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How to Make a Medieval Jester Cane

You know this jester flipped when he realized he forgot his cane.
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The medieval jester that provided merriment in a king or queen's court in medieval times lives on through television and film tropes. The role of the jester was to provide comic relief and entertainment through storytelling, comedy and physical performance. Part of the jester's appeal was his bright and outrageous style of dress -- which often mocked positions of power -- such as a floppy crownlike headdress and loudly decorated cane or staff. While a jester costume can be arranged in a variety of authentic ways, there are fewer options for decorating a jester's cane accessory. Creating a jester's cane requires just a few common items.

Things You'll Need:

  • 3-To-5-Foot Stick
  • Electrical Tape, Not Black
  • Adhesive Craft Jewels
  • Styrofoam Ball
  • Paint Marker

Obtain a stick to serve as the staff portion of your cane. Pick a stick that is colorful. The louder the better, as it is the jester's job to stand out. Use a stick that is straight and not too heavy to carry around. Visit the toy store, hardware store or home section of the supermarket to find sticks that are suitable. For example, a common broom stick that is yellow is usable, provided the lower sweeping portion is removable.

Paint the Styrofoam ball with a marker color that contrasts or complements the color of the stick. Use a color wheel for color pairs that are appealing to you or to find color groups that match the rest of your costume.

Decorate the Styrofoam ball with an assortment of craft jewels. Peel the paper off the back of the jewel and hold it firmly against the ball to activate the adhesive. If necessary, make a small indentation in the Styrofoam wall by pressing a quarter against the surface to allow the jewel to make full contact with the sphere. Leave space at the bottom of the ball to insert the stick into.

Wrap the stick with colored electrical tape so that it has a candy-cane or barber-pole appearance. Leave equal spacing between concentric lines of tape. This gives the stick a custom-painted appearance.

Puncture the Styrofoam orb with the top end of the stick and push it toward the center of the ball so the ball is secure on the top of the stick.

Tip

If the cane or staff is for a child, you'll do well to cut the stick down to size. A shoulder-height staff should suffice.

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