How to Make Fake Breasts

Co-authored by Sahra Brandt and Amber Crain

Last Updated: October 14, 2022

If you want to create the illusion of breasts, you have lots of options! For the quickest and easiest solution, wear a padded bra and stuff it with socks or tissue paper. Wearing 2 bras at the same time is also a great option. If you're into cosplaying, you may want to create realistic-looking fake breasts that you can reuse with different costumes. Instead of buying or commissioning a set of fake breasts, why not make your own? The process is rather simple and cost-effective!

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Using Simple Items

1
Wear a bra and stuff the cups with socks. Choose a bra that has a little padding already, which can help conceal the sock padding. Fold 1 sock up to approximately the size of the bra cup. Then slip the bra on, cup your breast with your hand and lift it up. Situate the sock at the bottom of the bra cup, under your breast. Do the same thing for your other breast.
- Use 1 sock per breast. You can adjust the size by choosing thicker or thinner socks. If you want large breasts, use thick sweat socks. If you're only going for a small enhancement, use thin socks or ankle hosiery.^{[1]
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- Choose socks made of a soft material so they won't rub your skin raw.
- If you're not using a bra, but want to have fuller breasts, try using breast tape. This kind of product is usually adhesive without being sticky, so your skin is not going to hurt when ripping it off. Just add it to your nipples and then pull up and adhere it below your collarbone or on the top of your shoulders, depending on your clothes.^{[2]
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2
Stuff a bra with tissue or toilet paper. This is one of the easiest and cheapest solutions. Unroll the desired amount of tissue from the spool and fold it up so it looks smooth. Lift your breast and tuck the layered tissue beneath it. Be sure to situate the tissue deep into the bra cups to prevent it from spilling out when you're moving around.
- If you have access to socks, they make better stuffers because they're less likely to fall out. In a pinch, though, tissue paper gets the job done!^{[3]
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- Wear a bra with a little padding to disguise the added tissue paper.
3
Wear 2 bras at the same time. Choose 2 padded bras with molded cups that fit you relatively well. Put on 1 bra as you normally would, then put on the other bra right on top of it. Adjust the straps and bands as needed so everything looks as smooth as possible underneath your clothing.
- For a more seamless look, wear a strapless bra underneath a regular bra. However, 2 regular bras with straps work fine. 2 strapless bras also work well!
- This technique is a great option if you're a male trying to create realistic looking breasts for cosplay or if your top is too small to stuff your bra effectively.^{[4]
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4
Tuck silicone enhancement pads in your bra cups. You can buy these at lingerie shops or order them online in a variety of sizes. Insert 1 of the silicone pads into your bra cup. If you have it on hand, use double-sided tape so the pad stays firmly in your bra and against your body. Simply pull off a small piece, stick it to the pad, then stick the pad to the bra. Once you've got both pads inserted, adjust your bra straps as needed until everything feels comfortable.
- Go with a padded bra to create a smooth appearance and hide the lines of the enhancement pads.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Creating a Base for Cosplay Breasts

1
Get 2 sets of bra cups from the fabric store. For best results, get the large or extra-large size. Make sure that they have no wires inside and are white. You will be covering these with several layers of pantyhose, so you want a good base color. If you get black or brown, you may have a hard time getting an even color at the end.^{[5]
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2
Glue 2 matching bra cups together to form a larger breast shape. Stack the two left bra cups together. Make sure that the breast cups are facing in the same direction, then slide them apart slightly so that the bottom part of one cup rests over the center of the other cup. Once you are happy with the breast shape, secure both cups with fabric glue, hot glue, or super glue.^{[6]
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- Repeat this step for the right set of bra cups.
- Set the breast cups aside when you are done.
3
Cut apart some pantyhose to form flat sheets. Get four to five pairs of extra-large pantyhose that match your skin tone. Cut the legs off, then cut off the toes. Slice apart each leg along one of the seams to form a flat sheet. Discard the toes and seat/waist or save them for another project.
- You will need at least seven pairs of pantyhose for this. The larger, the better.
- Some types of pantyhose have control tops that extend to the thighs. They will be darker than the rest of the material. You need to cut below this.
4
Drape one of your pantyhose sheets over one of the breast cups. Wrap the edges of the pantyhose sheet over the edges of the breast cup. Secure the pantyhose to the underside of the breast cup with a fast-drying glue as you go. Pull the pantyhose taut over the breast so that there are no gaps. It will look sheer, but that's fine.^{[7]
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- Hot glue will work especially well for this step because of how fast it sets up.
- Start working at one end of the pantyhose. This way, you may have enough left over to cover the other breast.
5
Trim off the excess pantyhose with fabric scissors. Wait for the glue to dry first, if necessary, then flip the breast cup over. Trim off the excess pantyhose as close to the glue line as you can. When you are done, repeat the entire process for the other breast cup.^{[8]
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- If you have enough pantyhose leftover from the first breast cup, you can use it for the second one. Make sure that the bra cup doesn't show through, however.
- Save the remaining pantyhose sheets for later.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Assembling the Chest Plate

1
Trace the upper part of a t-shirt onto a sheet of white craft foam. Tuck the sleeves inside the shirt first, so that you have nice, curved edges for the arm holes. Place the shirt on top of the craft foam. Trace around the shirt, including the arm holes, stopping a few inches below each arm pit. This will be the base for your chest plate.
- If you can't find craft foam, thin, flexible cardboard may also work. Make sure it's white.
- Stay on the safe side, and add a few extra inches to the top of the shoulders.
2
Cut the chest plate out. Test it over your own chest. The top edges should wrap over your own shoulders. The bottom edge should extend a few inches past your armpit.
- Don't worry about it wrapping all the way around your torso.
3
Glue the breast cups to the bottom of your chest plate. Make sure that the breast cups are touching each other in the middle (this forms the cleavage). The top edges of the breast cups should be just below the arm pit of the chest plate. The bottom edges will likely hang over the bottom edge of the chest plate.^{[9]
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- The thinner part of the breasts should be pointing upwards. The thicker, fuller part should be pointing downwards.
4
Trim off the excess chest plate behind the breast cups. Once the glue dries, flip the chest plate over. Trim off the excess chest plate until you can see the entire inside of each breast cup again. This will make the breasts more comfortable to wear, especially if you are a girl.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Finishing the Cosplay Breasts

1
Glue pantyhose sheets across the breasts. Drape a pantyhose sheet lengthwise across the breasts. Find the center of the top, long edge, and glue it to center of your chest plate's neck. Just a drop will do. Stretch the bottom edge of the pantyhose sheet across the bottom edge of both breasts and glue it to the inside edge of each breast.
- For a neater finish, glue the pantyhose to the underside of the collar, not the front. Start with the outer edges first, then work your way to the bottom and inner (cleavage) edges.
- Hot glue is recommended for this section because of how fast it sets up.
2
Continue wrapping the pantyhose around the breasts. Working a little bit at a time, wrap the pantyhose around the outer edge of the chest plate and glue it to the underside. Make sure that you cover the entire collar, shoulders, arm holes, and sides.^{[10]
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- The covering will be very sheer, and the chest plate may warp. This is fine.
3
Add five more layers of pantyhose. Using the same technique as before, add five more layers pantyhose sheets to your breasts and chest plate. Make sure that you have no gaps or holes showing, otherwise the skin tone will be uneven. With each layer that you add, you may notice the color getting darker and more consistent.^{[11]
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4
Add structure or support to the back of the chest plate. The pantyhose covering will likely cause the chest plate to curve or warp. Flip the chest plate over, and measure from the top of one shoulder down to the top of one breast. Cut a piece of thin cardboard according to that measurement, then glue it to the back of the chest plate. Make sure that it's not visible from the front.^{[12]
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- Repeat this step for the other shoulder and breast.
- You can also use plastic boning, featherlight boning, or thermoplastic/worbla.
5
Glue elastic to the shoulders and sides of the chest plate. Cut 4 equal lengths of elastic. Hot glue 2 of the pieces to each shoulder of the chest plate. Hot glue the other 2 pieces to the sides of the chest plate, right below the arm pits.^{[13]
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- If your costume will be light colored, use white elastic.
- If you are female, you can glue an old bra inside the chest plate.^{[14]
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6
Add small backpack buckles or Velcro to the end of each elastic. You can use hot glue, but sewing the elastic to the buckles or Velcro would be better. You will be crossing the left shoulder elastic to the right chest elastic, and the right shoulder elastic to the left chest elastic. If you need to, trim and cut the elastic first so that it is short enough to do this.^{[15]
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- If you are using an old bra, you can skip this step.
7
Try on the chest plate. Place the chest plate over your chest. Cross the elastics across your back in an X-shape and snap (or Velcro) them together. Put on your costume, and adjust it until it rests over the fake breasts naturally. If you need to, use makeup to help match your skin tone to the breasts. You can also get clever with carefully-placed accessories, such as scarves, collars, or necklaces.
- If you attached the chest plate to an old bra, then put it on like a bra.

Community Q&A

Question

Isn't this rude towards women?

Community Answer

No. Some people want fake breasts for costumes, for example, and that's not offensive.
Question

Should I hug people if I am wearing fake breasts?

Community Answer

If you're not trying to pass them off as real, it doesn't matter. If you do want people to think they're real, either refrain from hugging anyone or try to stick to a side hug where you're not pressing your chest against theirs.
Question

Can I go swimming with my fake breasts?

Community Answer

No, because they will fall out and everyone will probably laugh at you.

Warnings

Fake breasts take time, patience, and practice. If this is for a convention, start early and give yourself time to make and fix mistakes.

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