Things You'll Need:
- Piece of poster board Black construction paper Aluminum foil Scissors Clear-drying craft glue Clear tape Black permanent marker Measuring tape
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Step 1
Measure around the head of the child for whom the paper medieval knight helmet is intended. Transfer this measurement to a piece of poster board paper, and cut out a large rectangle taller than the child's head. Find the center of the poster board and mark it with a short pencil line. This will be the position of the front of the child's face.
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Step 2
Measure the distance from the base of the child's neck to his mouth and eyes. Mark these measurements on the poster board piece. Next, measure from the neck to the shoulder and mark this height halfway around the poster board rectangle. Use a ruler or straight-edge tool to draw diagonal lines connecting the two dots. Cut this out with a scissors, tapering as you see fit. Medieval helmets often taper in the front to protect the throat.
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Step 3
Draw round, square or rectangular slits for the eye holes. Be sure they are appropriately spaced to allow for a full range of vision. The mouth is not traditionally cut out on a medieval-style helmet. Cut five vertical slits approximately 1/2-inch wide each in the area where the mouth will be. You can also punch a series of round holes with a hole puncher to make a mesh-style mouth guard.
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Step 4
Position the poster board piece around the child's head and hold it closed with a couple of pieces of tape. Mark the top of the child's head with a pencil. Take the poster board off the child's head and complete this straight line across the width of the poster board. Cut the portion of the paper above this line into strips about 2 inches wide. Fold these over one another and secure them in a short pyramid shape with glue or tape to create the crown of the medieval paper helmet.
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Step 5
Pull a long section of aluminum foil off the roll and wrap it around the paper medieval helmet. Fold over the top and bottom to secure it to the paper helmet pieces. Use one scissor blade to carefully slice the foil in the middle of the eye holes and the mouth slits. Push the foil around the edges of the poster board in these places.
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Step 6
Decorate your paper medieval helmet with cut-out shapes of black construction paper or black permanent marker. Study books of medieval history or costume to find appropriate designs such as fleur de lis, rampant lions, crosses and castle shapes. The paper medieval helmet is now ready for your child to use in dress-up and creative play.
