Make Cardboard Armour
Are you trying to make some armour for playing fantasy or historical games with your friends? Although it may not look as good in the end, you might want to try making it out of cardboard. This is a cheap and easy method—certainly more so than making it out of metal!
Steps
- Acquire an oblong-shaped cardboard box and cut the ends off, so that you can place it around your body, over your chest and stomach. Make sure the box is big enough to fit.
- Get two leather straps or nylon strings and attach them to your box - using staples or quick-drying glue—so that they can be worn over your shoulders, holding the box in the right place (over your chest and stomach). Make sure to measure them and cut them to the right length. Alternatively, you can use string for this step, as it will not be visible in the finished product. You now have a breast plate.
- Collect two small boxes. Make sure that they are right size to fit over your shoulders. Tissue boxes could be ideal for this. Cut them out so there are two sides open on each one - so they can slip easily on to the shoulders, and not restrict arm movement too much. Also, they must be on firm enough to prevent them falling off at every opportunity. These boxes will form the spaulders—or shoulder plates.
- Find boxes suitable for use as greaves, the pieces of armour which protect the legs. These will presumably need to be long and thin. They should be flexible at your leg joint—so you should create some sort of hinge there, possibly by cutting three sides and leaving the last.
- Create the helmet using a shoebox about the size of your head. Cut out an oval shape for you to place your head through, and also the bottom end of the box, for you to put your neck through.
- Make the shield. This is by far the simplest part of the armour. You need to cut some thick cardboard into the shape of your shield. This can be square, kite-shaped, rectangular or any other shape you can think of.
- Cut out a sword shape from a piece of thick cardboard. This will be rather too floppy for use on it's own, so you may want to attach a wooden stick to it.
- Paint your armour. You will probably use a lot of silver paint, and possibly some black. Try painting some jewels, or a coat of arms, on your armour.
- Finished.
Tips
- Add personal touches to your armour, such as creating your own coat of arms.
- This will probably not win any costume contests, but it will be fun to make and play in.
Warnings
- This armour is only for a costume or playing, and will not protect you from real sticks, arrows, swords, spears, javelins, nor from the Undead.
- This type of armour does not work well in rain.
- This will not be very flexible, and not so easy to move around in.
- Be careful with scissors.
- Try not to beat someone with real weapons.
Things You'll Need
- Cardboard
- Cardboard boxes
- Scissors
- Silver paint
- White Tape
Related Articles
- Make a Wooden Sword
- Make a Wooden Shield
- Make a Cardboard Sword
