, often compared to demons and ogres in Western cultures. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature and theater and, as such, they have appeared in several anime and manga in the form of characters with different roles. They are large, muscular creatures with variously colored skin, predominantly red, although green and blue can also be seen, among many others. These beings are seen as evil and terrifying, associated with chaos and destruction, although in more modern representations they can play the role of protectors.

One of the anime where these types of creatures have been seen is in the popular “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”, where they are the main antagonists despite the fact that not all of them have the traditional image of these demons, although they do tend to have horns.

6. Little Demon Tristana - League of Legends

The MOBA game League of Legends has become another source of inspiration for cosplayers in recent years. One of the best-known skins in this universe is perfect for wearing these cosplay horns: Little Demon Tristana. She is a creature with an adorable yet mischievous face and appearance. She is an ADC (attack damage character), so she usually attacks by inflicting damage at a distance with basic attacks, although her ability to jump and her explosive damage also make her a good aseptic. In the “Little Demon” skin, she has two small horns that you can use our pattern for and imitate this demonic skin of the character Tristana in League of Legends.

7. Tony Tony Chopper

Tony Tony Chopper is one of the most beloved characters in the anime One Piece. He is a reindeer who ate a devil fruit (Hito Hito no Mi), giving him human abilities as well as the ability to transform into various forms, each with unique abilities. He is the ship's doctor on the Straw Hat Pirates, whose dream is to become a doctor capable of curing any disease. Due to his reindeer condition, he has a pair of trident-shaped horns on either side of his head, a fundamental element when creating a cosplay of this endearing character. You can use the EVA Foam horns technique with the corresponding pattern.

8. Nezuko Kamado, Berserk form

Nezuko Kamado is one of the protagonists of the anime and manga “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”. Nezuko becomes a demon, and her brother, Tanjiro Kamado, sets out on a journey with her on his back, hidden in a wooden box, to prevent her from being discovered and her life being taken. Normally, she retains her almost human appearance despite being a demon, but when she goes into “Berserk” mode, the state of extreme demonic transformation, her face hardens, several veins appear, and cracks appear. In addition, a very distinctive element of this form is a horn, also with cracks. This horn cosplay can be perfectly imitated with the instructions we have given in this tutorial, giving it a different finish