The Female Tusken Raiders appeared only in Episode II for a few seconds.

They are also now on display… look UP at Doc Ondar’s Den of Antiquities in Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World. There are TWO female Tusken masks! This is the only time I’ve seen them outside of the traveling Star Wars costume museum exhibit.

Reference photos for our costume builds!

The planning for 2014 Multiple Alternative Realities Convention coincided with my deep addiction to Tiny Death Star.

So of course this culminated in a desire to spend hours and hours crafting the little-seen female Tusken Raider cosplay.

I had originally planned on creating a male Tusken, but soon decided that the female Tusken Raider outfit was a challenge I couldn’t resist.

Now, I’m creating a female Tusken Raider, and Mr. T will go as my gaffi-stick-wielding better half.

I just had to make that helmet and armor. There are some ready-made helmet and armor plate kits that you can buy, and that’s fine for with extra money and not a lot of time, but for me, it felt like a(n expensive) cop-out. I’ve got the time and ability to make it with my own hands, so I did just that!

My mind-meld with the Tuskens began as many of my projects do: With paper mache! Paper Mache is my answer to most construction projects. I’ve created everything from giant mascot heads to huge fruit on stakes. If it’s solid and weird, I can mache it.

I took photos of each step of my female Tusken Raider build, so I’ve separated this post into various costume parts to post my progress.

Probably the Hardest part: How I Made a Female Tusken Raider Mask

I created my mask out of paper mache, hot glue, Crayola Model Magic and lots of shiny paint. This took the most time out of any part of the costume. Here’s how I did it.

The Bib: Here’s How I Created the Two-Part Bib Armor

Every good female Tusken Raider mask needs a weird bib of armor to dangle from it. Glamorous! Here’s how I made it.

And the Rest: Skirt, Cowl, Pouch, Boots and Gloves

With the mask and the bib taking so much work, it’s easy to forget all the other hand-sewn and crafted pieces. But Tusken Raiders leave no part of their bodies exposed to the sun, so I had to make a full-on suit that left absolutely everything to the imagination. Here’s the step-by-step.