There’s a lot to like about Scott Pilgrim’s Ramona Flower – like her giant hammer. Mia dressed as the colorful character for San Diego Comic-Con a couple of years ago and knowing you’ll be traveling with a giant prop and carrying it around all day at a convention makes a difference in design. Mia made the hammer detachable from the base so she could take the hammer apart for flying (the hammer made it through four different flights in good condition!). And she decided to build the build of the hammer from big styrofoam blocks so it would be as lightweight as possible.

Besides the styrofoam, she used glue and caulk, a few bottles of gesso, textured spray paint, and a broomstick among a few other supplies. The first step was putting the styrofoam together:

Next, I cut the styrofoam in half and glued it together. With a serrated knife, I slowly started sculpting the hammer into Ramona’s hammer’s shape. It’s got rounded edges and a wider top than bottom. Be sure to use a serrated knife — otherwise it’ll be near impossible and foam will fly everywhere!

I covered the entire hammer in gesso. Gesso is a primer for paint that helps smooth out surfaces. I wasn’t totally pleased with the gesso’s effect on the styrofoam; the layers were still visible. If I had more time, I may have gone back and covered the entire hammer in tape, plaster, or something similar.

Read the entire tutorial at Mia’s blog.

via Geek Crafts