X

Teen makes Iron Man costume from scratch (pictures)

Amateur prop-maker Archie Whitehead tackles an epic Iron Man suit costume build, complete with helmet battle scars.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
diyironman2.jpg
1 of 7 Archie Whitehead

Iron Man's chest in progress

Archie Whitehead, a 17-year-old amateur prop-maker, crafted an entire Iron Man suit, spending months on the process. This chest piece shows a look at the build in progress. Automotive paint was applied later.
diyironman3.jpg
2 of 7 Archie Whitehead

Iron Man suit build from behind

Archie Whitehead, a young prop builder, crafted an incredibly detailed Iron Man suit to wear to the premiere of "Iron Man 3." The suit took months to build and cost around $500 in materials. This shows the back of the costume before paint was applied.
diyironman4.jpg
3 of 7 Archie Whitehead

Iron Man's shoes

Archie Whitehead's DIY Iron Man costume features a lot of detail work, right down to the tread on the bottom of the Iron Man shoes. Portions of the wearable costume are made from foam rubber, which helps keep the weight down.
diyironman5.jpg
4 of 7 Archie Whitehead

Painting Iron Man's boots

It took plenty of shiny automotive paint to make Archie Whitehead's homemade Iron Man costume come to life. The U.K. teen built the costume over several months, showing a passion for prop-making. These boots are sized to fit him.
diyironman6.jpg
5 of 7 Archie Whitehead

Iron Man helmet build

Teen Archie Whitehead built an entire Iron Man costume for himself. The helmet features glowing lights on the eyes, though it's designed so he can still see out of it. Whitehead applied battle scars to the helmet after painting it, and plans to add more battle marks to the rest of the suit.
diyironman7.jpg
6 of 7 Archie Whitehead

Full-on Iron Man

Archie Whitehead models his homemade Iron Man costume. The entire suit cost about $500 in materials, but required months of time to build. Glowing lights and a movie-accurate paint job really make the suit stand out.
diyironman1_1.jpg
7 of 7 Archie Whitehead

Archie Whitehead as Iron Man

Teen prop-maker Archie Whitehead makes a face as he wears his DIY Iron Man suit. He wore the suit to a local premiere of "Iron Man 3." Wisely, he built the codpiece with Velcro and clips that make it easy to remove in case of a bathroom emergency.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos