How To Make a Helmet? – Step by Step Guide

We all love to have each of our fantasies or movie characters’ life experiences, and there’s no other way than wearing their costume.

Costumes just give you the feel and experience of your favorite character, and we just love them more. For characters with headgear, wearing a matching helmet is even more intriguing, and nobody can stand in your way of achieving it.

So we will be showing you how to make a helmet, and not just any helmet but the helmet from all your favorite characters and creatures.

What’s more interesting is that we will show you how to make a helmet that is inexpensive but safe and easy to learn.

All you require for this journey is some high-density paper and some patients.

How To Make a Mandalorian Helmet?

If you are a lover of star war, then you must have come across a Mandalorian. The Mandalorians are war soldiers, and their helmet is their signature.

In fact, the Mandalorian helmet is vital to them that if they remove it in the crowd, their life as a Mandalorian may come to an end.

Buying a Mandalorian helmet can be quite expensive, but building one isn’t mostly if you want to look like one of the star wars clones. So here us how to make a DIY Mandalorian helmet.

Here is the list of materials you will need:

• Print of the Mandalorian helmet
• Craft foam(5mm and 10mm thick)
• Scissors
• Utility knife
• Cardboard
• Glue
• Sandpaper
• Caulk
• Rotary tool
• Heat gun
• Hot glue

Having gotten our materials for the face, we are going to be using the medium craft foam, which is the 5mm. While the thicker one (10mm) for the other part of the helmet.

Step One

Download the helmet template with Pepakura to get the patterns, then cut them out using scissors. Do not forget to cut out the mirror image too.

Step Two

After that, glue them together. You can start by gumming the pieces that connect because not all the edges do and rub the glue on the paper’s sides. After gluing, allow the glue to dry before merging the parts.

Step Three

When you have merged both parts, you can sandpaper out some uneven areas or just use a knife to trim out excesses. For smoothing out the edges, you can also try using the rotary tool; this is optional, as sandpaper will serve just fine.

Step Four

After sanding, if you realize you have some spaces around the merging edges, you can fill them up using caulk, just like the one you use for your shower.

Rub it on and allow it to dry for about ten minutes. When it dries, smoothen the caulk using sandpaper.

Step Five

It is time to add the top pieces on the helmet. You can add them with glue and use a hot gun to give it more definition.

Step Six

Now we are going to give the entire surface a nice clear coat. You can get anyone from the shop.

So add the clear coat, spread it on the surface with a brush, and dry.

Step Seven

Now that it is dried, it is ready for painting. You can add a layer of grey primer first before adding the real color. So when the primer dries, you can add in the other. Be sure to check the exact color of the helmet. If you can’t get it, then you can just do a mix.

Use the metallic aged brown and allow it to dry, then add in a light silver on it. When the entire painting dries, you can now start painting in some of the detailing.

You can add some mixed colors for detailing; some lighter colors, like silver, work fine. At this point, rubbing in the paints with your finger can give it that extra finish. Don’t worry; you can always wash out the colors from your hands later.

Many people have been wondering what the difference is between a Mandalorian and Boba Fett helmet. Well, they are similar except that Mandalorian has sharper cheeks.

You can now spray in a clear coat to give it a beautiful and glossy finish.

Step Eight

Finally, it’s time to add in the face shield. You can get it from any of the hardware shops.

Place cardboard inside the helmet and just trace out the area where the face shield will stay. This will allow you to get the exact width. Then you can cut it out on the face shield using your cutter or scissors.

After that, you can then stick it in using hot glue. There you go! Your Mandalorian helmet is ready.

How to Make a Cosplay Helmet?

To make a cosplay helmet for display or Halloween is quite easy, but you need to exercise a lot of patience.

Materials Needed 

• Pepakura viewer 3
• Paper
• Printer
• Fiberglass and fiberglass resin
• Sandpaper
• Glue
• Paint
• Car body filler(Bondo)
• Scissors
• Primer

Having mentioned all the materials you require for this project, let’s get into the step by step basis.

Step One

Start by printing out the paper template using the Pepakura viewer, cut it out, and glue them together.

Gluing them may be a bit difficult, but here is what you can do. Use your hot melt glue gun as a pen and use the tip to line the middle of each flap. Then squirts a little amount of glue on it.

It is a very reliable method and will save you from using a tape. Using tape can get your work looking all messy and ugly. Also, the hot glue will not obstruct your fiberglass or resin.

Step Two

You can now apply your fiberglass mat or cloth and resin on the paper. And allow it to dry. This will give it a hard texture. And fiberglass the inside instead.

Step Three

When the fiberglass and resin are dried, apply the Bondo. Rub it on places that are rough, or that you need to get smoothened. Remember, straight parts do not need Bondo.

Step Four

Now is the time for sanding, sanding and more sanding. Use sandpaper and sand the surface until it gets completely smooth.

You can start by using sandpaper of 150 grits, 600 grits, and even more if needed. The whole idea is to ensure that the surface is extra smooth.

Step Five

Apply a layer of primer on the surface using your paint sprayer. After applying it, sand off any visible rough surfaces, and spray in the primer again. Always allow each layer of paint to dry completely before adding another layer.

After that, you can add your final color and an extra layer of lacquer to give it a glow.

Step Six

You are almost done, but you need to add a visor. You can use plexiglass, motorcycle helmet visor, and join it with super glue or a hot melt glue.

Finally, to add some designs, you can weather the painting or add LED lights to it. And your helmet is ready for use.

How to Make a Power Ranger Helmet?

If you are a lover of the rangers, then there’s no reason not to learn how to make a Power Ranger helmet, whether you intend to display it in your home or use it as a costume. To start, you will need to get the following materials.

• Hot glue
• Wood glue (we recommend Elmer’s wood glue)
• Thin cardboard
• Paper Mache Pulp
• Masking tape
• Sheets of craft foam
• Newsprint
• Spray paints
• Sealers
• A rotary tool with a cutting wheel and drill bit

Step One

The first thing we have to do in creating our power rangers helmet is to build the base of the helmet.

To do it, cut about 1.5 inches high and 24 inches long strips of cardboard. Using these strips, wrap them around your forehead and leave enough room for it to fit comfortably. Make sure it’s not so tight, so that removing it won’t be difficult, then glue them together using the hot glue.

Now is time to create the curvature on the helmet top. Use the stripes and run it from the middle of your forehead cardboard to the back.

After that, make another circle, but this one has to fit around the bottom of your head and jaw. Also, ensure to leave enough space for easy removing and wearing. Then, use additional cardboard stripes to join the first half of the helmet’s top to the bottom of the circle.

After creating these parts, cover the remaining empty parts with cardboard. To do this, use the same length of strips and ensure to bend them to fit the curvatures of the helmet shape. While doing this, you should always wear the helmet to ensure it fits you comfortably. This is because it is much easier to make any adjustments now than later.

Step Two

Draw out the place where the visor will fit and cut it out using an Exacto knife. If you are not sure how the structure looks, you can get an image of the helmet, and use it as a guide.

Then, cover the entire cardboard structure with a paper mache. You can make the mache using newsprint and wood glue with little water to make it spreadable.

Spread about three to four layers of paper mache, ensuring each layer dries thoroughly before covering another layer of paper mache. And, ensure not allow air to trap between the layers.

Step Three

After the last layer of paper, mache dries, cover the mask with paper mache pulp. Using the pulp will make it easy to add details to the mask.

So, while adding paper mache pulp, avoid adding so much mache to avoid adding too much weight. And, smoothen out the surface with little water to reduce the sanding process.

When the pulp is completely dried, add sand to the surface to smoothen it. During this time, you can add a thin layer of drywall compound. Leave it to dry and sand again.

Step Four

If the surface is not smooth enough, apply an additional drywall compound and repeat the process. Then, using a cutting wheel, shape the visor and the mouth area very well.

Step Five

Now is time to add a raised detail. To make it easier, you can draw the images in a paper first and size them on the helmet. Then, cut it out and trace the patterns into a craft foam before gluing it into the helmet with hot glue.

Then, seal the foam with wood glue and use joint fillers to cover the space where the foam and pieces meet.

Apply the filler on the edges and allow it to dry, then sand it till it smoothes out. During this time, you can add primer again to see if there is any imperfection. If there is, sand it out.

This is also the best time to add the hardware to open the helmet. You can use a cabinet hinge, the smallest size, and place it at the point where the two points meet. You can also use two clasp closure on the sides of the helmet bottom to ensure they fit tightly.

Step Six

Now it is time to create the visor. According to the show, the helmet has a dark tinted clear plastic. While the second used mainly in fight scenes has opaque plastics, like other helmets, with small drilled holes in the plastics.

You can make a standard visor by cutting clear plexiglass and covering it with a window tint that can be purchased in shops. You can also shape the plexiglass with a heat gun. Either way, you can then hot glue it into the helmet.

