Claw Ring Tutorial

Hey! I'm currently working on a cosplay (Viola from Soul Calibur 5) and I couldn't find any tutorials for putting the claws together. I found a great one for exactly how the pieces should be made and shaped, but I couldn't find anything for how to put them together, especially because I wanted a more delicate look than many of the claw rings out there. Now, I guess I should tell y'all how I did these!

Stuff I used (The materials really aren't hard and fast. I just know how I did it.)

-craft foam, one moderately thin sheet and one slightly thicker sheet
-fabric
-modeling clay
-Elmer's glue
-spray paint (I used Rustoleum metallic silver and I absolutely love it)
-acrylic paint
-a hair straightener
-a hot glue gun and glue. So much glue. Jeebus.

Step 1. Cut out kinda shield shaped pieces of the thinner foam (make them way bigger than you need. They'll shrink when heated) and put them in the hair straightener for a second or two. You'll need one piece for the first joint of your finger, two for the middle joint, and one for the top joint. The top and the bottom pieces should have long tabs, as these will later become the rings. Getting the top piece right is mainly trial and error, but the shape should extend past the ring so it can fold over and provide a base for attaching the claws

Step 2. This step won't make any sense, so I guess ask for clarification if it's confusing. Cut small slits in the part of the top piece where the foam extends past the ring tabs (for more seamless folding). Hot glue the ring tabs together, then fold the extended piece over and hot glue it. There may be small gaps, but that's okay.

Step 3. Take thin strips of fabric slightly longer than your finger and hot glue the pieces together. Make sure the different pieces attach near the relevant joints. You may burn your fingers during this step, or maybe this was just me being a dumbass and using chiffon. Lel.

Step 4. Cut out your claws and heat them with the hair straightener. Press them into a cool, flat surface quickly so they don't curl up and glue them on. Use modeling clay (air dry) and smooth over imperfections like those gaps on the top pieces. If you messed up like I did and used non-hardening clay, cover that ish with nail polish. Seriously.

Step 5. Cover the whole thing in watered down glue. Cover everything. The spray paint will slide off if you don't. Not that I know from experience or anything, baka.

Step 6. Spray paint! You'll need multiple coats to get everything, since many pieces are covered by others.

Step 7. Paint on any details if you have to (since I'm doing Viola's 2p outfit, I needed the claws to be red), and weather. Acrylic paint will slide off spray paint and it doesn't stay on terribly well with just watered down glue. I accepted it and so the weathering is crap, but I'm not making a tutorial for that, now am I?

I hope this was informative. Comment with any questions and (since I have no life) will get back to you quickly.