Choose Materials for a Wearable Game Prop
Match the material to the part of the prop instead of forcing one material to do every job.
Wearable props ask more of a material than display props do. They need to look right, stay comfortable for more than a few minutes, and survive being moved through a doorway or crowded room.
Break the prop into separate jobs. A lightweight shell gives you the silhouette. Foam or padding can protect the wearer and soften contact points. Webbing, elastic, and simple hardware can handle the attachment work. Treating those as separate choices makes the whole piece easier to improve.
Test a small offcut before committing. Paint, glue, heat, and bending all change how a material behaves. A sample can reveal cracking paint, an uncomfortable edge, or a glue that needs more cure time.
Keep the contact points simple. Good straps and padding usually matter more to a wearable prop than another tiny surface detail. If it stays in place and feels manageable, you will have more opportunities to wear and photograph it.