Step Seven

Painting the helmet is very easy; you can start by painting the entire helmet white. Or a mixture of metallic gold and silver, depending on your choice.

After covering the entire helmet with white, use masking tape to mask the detail areas and apply the right paint to them using a brush. Afterward, you can complete the painting job by sealing it with a crystal clear spray.

How to Make an Astronaut Helmet?

We all love to have an experience as a spaceman, and nothing adds more to that feeling than wearing a spaceman’s helmet. If you are wondering how to make an astronaut’s helmet, then here is your chance.

You will not be learning just one but two ways you can make a really classy helmet astronaut helmet, whether for you or your kids.

We will be constructing the first one in the form of a truncated icosahedron, and here are the materials you will require

• Paperboard
• Pencil
• Hot glue gun
• White duct tape
• Scissors or cutter
• Ruler
• Scotch tapes with other colors for decorations.
• Utility knife
• Scotch tapes with different colors

Step One

First, you have to measure the diameter. Measure it with the size of your head, and some few centimeters away so that it can fit comfortably.

Since we are going to be building this helmet with pentagons and hexagons, which are similar in size and length, we have to increase the polygon’s size to get a bigger helmet.

So, you can increase the size to about 6cm. That is if the circumference of your head is approximately 60 cm. However, ensure to increase the length of the side a little more, let’s say by adding about 0.5 cm more so that wearing the helmet will become smoother.

After that, print out two templates of 6cm polygons and cut out of the paperboard. However, if you can, you can decide to draw it out using a compass and a ruler.

Step Two 

Now that we are done with the cutting, we have to glue the polygons together using a hot glue gun.

When joining the parts, give room for the hole at the bottom, where your head enters from, and the face hole.

Remember, you have to be careful with the assembling part of this helmet construction, as you don’t want to glue the wrong pieces together. You can place the football close to you so that you can get all the markers just as you numbered them.

If possible, glue any polygon you cut out immediately to avoid mixing things up. This will give the glue time to cool down and make a good link before with the cardboard before gluing the next.

Step Three

After joining the parts, you can adjust the head hole shapes and face hole by cutting the sharp edges associated with the pentagon. This is quite optional; you can leave the pentagon edges as a design if you choose.

Step Four

Now is time to make the collar. In doing this, you can turn the helmet upside down. Don’t pay too much attention to the size of the collar at the moment, as you can always trim it down if it’s too large when you wear it.

Just cut it in a way that will fit your shoulder’s shape and neck size. However, it is strictly based on individual preference; just make it as comfortable as you can.

Step Five

You can now cover the surface of your helmet. To turn the color to white, you can use a duct tape, which we will be using in this case. This is because of the lines and curves formed by the polygon. Although using duct tape is quite a time taken, but the result is fantastic. However, you can just decide to paint yours if you do not have the patients and time.

Finally, you can now add decorations. Decorations are entirely optional, but if you want to, you can use different color Scotch tapes to make the decor.

Your helmet is complete; you can get an astronaut’s suit or wear something similar to blend with the mask.

Astronauts Helmet With a Foam

Now, if you think the first method is quite confusing, this one will help you out. So, here is how to make an astronaut helmet with foam. Here are the materials you are going to need.

• Short knife
• Contact cement
• Hot gun or hairdryer
• Cardboard
• Rubber glove
• Craft foam
• Glue gun
• Paint
• scissors

Step One

Print out the helmet pattern using Pepakura and cut it. Take note of the registration marks. Then you can cut it out and trace the designs on your foam.

Step Two

When tracing your patterns on your form, add the alignment marks as they will be helpful later. Then, you can cut it out using your sharp knife.

Step Three

Now is time to glue. The best way to start joining them is to start with the v-shape cut out in the pattern. Add glue into the cracks and use an old business card to ensure the adhesive penetrates the crack completely. Then allow it to dry for some minutes, or until the contact is no longer tacky, before pressing the edges together.

When doing this, ensure to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. Also, work in a well-ventilated area to protect your lungs.

Step Four

Then add both pieces one (left and right) together, and take note of the alignments to make sure they are joining together evenly. Ensure they are well pressed together, then heat the joints a little with a hairdryer.

After that, place it on your knee, like a kneecap, and stretch it out the center. This will help straighten and round out the joints and prevent squeezing.

Continue the same procedure on all parts until the helmet is formed. Then, join the two front flaps firmly together, and you have a space helmet.

Step Three

You can now cover the spaces in the helmet by adding a clear coat. After adding the clear coat, allow it to dry.

