Medieval Times Crafts
The Middle Ages bring to mind images of valiant knights fighting fire-breathing dragons and rescuing fair maidens from towers. While you generally have to go to a museum to see actual medieval items, there are plenty you can recreate with more modern materials. There are such a wide variety of medieval crafts that they can be done by people of any age and with varying degrees of artistic skill.
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Stained Glass Windows
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Religion was an important part of daily life during medieval times as evidenced by the countless ornate churches and cathedrals around Europe. A key feature to all of these churches are their stained glass windows. For a class project, oily soap paints are simple to make and can be painted onto windows with both fingers and paintbrushes. This craft helps create a truly medieval feel while studying the time period.
Castle Drawbridge
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Sturdy poster board painted brown serves as a lightweight alternative to wood. Cut it to the size of a door with a curved top to turn an ordinary door into a castle drawbridge.To create a more aged, natural look, dry brush various shades of brown or black paint onto the poster board. To achieve the full effect of a castle drawbridge, attach two ends of rope near the top of the door so you can raise and lower it.
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Royal Regalia
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No medieval kingdom was complete without its king and queen. Some Bristol board shaped into a crown or tiara, spray painted gold with plastic jewels attached can help create the illusion of nobility for even the youngest princess. Glue a tennis ball to a wooden dowel and cover them both in tinfoil, glitter and even more fake gems and your young ruler will have his very own scepter.
Heraldic Shields
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Every noble family in the Middle Ages had its own coat of arms. Heraldic shields were unique to each family in both color and imagery. As the name suggests, a heraldic shield is shaped like a knight's shield. This craft project can be drawn freehand and colored or created using construction paper. Coats of arms generally have images of real and mythical animals, celestial bodies and warrior's weapons.
Suits of Armor
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Creating a suit of armor is a craft that's as simple or as challenging as you make it. To create a relatively easy set of armor, all that's needed is some cardboard and silver paint. Those with the time and patience for intricate work can build intricate scaled armor out of poster board and craft foam. You can include elements such as a shield, helmet, gauntlets and greaves.
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References
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