Though cosplayers usually base their designs on their favorite characters from pop culture or history, they also come up with original looks. Chrix Design designed this scary Death Elf Warrior, and she made the costume, staff, and applied her makeup. Since she pulled the ensemble together with parts she’d already used for other cosplays, it’s a great example of working with what you have to make something shiny and new and how you can pair everyday clothing with handmade items to make an impression.

The pauldrons were made from cardboard, and it seems like a straightforward process:

Start by cutting out the shapes you need in cardcoard.
For the top layer and the ring around my arm I wanted more details. I glued on strips of foam mat in the pattern I wanted.
And then I covered all the cardboard pieces with faux leather. For the pieces with foam strips I was careful to glue down the fabric as close to the details as possible and making sure it stayed glued on.
For the edges I glued on a ribbon. Note: before you do this you should glue on another fabric on the backside of every piece, since you will see the underside from some angles and it is easier to glue that on before you attach the ribbons.
Then do a test assembly. All the pieces are held together with studs, also known as brads.

More details at her blog.

via DeviantArt