Step Four

Now it’s time to add some details. You can cut a large and a smaller circle, and glue them together, and attach it to each side of the helmet. You can add tiny, long stripes and stick it on the bottom of the mask, starting from the center, back and cut out any excess.

You can also add a racing stripe in the middle of the helmet. Start from the back, bottom, and take it to the top.

You can also decide to add more details; the choice is yours.

Step Five

Painting time? Yes! You can now paint the helmet white, and you could also add some gold or silver acrylic paint on the edges. Then add a coat of gloss paint to add some shine to it.

For more comfort, especially if you are making them for your kids, you can add inner paddings using an old cushion foam. Just get the perfect fit for your child’s head by measuring and fit.

Then, hot glue two of the foam inside the top of the helmet, and one (wider) at the back. You can also add some chin pads using the same foam, and everything is ready.

How To Make a Spartan Helmet?

Spartan is one of the heroic events, and the helmet is what everyone loves. A lot of people keep asking, “what is a spartan helmet called?” or why did a spartan helmet have a plume? This question all dates back to Greece, where the helmet emerges.

So, if you love to look like one of the Spartan fighters, here is a step by step guide to guide you through the journey.

Required Material

• ​White glue
• Paper towel
• Paper mache
• Cardboard
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Boxcutter
• A picture of a spartan helmet.
• Paint

Step One

Let’s start by creating the front of the helmet. So, get a sample of the mask you want to make and cut out the shape. Then, take a sheet of cardboard paper and draw it in a way that the crease is going vertically.

Then, draw the basic shape of the helmet and place it on your face to see if the proportions match your face. You can also cut out the shape and measure as well as using a ruler to measure the proportion of your face and the diagrams.

If it doesn’t, using a pencil, mark the areas that need to be adjusted and cut it off with a cutter(a boxcutter is fine).

After that, you can then cut out the mirror image of the helmet and tape them together.

Step Two

Now you have to make the directions of the corrugation. So, make a bend along the groove. Doing it this way will make it easy to even out, thus giving it a round shape.

Step Three

Place the helmet on your face and map out the place where the top of your head meets with the mask on each side, using a pencil. Then, use thin strips of cardboard as a guide to building the hat part of the helmet. You don’t have to attach them too firmly because we will remove them when we start taping in the solid pieces.

Step Four

To build the hat part of the helmet, cut two strips of cardboard paper and trace one from one side of the ear to the other and from the back of your head to the front. Mark the lengths of both cardboard and attach it to the mask.

At this moment, you can now wear your helmet. And now is the time to remove the thin stripes guidelines as you won’t be needing them for the rest of the construction.

For a more durable construction, use tapes to secure every joint so that they do not loose off.

Step Five

Now is time to add a mohawk to the back of your spartan helmet just like Leonidus has. To do this, you have to start by making a trench; this will stand as a platform for the mohawk to sit.

All you have to do is to layer up to three strips of cardboard and tape them together. After that, measure them with the back of the helmet and cut out any excess. Then trace a guideline, about 1cm, into the strips, and cut out the extras. At the end of it, you should have a long and thin frame.

Tape the frame to the back of your helmet, and you are done building the base for your mohawk to stand.

Step Six

Then, mache the entire helmet surface, both inside and out. You can use a white glue and paper towel to make the mache, but ensure it is soft enough to spread on the surface.

You can do two layers of mache on the outside and one layer on the inside, this is to give room for the helmet to fit and avoid it snuggling too tightly into your head.

Always allow the first layer of mache to dry completely before adding another layer.

Step Seven

When the mache is thoroughly dried, you can paint it with gold paint. You can also use the technique of painting it with a diluted brown color and black and clean it off with a paper towel. The dark paint will adhere to the crevices and give it a worn outlook.

Step Eight

​Now is time to add the bristles. You can use a broom head and cut off the hairs. Then add the bristles to a strip of dark fabric with the same length as the trench using hot glue. Using hot glue will make it dry faster. Then, glue the mohawk into the trench, and that’s it!

Tips

If you can get more hands, do as it makes the entire job more comfortable since you have to hold things in place until they are well secured.

If you think the helmet is big, continue in the process as you can always fix a bigger helmet by applying styrofoam or more cardboard inside to tighten it up. A smaller mask is much more difficult to rectify as you have to start from scratch.

How To Make a Power Armor Helmet?

Fallout is one entertaining movie coupled with all the creatures and characters in the Wasteland. But there’s more you can experience if only you know how to make a power armor helmet.

