Children of preschool age and older are very fond of games that repeat and reconstruct historical events, especially colorfully presented in films. To more accurately depict events and cater to children's imagination, give children different gaming paraphernalia, for example, toy swords. Let's try to figure out how to make a sword out of paper, out of a balloon, out of wood, out of cardboard or a lightsaber.
How to make a sword out of paper
How to make a sword out of paper? This does not require many tools and available materials. All we need is paper, free time and the desire to make a toy, strictly following a certain pattern. It is very useful to involve your child in creating a paper sword - this activity will not only help develop his perseverance and attentiveness, but will also bring the child the pleasure of a job well done.
- First, you need to take a sheet of paper, maybe colored, A3 size. Bend one of the corners of your choice to the opposite side of the sheet. We cut off the excess paper. It turns out to be a square. With the colored side down, fold the square sheet in half and diagonally in both directions, maintaining strict alignment of the corners. To make the fold lines more visible on paper, you should smooth them out with a coin or ruler. This will make the paper fractures thinner and deeper.
- The next step is to combine the opposite corners of the sheet to form a triangle. Next, we wrap each corner of the triangle lying at the fold of the sheet inward and get a rhombus.
- Taking the folded sheet by the middle part in your left hand, with your right hand we bend the edges of the diamond to its middle on one side and the other. Turn over and repeat this action. The result is a figure that resembles the tip of a spear.
- We turn the folded parts inward on one side. To make this easier, do not forget to smooth the folds with a coin or other thin, hard object. Bend the resulting figure to the side. This is a blank for a sword blade. We wrap the obtuse corners of the resulting rhombus towards the middle.
- Turn the workpiece over. Considering the axis passing through the long part of the figure to be horizontal, we turn the upper and lower corners of it towards the middle. Then we straighten them and fold them again, but inward.
- Turn it over again. Taking the sword blank by the so-called blade, we wrap the two folded parts that are located at the bottom to the sides. We fold them again and get the crossguard of the sword. We bend the edges of the cross towards the top.
- Turn it over. Fold the remaining unfolded diamond towards the middle. This is the hilt of the sword. To secure it, you need to bend the parts of the paper going to the cross into the middle and press down well.
The paper sword is ready. With the proper skill, it will turn out neat and beautiful, which will give you and your child the joy of creation, and then allow him to plunge into his fantasy world and, using his wonderful sword, fight evil and injustice.
Features of paper weapons
Making a sword out of paper is not difficult if you choose a clear algorithm with an accurate description. There are several different ways to make a sword of a certain shape and size out of paper. The easiest way to make a weapon is using the origami technique, but the appliqué technique is also suitable.
Required materials and tools
To make a craft, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:
- It is more advisable to make a solid base from cardboard, but in some models it is still preferable to use paper.
- Scissors or a utility knife for cutting out parts.
- PVA glue or double-sided tape for fixing individual parts.
- A simple pencil and ruler for preparing a template and sketch.
Additionally, decorative elements can be used - satin ribbons, plastic stones, decorative chains. To make the craft more realistic, paints are used - silver for painting the blade and gold (bronze) for the handle.
Where are they useful?
The use of cellulose swords is very widespread. There are many options for using such unusual weapons:
- A sword made from money can be an excellent gift for a friend’s birthday if you put the craft in a postcard or gift envelope.
- A paper sword is an interesting and safe attribute of a story game for boys.
- A beautifully crafted weapon made from cellulose can become the basis of a themed party for a bachelor party or birthday.
- Large swords or sabers are useful in school theater productions as props.
You can find many more ways to use it, the main thing is to get into the theme of a holiday, event or party.
How to make a sword from a ball
Creating figures and models from balloons is called twisting. There are many reasons to learn twisting, such as practicing fine motor skills. Twisting will also help develop a child’s creative thinking and, naturally, imagination.
In order to make a sword from a balloon, you need a hand pump and a set of balloons of a specific type, the so-called sausage ball.
Do not think that without some skill you will be able to roll such a ball into any shape the first time. If you want to give your children a surprise or show off your ability to make a balloon sword at a children's party, you should practice first. Keep in mind that not all balls are strong or flexible enough to be used as models.
- First, let's inflate several sausage balls using a pump. Naturally, you can inflate the balloons with your mouth, but this is very tedious.
- Leave 3-5 cm without air, which will allow the air to escape into the empty part when twisting and prevent the ball from bursting. During the twisting process, so-called bubbles are obtained. You do all the work with one hand, holding the first and last bubble with the other. To twist the ball when creating a bubble, three turns are made around its axis in only one direction. This will ensure the reliability of the structure, preventing it from falling apart when pushed or hit. For fastening, they do not use threads, but knots tied on a ball.
- It will take no more than 10 minutes to create a sword. Take a balloon that is inflated and tied at the end. We bend it, stepping back 15-20 cm from the edge. We bend it again at the same distance from the first fold. It turns out to be a “snake”.
- Grabbing the “snake” with your hand, twist it forcefully in the middle. The result is the handle of the sword and its guard. The remaining part of the ball is the blade. The ball sword is ready.
Teach your little one how to make this simple balloon shape and let him get lost in his dreams of making weapons for a pirate gang or noble knights. In addition, a sword made from inflatable balls is a very safe toy; it will not injure your child and his friends.
You can make a sword out of a ball, entertaining an adult group too. We are sure that moms and dads wouldn't mind having fun with a toy sword either.
Step by step guide
- To get started you will need a drawing. You can draw a rough drawing of a katana or download a ready-made template from the Internet.
- Having made the workpiece, begin processing, starting with the handle. Process the area under it using a file and a plane.
- Shape the blade by removing excess wood using a template using tools.
- Round the tip and smooth the corners of the handle.
- Sand the handle and blade using sandpaper.
If desired, you can cut out and attach a guard, but most bokkens are made without this element.
Now you know how to make a katana from wood. It turns out that this is not as difficult as it might seem. Even a beginner in this matter can cope with such a task.
How to make a homemade sword
Every boy dreamed of having a real sword in childhood, and some, having become adults, are not averse to arming themselves with bladed weapons from distant eras. In addition, one should take into account the influence of time, which has increased the popularity of role-playing games based on the R.R. universe. Tolkien or other fantasy authors of our time to a noticeable level. Now not only teenagers and young people, but also fully grown men and women, strive to entertain themselves by simulating life in a world imagined by science fiction writers.
At home, you can use wood, cardboard or metal to make a sword.
Glowing Sword
Namely, Frodo's sword from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
A fun and simple project using thin clear plastic, foam board and phosphorescent paint or glow sticks filled with it, which can be purchased at many toy stores.
According to the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the first owner of this sword, forged by skilled craftsmen of antiquity, was Bilbo Baggins, and then it went to his nephew Frodo. Its peculiarity is that the blade begins to glow if goblins appear nearby. Such a souvenir will undoubtedly delight any fan of fantasy, but it can also just be a good addition to a carnival costume of a warrior or pirate.
How to make a sword from wood
To create a wooden sword you will need:
- thin or plywood board;
- knife;
- hacksaw;
- scissors;
- Sander;
- chisel;
- plane;
- sandpaper;
- epoxy resin;
- dye;
- brush.
We should decide in advance what type of sword we are going to make. The entire variety of these bladed weapons is divided into three categories depending on the length of the blade: one-handed swords, one-and-a-half and two-handed swords. As the name of the category suggests, the length of the blade is such that you can handle the weapon with one or just two hands.
A sword up to 60 cm long belongs to the one-handed category. Sometimes used in conjunction with a shield.
The bastard sword, being a transitional variety between one-handed and two-handed swords, has a blade length of 85-122 cm and can be used with one or two hands and depending on the length of the handle.
The sword, with a total length of up to 150 cm and a blade length of up to 120 cm, belongs to the category of two-handed swords and is the longest and heaviest. If you press it into the ground with the tip of the blade, the pommel will be at the level of the warrior’s chin. Such a sword did not have a sheath, and the owner carried it on his shoulder.
One-handed swords were used as additional or secret weapons - daggers, sei, gladiuses, stilettos. One-and-a-half were used as the main weapon. These include swords, sabers, estoki, jian. Two-handed giants were used in battle against heavily armored knights. The most famous swords belonging to this category are slashers, claymores and flamberges.
The main characteristics of a sword are its balance and the quality of the steel from which the blade is made. The center of gravity should be shifted to the handle, at a distance of one palm from the guard - for one-handed and one-and-a-half swords, at a distance of two palms - for two-handed swords. This is due to the fact that the guard and the handle with the pommel make up about 2/3 of the weight of the entire weapon. Made in the form of a crossbar, the guard performs a protective function for the warrior’s hands and serves as a support for them. The handle of the sword is a continuation of the blade, to which are attached pads wrapped in leather. The pommel or apple is designed to support the hands back and, given the design of the handle and guard, serves as a fastening element for it.
Having examined, in general, the design of the sword, we will figure out how to make a wooden sword at home.
- First you need to choose the wood. The service life of the weapon will depend on its hardness. For a wooden sword, ash, oak or maple wood, without knots or cracks, is suitable.
- Using a hacksaw, we cut out the workpiece to the required length, remove all excess with a plane and get a sword of the desired shape, and the blade at the handle should be made larger than that of the tip both in thickness and in height.
- The next step is to make an oval handle. If you make the handle round, it will rotate in the palm, which will cause inconvenience when using the sword.
- We make the guard from rubber, giving it the shape that you like best.
- We accurately determine the location of the guard, taking into account the center of gravity of the entire product. To maintain proper balance, the handle is weighted with lead. We wrap the handle with leather or other suitable material. Leather cords should be wet before wrapping. After drying, they will tighten the handle tightly.
- To achieve the final gloss, sand and sharpen the blade using sandpaper or a grinder.
- To give our wooden sword the strength of steel, we will treat it with epoxy resin. Taking into account its transparency, you can add paint to the resin. After covering the sword with several layers of resin, let it dry. Now your wooden sword is ready.
Double-sided sword with sheath
For little knights, let's make a double-sided version. It will take about half an hour of free time to make it, but after spending half an hour, you yourself will be surprised that you were able to make such a weapon.
Before starting production, prepare:
- fifteen sheets of A4;
- glue;
- scissors;
- clothespins;
- simple pencil.
Ready, then let's find out how such a sword is made from paper material:
- We combine three sheets, align the sides and bend them in half along their length. We unfold it to its normal position and turn each side towards the middle, that is, towards the resulting line. Next, we bend two corners towards the center, on one side. We bend the sides of the resulting workpiece one more time towards the center. Bend the element in half.
- Using an identical method, we make another such element. Using three more sheets, we make a similar part, only without the sharp sides. We unfold one of the parts with a sharp side and the element that was made last. Apply glue to the middle and glue an even piece. Glue the second part.
- We wait until it dries and fix the remaining sides of the elements to the base. Now apply a thick layer of glue, press them down and fix them with clothespins until dry.
- While the product dries, take one sheet and fold it in half and in half. We direct the sides towards the center. Roll it three more times and cut it into two pieces. We lift one side, apply glue and press the raised element. We also glue the second part.
- We attach the product to these blanks and put marks in the middle. We connect these marks with a horizontal line. Cut holes along the marks. We thread the base through them. We bring the elements almost to the center of the product, leaving room for hands. Let's fix these elements.
- Fold the sheet in half until you get a strip one centimeter wide. Unfold and cut into pieces along the folds. We fold all the resulting strips in half, spread glue on one side and twist two strips.
- Glue the remaining strips lengthwise. Apply glue to one side and twist it onto the handle itself at an angle. After lining the handle, we strengthen the fastening of the dividers with another layer of wrapping on both sides. We apply a whole sheet to the blade and wrap it. Having wrapped it, we glue the element and get a cover. We do the same with the other side.
The double-sided paper sword using the origami technique is ready.
How to make a sword from cardboard
To create a cardboard sword, we need scissors and paint, with which we will then cover the workpiece to give it strength and an aesthetic appearance.
Having chosen the shape of the future sword, draw its pattern on a sheet of cardboard with a pencil. Use scissors to cut out the sword. If the cardboard is very thick, you can use a hacksaw. Gently sand the edges with fine sandpaper. Afterwards we paint the sword with paint: the blade and crosspiece are made of steel, the handle is black or brown. You can not paint the handle, but wrap it in leather or vinyl chloride. Such a sword will be more of a toy for children; it cannot be hung as a decoration on the wall. But, if desired, you can decorate the cardboard sword with foil or tin elements, then the product can decorate the most sophisticated interior.
Musketeer's sword
If you need to make a sword very quickly, then a sword made from ordinary newspaper is the best option.
You will need an old newspaper, tape, a piece of cardboard and scissors.
- Newspaper sheets are placed on top of each other and rolled diagonally into a tube.
- The edges are secured with tape.
- One end of the tube must be bent, slightly pressed, and a handle for the blade must be bent out of it. The handle is secured with tape.
- An oval with a hole in the center is cut out of cardboard. The blade is threaded into the hole.
- To prevent the hilt from slipping, you need to wrap the tube with a strip of paper and secure it with tape.
- All that remains is to color the finished product with felt-tip pens or markers.
All products are made quite simply. If you watch a video where swords made from paper are presented, you can find many other options and interesting ideas. The main advantage of this weapon is safety.
How to make a lightsaber
You have hardly seen the Star Wars movie saga. For many years, this fantastic story has excited the minds of children and adults. One of the attractions of this fictional world is the lightsaber - a miracle of technology of the future. But as it turned out, making a laser sword at home is very simple, and from improvised material.
To do this you need:
- paper towel;
- electric flashlight;
- foil;
- Whatman paper;
- insulating tape;
- scotch;
- knife.
Let's start making:
- Wrap a paper towel around the handle of the flashlight. Use a knife to cut off the excess length. According to the original source, the length of the handle is 24-30 cm. Let's make a window for the flashlight switch.
- Cover the handle on top of the paper with foil, not forgetting to cut a window in it for the switch. We secure the structure with electrical tape.
- We will make a light blade from a sheet of whatman paper. To do this, we’ll wind up whatman paper in a roll and attach it to the handle using tape. The Jedi used a standard length lightsaber from 100 to 130 cm. These dimensions should be used when making a blade from whatman paper.
- Activate your laser sword by turning on the flashlight. The heroes of the movie saga used lightsabers of different colors in battles. In our case, this can be achieved by placing multi-colored glass or plastic on the glass of the flashlight.
Now you have a powerful weapon in your hands that will help restore order in the galaxies and planets under your control.
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Knight's version
Of course, you can make other versions of weapons from paper, but let's continue making on our topic. This time we will make a sword like a real knight.
Before starting production, prepare:
- three regular leaves and two blue;
- scissors and tape.
If you are ready, then let's find out how to make an origami sword out of paper:
- Fold the white material in half lengthwise. We bend it in the same direction two more times. We glue the side that diverges with tape. After fixing, we unclench it and make it round.
- We cut from both sides and get a sharp edge. Glue this area together. We roll the second white one, starting from the corner, into a tube. We do the same with the third one.
- We wrap these elements in a circle with tape and insert them into the middle of the blade. One sheet of blue or blue color, folded in half. We unbend and fold one of the sides towards the center line. Then we fold this section two more times and cut the workpiece.
- We wrap the remaining piece around the upper edge of the blade and secure it with tape. Remove the part and glue one of the ends. Now we put the part on the edge of the gun.
- We bend the second material in half and cut it into two parts along the resulting fold. We bend one of the parts in half. We unfold it to its original position and turn one of the parts towards the center. We perform identical actions with the other half.
- We bend two corners to the center. We do the same with the other part. Next, we bend the side parts of this part to the center. We turn it over, bend it in half, and bend the triangles to the resulting line. We turn the part inside out, apply it to the handle, and approximately remember the width of the blade. We make cuts on the part based on this number. We put on the element and secure it with tape.
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This is the origami sword we made from paper. The work is not difficult, but the result will please the child.