As a general rule, creating and minimalism often don’t go that well together. Creating is about bringing in something new. Minimalism is about keeping stuff out (maybe that’s why I don’t call myself a minimalist). That being said, cosplay and minimalism can have a happy relationship together if done well.

I have a fairly small place and since I work at home, that small place gets even smaller very quickly. So I have to be somewhat minimalist by necessity. (But I generally refer to myself as a half-ass minimalist, because I’m never going to live in one of those contemporary, sterile, white and gray places that are so common among many minimalists. I need color in my life!) Cosplay, however, is generally not a minimalist hobby, so I’ve had to adapt it to keep it a little more minimalist.

Reuse and Adapt

I’ll often reuse cosplay pieces for multiple costumes because it saves storage space. If you’re using the same pair of pants for three different costumes, you only need to take up one storage slot for the price of three. I’ll also alter costumes to use up trims and details that I already have left from other costumes.

“Detail pieces” such as rhinestones, rickrack, paints, etc. can take up a lot of space. If you buy a perfect match for every costume, you’re going to end up needing a lot of space to store the excess. By altering costumes a little bit to fit the materials I already have on hand, it saves me having to buy something new for each costume. That not only saves me storage space, but also money, since it’s a lot cheaper to use up what I already have.

Of course there will always be that one costume that you really do need something specific for. And then it’s fun to get exactly what you need for it. But for the most part, I’ve found I can alter many costumes to use what I already have. The finished effect really doesn’t lose much. Most people won’t even notice that you used a straight piece of ribbon instead of rickrack. Or a medium brown paint instead of a dark brown.

You Can Do This For All Forms of Creating

This goes for my crafting as well. Crafting supplies (many of which I also use for cosplaying) are notorious for taking up space. So when I’m crafting, I’ll often alter a project to accommodate items I already have on hand. It’s a great way to use up your excess.

I’m trying to move more toward a zero-waste lifestyle as well. So the idea of throwing anything out just seems so wasteful to me. (There’s far too much trash in the landfills as it is). Rather than add to a growing landfill by throwing out excess pieces from previous projects, I instead save almost everything for future use. Then I tailor my projects to use up that excess, so I don’t end up overfilling the storage in my small place.

Less waste, more space. It makes creating cheaper, more storage friendly, and because there’s less waste, more eco-friendly as well. And that’s better for everyone.

How do you make your creating more minimalistic?

Written by Amber Reifsteck, The Woodland Elf

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