A sword is a weapon that never loses its fascination. From ninjas to pirates, all the cool guys in stories and childhood movies, seem to have swords. However, it is also not a toy we would want our kids to have to owe to the seemingly violent undertones of the weapon.
2. Swords
A sword is a weapon that never loses
its fascination. From ninjas to pirates,
all the cool guys in stories and
childhood movies, seem to have
swords. However, it is also not a toy
we would want our kids to have to
owe to the seemingly violent
undertones of the weapon. But did
you know you don’t have to give a
metal or realistic toy sword to your
kids? In fact, you can make on at
home out of custom cardboard
packaging boxes.
3. Making a sword
Making a sword of your own can be a great
project. Not only does it teach you the value of
recycling, but it also opens up the creative part
of your brain, and you learn to make treasures
out of scrap. What’s more, you can use this
sword in pretend play, or even as the accessory
for costume parties! There is no end to the
uses of this little DIY toy! In fact, you can even
use it as a decoration for your living room.
4. Build Your Sword
In this article, we are going to provide you with some
inspiration to help you build your sword out of
recycled cardboard boxes. So let’s see how we can
do this.
5. Things You Need
A big
carton or a
cardboard
sheet
Ruler Pencil
Glue Cutter
Aluminum
foil for the
blade
Brown
cardstock to
the hilt
Tape
Mug to draw
around if you
are making
your
template
Printing
paper Printer
6. 1.
First of all, you need to draw the
image of the sword. There are many
styles of swords, for example, a ninja
sword, a katana, a pirate sword, a
wooden sword, etc. And all of these
look different. You need to decide
the style you love the best and draw
its exact image on the cardboard
sheet. You can either draw yourself,
measuring accurately with the help
of a ruler, or you can also print a
template that you’ve found on the
internet, and stick it to the
cardboard for reference.
7. Sword Templates
Printing a template will make your work faster
and easier. However, you might feel limited if
there are only a limited type of sword
templates available. Either way, the first step
requires you to transfer the image of the sword
to the cardboard sheet.
8. 2.
Next step is to transfer that same
image again to another cardboard
sheet. We need two sets of these so
they can be glued together, on top of
each other, to add sturdiness.
9. 3.
Once both images have been transferred, cut
them out using the paper knife. Make sure you
cut neatly so the edges don’t fray too much, as
it will be hard to smoothen them out later on.
10. 4.
Glue both the cutouts on top of each other. Make
sure the hilt matches with the hilt and the blade
matches with the blade. If there is even a little
difference in dimensions, the sword will not sit
properly and will look shabby.
11. 5.
Once the sword is glued and the glue
has dried, you need to wrap the
blade in the aluminum foil to give a
shiny, silvery look. You can also use
silver spray paint if you want, but the
foil gives it an added texture which
looks more beautiful.
12. 6.
Roll the sword in the foil and wrap it
completely. Fold and cut the extra part of the
foil from the top and run your hand over the
complete surface of the blade to smoothen out
any bubbles.
13. 7.
Now the blade is done so let’s turn to the hilt. Use the brown card
paper to wrap the hilt to give it a woodsy look. If you want a metal or
gold hilt, you can use paper accordingly. Glue the edges of the paper
together to secure the hilt. You can make this hilt removable or non-
removable according to your preference.
14. Sword is Ready
Now your sword is ready for play! You
can use it as an accessory for your
costume or just for play in the backyard.
We are sure your kids will love making
this and playing with it. And if you need
a video tutorial for this sword, here is a
link to help you out: