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DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Make a Spear

The tip is made from styrofoam for safety.

You can also make the African Mask to go with this project.

Materials:

  • cardboard gift wrap roll
  • styrofoam meat tray
  • scissors
  • tape
  • brown, black or grey paint
  • OPTIONAL:  Paper Mache -- visit "How to Paper Mache" for the recipe
  • OPTIONAL:  a second color of paint for decoration

Instructions:

  • Cut the gift wrap roll all the way up the length (so it isn't a roll anymore.
      
  • Reroll it as tight as you can (I found that rolling it on a diagonal worked best)
      
  • Tape it tightly with masking tape (tape you can paint over) if you aren't paper macheing.  Any kind of tape will do if you are paper macheing

  • At this point, you can just paint it brown, black or grey
      
  • OR, you can paper mache the project.  The Paper Mache will make the craft MUCH sturdier.  It is the method we chose.
    • paper mache (2 layers) the shield and all of the face pieces.
    • let dry
    • cover with a final layer of scrap white paper mache
    • let dry
        
  • visit "How to Paper Mache" for tips on paper macheing.
      
  • Cut a spear shape from a piece of styrofoam.  Don't make the end too pointy.  
      
  • Tape it onto the end of the shaft.

(if the end breaks, you can just cut out another one.)

   

Printable version of these instructions