Making a Coat of Arms
During medieval times, coats of arms identified families and knights to one another. This was especially important during battle, when knowing the difference between a friend and an enemy was crucial. Coats of arms printed on shields and armor prevented knights from killing their allies. These symbols also represented important things about different families. A coat of arms showed where a family was in society, what they were like and their reputation. You can reinforce these facts by creating a follow-up craft making your own coat of arms.
Instructions
-
-
1
Pick four symbols, and colors for each of your symbols. Choose an animal, an object and two patterned lines. For example, your shield proper may be silver for sincerity, with a black bear for steadfastness and strength, a gold ring for generosity and fidelity, a blue wavy line for seafarers and a black jagged line for past difficulties. Pick symbols with meaning for you.
-
2
Plan your coat of arms on a piece of paper. Draw a U with a pointed bottom and close it with a line straight across the top. Arrange your symbols inside with the animal and object in the center and your lines to the top and bottom. Label each part of your shield with its proper color.
-
-
3
Redraw your plan very carefully onto a piece of poster board. Start with the shield outline and paint it your chosen color. Let the paint dry for an hour.
-
4
Sketch in the rest of your symbols with chalk. Add as much detail as you like, outlining the symbols with ink when finished.
-
5
Paint your symbols their proper colors, working carefully and slowly. If one of your symbols has more than one color on it, allow one color to dry before painting on another. Let everything dry overnight and display your coat of arms on the wall with pride.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit coat of arms image by FotoWorx from Fotolia.com
