Blitzball Tutorial

I've noticed for a while that nobody has posted a tutorial on how to make a prop blitzball. Through lots of trial and error, as well as watching how my fellow cosplayers did theirs, I have finally created a tutorial for everyone to share!

Here's some FAQ in case the tutorial didn't cover enough:

"Why did you use ping-pong balls instead of a coating?"
- Ping pong balls automatically have an even layer, which is important for someone like me who is not as sure-handed as most other artists.

"Why did you line the inside of the ping-pong balls with foam?"
- I had to learn this one the hard way. When my cosplay group and I performed our skit "As Long as You're Mine" for Anime Banzai 2010, our Tidus was initially supposed to toss the ball up in the air, and Yuna was supposed to catch it. Instead, it flew backstage and nearly killed Zack. Again. It also dented two of the nodes to the point where they were almost impossible to fix.

"What are nodes?"
-Clearly, you haven't played enough FFX yet. The nodes are the stubs all around the ball that make this ball not fun to take to the face.

"How long will this project normally take?"
- It depends on how dedicated you are. This particular blitzball (pictured above) took me one day from acquiring the materials to finish. However, my last one took me a month. It depends how much you are willing to sit and fan your paint dry, or just let it dry over time. That part usually takes the longest.

"How much will this project cost?"
- Rough estimation: Ball- $8, Ping-pong Balls- $1.25, Styrofoam balls- $4, Glue- $5, Paint- $8 (for both), Tape- $3. So that comes to around $29.25 USD.

"Does this work on all types of soccer balls?"
- That's actually something I forgot to touch on in this tutorial. The ball I used this time had a PVC outer coating. The first ball I used- didn't. I actually had to spend an extra day to sand down the ball with high-grit sandpaper before I was able to glue or paint anything. So, keep an eye on what type of ball you use, and what it's made out of. Soccer balls are made to not have anything stick to them or stain them.

So that's it! Tell me what you think, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask! Also, if you use the tutorial to make your own, credit and link me! I would love to see what you have made!

FFX (c) Squeenix
All craftsmanship pictures by me.

Wanna see my first blitzball's mishap performance that helped Bad Wolf Productions win First place? Check out "As Long As You're Mine".