So, we will be offering you everything you need to make a T-5IB power armor helmet.

Required materials

• Pepakura viewer
• Carton paper
• Superglue
• Hot glue sticks
• Scissors Steel wire
• Resin
• Flashlight
• Fiberglass mat
• Vacuum cleaner hose
• Putty
• Eva foam
• Rivets
• Sandpaper
• Dremel
• Hot gun glue
• Brush
• Paint

Step One

The first thing you have to do is to print out the helmet pages from the Pepakura viewer. Then you can join the parts together using a hot glue gun.

When doing this, it is best to keep your Pepakura viewer open to see which part goes for which.

Step Two

Now it is time to add the resin. Mix some portion of resin with liquid hardener. But do not add too much as it can cause the resin to harden too quickly. Add the resin on the helmet with a brush and allow it to dry. After that, add the fiberglass to the mask and stick it with the resin.

After adding the fiberglass, it’s time to add Bondo to it and sand it. Sand the helmet till the roughness disappears. If it doesn’t, add more Bondo and sand it.

If you are uncertain of your helmet’s smoothness, you can spray it with any color of spray. What this does is that it highlights any point that is rough and needs smoothening.

Step Three

Now is time to add all the accessories you have planned to insert in your helmet. You can also decide to add real-world parts like light from a torch.

You can use Multiput, a very reliable two parts putty for fixing car exhaust. It can stay for about one hour before it starts getting strong, plus it’s sandable. So you can mess with it to mold what you require for detailing your helmet.

You can use old rubbers from the skateboard to make the nose vents. The latch can be made from craft foam and glue them with superglue or a hot glue gun.

Step Four

Painting is the most natural part of the construction. You can use just silver paint, and use whatever you want as a primer. Better still, you can add two layers of silver. When it dries, add a bit of ivory black acrylic paint to give it a little dirty look.

Also, apply some black paint on the helm of the helmet and wipe off any excess paint with a paper towel.

Step Five

This is when you need to add the external stuff to give it the real look of a game helmet.

Use a vacuum cleaner hose for the big tubes and stick them with a lot of steel wire to bend them. To get them closer to the helmet, drill two holes on the back of the helmet and zip tie both of them around the back of the helmet. Use two zip ties to get both tubes closer together. Use hot-glue to stick them in position, if it doesn’t stick, add some more glue.

Fit and position the torch with some bolts, then paint and weather it to fit the lid. Ten string Christmas lights are an excellent option for making the LED lights., you can gather it up and glue it in a place.

How To Make a Halo Helmet?

Required Materials

• Papercraft glue
• Fiberglass resin
• Papercraft scissors.
• Card stock.
• Paintbrush
• Bondo
• Printer
• Dust mask
• Pep files
• Non-functional credit card
• Pepakura viewer 3
• Latex gloves

Step One

After downloading your files, open it up using Pepakura. Print and cut them out using scissors. Ensure to cut each layer according to the picture. Then glue the parts together.

Step Two

Now is time to add your fiberglass resin. Ensure to wear glass before commencing this process because fiberglass resin is very reactive. Also, cover your work area with newspaper as fiberglass resin can clean anything it comes in contact with. Also, carry on the work in a well-ventilated area as the reaction and smell can damage brain cells.

Using a brush, apply an even coat of the mixture on the outer area and dry before adding it to the inner layer.

Step Three

To Bondo the helmet, just apply a thin layer of Bondo on the surface and ensure it is smooth. Then the next thing to do is to sand it with sandpaper. Sand until the surface is smooth.

Step Four

Paint the surface with any color. Maybe red, black or silver. Start by applying a layer of primer before applying your primary color. However, allow the first layer of paint to dry first before applying the second layer.

Step Five

Now it is time to fix the visor. You can buy visors from the shop, and measure and cut out the helmets visor dimensions on the visor. Then, attach it with the hot glue, and your helmet is ready.

To keep your helmet fix, you can also stick in some foams or paddings on both chins.

Bionic Armor: How to Make the Helmet?

Conclusion

We have finally come to the end of how to make a helmet, and it has been a fascinating and intriguing journey.

Although the project is quite a time consuming one, the result is worth the time, and the outcomes just make it worth the while. Amazingly, in the course of these projects, you won’t have to spend so much.

Whether you are making a helmet for Halloween or to place amongst your antiques, you will not be disappointed.

We recommend you don’t buy a very expensive visor and would love to hear from you about your project. We love to see your pics!