How to Make Steam Punk Goggles
Steam punk, or steampunk, fashion combines the elegant styles of the 19th-century steam era with elements of futuristic and fantastical science fiction. Many of the items sported by followers of the steampunk movement are vintage or hand-crafted pieces that can be quite costly. For instance, industrial goggles are a steampunk staple that could set you back a pretty penny if purchased from a specialty store. Instead of shelling out to get the steampunk look, make your own custom pair of goggles right at home for a fraction of the price. Not only is the project economical, but it's fairly simple to complete.
Things You'll Need
- Scissors
- Empty cereal box
- 2 mason jar lids
- Pen
- Eye-mask (optional)
- Scrap piece of leather
- Measuring tape
- 3/4-inch elastic
- Needle and thread
- Metallic spray paint
- Hot glue
- Clear cellophane
Instructions
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1
Cut a panel from the front of the empty cereal box. Remove the center pieces of the mason jar lids and set them aside. Place the resulting ring-shaped lids top-down on the cardboard panel with about an inch of space between each one. Trace the circular outlines of the lids and then cut out and discard the cardboard in the center of each one. Remove the lids and set them aside.
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2
Draw an outline with about a 1/3-inch margin around the circles to create an eye-mask shape; use an actual eye-mask to help guide you if you're unsure of how to draw the outline by hand. Cut out the resulting outline, and then discard any excess cardboard.
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3
Place the cardboard template on top of your piece of leather and trace the outline in pen. Remove the cardboard and use scissors to cut the leather along the outline.
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4
Cut a piece of elastic to fit snugly around your head, and then use the remaining scrap leather to create a casing for the band. Sew the casing using a needle and thread, and then sew each end of the band to either side of the leather eye-mask portion.
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5
Spray paint your mason jar lids with a metallic shade in a well-ventilated or outdoor area. Allow the paint to dry, and then check that the lids will fit snugly inside the eye-mask holes; if the lids do not fit through, increase the circumference of the eye-holes with your scissors. Place a ribbon of hot glue around each of the top-sides of the rims and place the lids through the holes.
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6
Use center pieces from the mason jar lids to trace circles of clear cellophane wrap. Cut these pieces of cellophane out and use hot glue to attach them to the inside of the mason jar lids in your eye-mask.
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Tips & Warnings
For additional steampunk touches, use the hot glue to attach items like screws, gears and clockworks to the leather band of your goggles. If you don't have access to mason jar lids, you can also use the ends of cardboard toilet paper or paper towel rolls.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
