First of all I would like to introduce myself. My name is Alexandr and I am happy to join the Steampunk community.
My sister makes teddy bears ( handmade ), see the picture below as an example
Their sizes are 40-44 cm ( 15.7 in- 16.9 in. ) ; sitting- 31 cm ( 12.2 in- 13 in. )
She wants to make some steampunk accessories for them ( mostly goggles, wings, armor ). So I have several questions.
- Can you recommend me any web stores ( besides Ebay or Etsy ) with steampunk supplies ( preferably in Europe, but can be US based as well )
- What size of supplies would fit for her bears ( because we ordered some supplies but they are too small ).
- Do you have any patterns for goggles, what size would you recommend and so on.
Any information would help and I would really appreciate your advises, tips and so on, as we are new to the steampunk world and have a lot to learn.
Thank you
1 Response
Hi, Alexandr. Your question is an interesting one, since accessorizing teddy bears is something that can make die-hard steampunk enthusiasts giggle a bit, perhaps because a long time ago someone glued a couple gears on a bear and tried to sell it on Etsy.
But ... let me take your question seriously and try to help.
Steampunk supplies - in general, VERY generally, people are usually talking about the details that give a steampunk flair to something they are making. Gears, for example can be found a number of places. YOu can take apart small thrift shop finds, such as clocks and toys, and find some gears and hardware inside. There are commercially available gears in a variety of shapes and materials available at craft supply houses and art stores. You can look in buttons, embellishments, scrapbooking supplies for shapes you like.
I look in hardware stores for things that work for my artwork -- I don't know what I'm looking for or what it is supposed to do, but I know what size and shape I hope to find.
Some people take apart watches for the gears, but keep in mind these are very small and you need specialized tools to do this, so not always ideal.
Goggles --- I have made some using flat rings made to hang shower curtains, and plexiglas lenses, and modifying a thin leather thrift shop belt as a strap, but I don't have a tutorial. If you go to google and try "how to make steampunk goggles" there are quite a few options out there, including step by step and also youtube videos.
Good luck!
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