Upcycled Centurion Costume and Wheelchair Chariot

UPCYCLED CARDBOARD CENTURION COSTUME

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Sewing Tape Measure
• Cardboard
• Hot Glue Gun/Glue Gun Sticks
• Power Tac Adhesive
• Utility Knife
• Cutting Board
• Hacksaw, Fine Tooth Blade, Blade Extended Beyond Handle
• Optional: Bandsaw
• Masking Tape
• Appliques for Visor, Breastplate & Shoulder Guards
• Buttons, 2 for Visor, 2 for Shoulder Guards
• Floral Foam. 1 Block
• Cable Cord, 3/32"
• Feathers, Red, 2-3 Packs
• Paint: Acrylic, White, Medium Grey, Metallic Antique Gold, Metallic Sterling Silver
• Brushes, 1/2", 1" Chip, Assorted Artists
• Palette
• Elastic, 1" Braided, Black
• Velcro, 3/4", Black, 2-4"
• Fabric Clips or Clothespins, 4
• Optional: Bias Tape, 1/4" Double Fold, Fabri Tac Adhesive to Finish Edges of cardboard
• School Glue with Mixing Container and Newsprint Paper to Mache Helm
• Clothespins, 2

DIRECTIONS:

1. Measure head circumference and add 2" to length for overlap. Cut one of pattern repeating points to final length. Bend cardboard band and hot glue overlap end behind opposite end. Bend points to meet. Up to a 1/2" gap in the center will be concealed with the crest holder. Tape the point joints from the inside of the helm. Hot glue strips of cardboard over the joints on the inside. Optional: Mache joints of helm. Mix 70/30, glue with water. