How to Build a Knight in Shining Armor Costume

Other parts of the knight costume, such as knee and shoulder plates, can also be created from cardboard.

Slay dragons with your very own knight in shining armor costume. While a professional-looking knight in shining armor costume is great for Halloween, it may also be useful to renaissance fair attendees or cosplayers. Winning a costume contest could also be a great motivation to build a high-quality knight in shining armor costume. Using a few store-bought and found items, anyone can build one.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard boxes
• Straightedge
• Utility knife
• Duct tape
• Twine
• Brass fasteners
• Glue
• Aluminum foil (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut out two large pieces of cardboard into the shape of a chest plate. Use a straightedge metal ruler and a pencil to draw the shapes on the cardboard. For the first piece, use the utility knife to create a shape that has two flaps on the top that will go over the shoulders and two flaps on the side that will go around the waist. Repeat the same process for the back piece and attach the two shoulder pieces together with duct tape. For the side flaps, cut a hole in each of the four flaps. Twine will be inserted through the holes to pull the chest plate together. Cut two six-inch pieces of twine for each side. Put on the chest plate and run the twine between the two holes on each side to determine how much you need. Tie a loose knot that can be undone for easy removal of the chest plate. Cut off any excess twine.

2. Cut a long piece of cardboard for a belt. Other short pieces of cardboard can be attached to this with duct tape to create protection for the pelvic region.

3. Make gauntlets by wrapping pieces of cardboard around the wrists to get the measurements. Roll the cardboard pieces into tubes that should be the length of the forearm. Tape together with duct tape. Leggings can be created in the same way -- wrapping pieces of cardboard around the legs to get measurements and then rolling them into tubes.

4. Create a helmet by wrapping a piece of cardboard around the head to get the proper size. Cut an opening for the face. Tape together with duct tape. Measure the circumference of the top of the helmet and cut a cardboard circle to fill it. Tape it onto the top of the helmet.

5. Add a visor by cutting three long pieces of cardboard. The front piece will go on the forehead area of the the helmet and should be equal to the forehead in length. The other two pieces should be long enough to extend from each ear to the sides of the front piece of the visor. Punch a brass fastener where the side pieces meet the visor front on each side. Punch all the way through the cardboard and bend the brass flaps out. This construction will give the visor flexibility. Attach the completed visor to the sides of the helmet with two brass fasteners.

6. Decorate the armor and helmet by covering it with more duct tape, or to create "shining" armor, some aluminum foil. Aluminum foil can be glued to the surface of the cardboard.

References

• You Tube: How to make your own Brown Knight costume
• Martha Stewart: 7 Grocery Getups--Knight and Dragon
• Beautiful Iron: Armour Diagrams