Psilan asked on the fursuit list about making a suit for under $100;

It was mentioned twice on the “convenstions” thread
about people building Fursuits - from scratch - with a
$100 spending limit

[…]

I'm just curious - how? I would think that the
materials alone should cost more than that.

There were some very good responses, summarized here;
o Garage sales - one respondent found an old but working sewing machine for $5 (see section 7)
o Thrift/resale shops - can have machines, helmets and other accessories
o Party shops are great for various accessories (see section 5)
o fabric store mailing lists and newsletters - will have discount coupons - they will also have a remnants table
o mesh from an upholstery store can net you a lot of foam, even some of the smaller offcuts, great for detailing. Just ask! (see section 8.2, Chythar's post) Will also need a good pair of scissors and contact cement like Weldwood.
o For feet, sometimes slippers can do. Near the end of the year, Walmart and other stores may sell fuzzy paw slippers and maybe shoeslippers.
o Huge plushes from toy stores can be converted into a fursuit with a bit of work.
o If not fur, other materials can be used, like stretch fabrics.
o Go for just a head, paws, feet and tail.
o Plastic mesh and foam, when done right, make a great-looking head.
o Take your time to do it right.

From: Chythar
Bargain hunting and patience are your two biggest allies on making a cheap suit. One of the biggest starting expenses in fursuiting is tools - proper scissors, needles, thread, pins, etc. If you want a sewing machine, you're already far over $100 - I got one of the cheapest I could find for $200. It helps if you already have your own tools and sewing machine, or can borrow them from someone.

On a side note, if you do buy a sewing machine be sure to get one with metal gears. The really cheap ones are made of plastic - just fine for standard fabric, but will eventually strip when sewing fur.

Back to spending limits. One of the best ways to save money on a fursuit is to re-use materials from old fursuit projects - leftover fur, foam, etc. If you can buy remnants (the remaining few yards off a large roll) from a fabric store, they're usually cheaper than the normal price. I've saved $5/yard on one batch of fur, because I hunted through their remnants first. If you're willing to glue pieces of foam together to make a head, rather than buying a block and carving the head out of it, you can save a lot. I bought a bag of foam scraps from a foam store for $8, and I'm still using it several years later.

Remember, there are no rules about making a fursuit. You can use whatever materials you can find, and create it using whatever method you want to use. The important part is that the fursuit looks and works the way you want it to.

From: MarcWolf
Once you have the foam cut to shape etc - you can glue it onto a old pair of jeans, and then use some VERY cheap calico to wrap around the foam etc to make the patterm. Mark with a texta and cut. One you have all the panels worked out and which way the fur will lie (nothing worse than a fur panel that runs the wrong way) you can lay it all out and work out the minimum fur fabric you will need.

Someting else - you can use fabric paints and a very light touch to highlight areas on your costume. Its often the little details that really stand out.

From: FrryFox
Both Frryfox and Windancer were each well under $100 in materials. No comment on the time involved.

In the six years since I first set out to create a fursuit (which would become Frryfox), my skills have improved dramatically. I really wish I could go back and burn all pictures of me at AAC97 because of how bad I Frry looked back then (time crunch didn't get the fur I needed in time..) The seams were terrible and other than the headpiece, it had few redeemable qualities. Back then, fursuits were few and far between, and one that I had seen on the web was Jack Salem (by P Stoeller, which to this day still wows me with how close to R Gibson's drawings it looks). So knowing that I couldn't come close to that quality I just went out and did the best I could. I really knew noone in the fandom and so I felt even if I was ridiculed, it wouldn't haunt me beyond the convention. So I went, and by my accounts it was a terrible disaster, despite the incredible fun I had. I had nothing for the masquerade, I aimlessly walked around (in fursuit) just taking in my first convention and generally looked out of place. But, my worst fears were not realized. I was not ridiculed nor laughed at. I was quite well received and made many new friends. Moral of the story: Just do it. The quality is irrelevant. The fact that you have the courage to build a suit, and publicly display it says volumes for your character and resolve. And if someone laughs, flip 'em off. If someone brings a coherent issue, listen. Others can see things you cant. Let them explain what they see and ask if they know a way to do it better.

Story time 2: The wipeout.

Having made a name for myself and loosened up considerably in costume, I went ahead and was in a variety show. Think of it as a masquerade, only the point is to entertain not win anything. Anyways, I had some loose ideas and they were incorporated into the show and all seemed good, until it came time to perform. It was a simple thing really, bolt on stage, grab an item from the MC and take it across stage to the sound table. Only on my way back across the stage, I slipped, skidded out of control, leg whipped the stage manager to the ground and rolled under the sound table. First act of the show and I screwed up big time. A wipeout was planned, but later in the show. So I crawled back stage and hung my head in total shame. Total and complete embarrassment. I finished my parts in the show and took the shattered remains of my ego back to the hotel room.

The next day at a panel I was sitting in on , some people made a reference to my screwup. The kicker was, they thought it was planned and wanted to pat me on the back for the effort. I was too busy sulking back stage to realize that I had really got a rousing round of applause and made everyone laugh, not at me, but at the show. What I thought was a total flop, was really a big hit. Something that was later exploited on the Pawpet Show. Moral: Don't be afraid to fail. I have screwed up in grand fashion. More than once. Has it deterred me? Not a chance. I semi-randomly decided to start goaltending ice hockey at age 24, turned out I am one of the better goalies on the area despite have 15 fewer years experience. I could have sucked completely and wasted $2,000 on gear, but I wasn't afraid to try.

Last point, I promise: Build or buy?

I will admit huge bias for the builders. That's not to say I don't absolutely respect those whose performance skills are way above mine or even those who at least enter in masquerades/FVS, but I gotta give the props to those that build their own, even if they don't have skits. When you invest your own time, money, and soul into bringing a lump of stuff to life, that's just cool. Maybe its because I'm an engineer and creating stuff is my passion and career (notice the order), but I still cant explain the odd feeling of looking in the mirror and not seeing your self, but rather your creation, looking back. And if you don't know how to do something, learn how or ask. It took me a good 2 weeks to figure out the damn bobbin thread and the correct needle orientation on my sewing machine. But I figured it out.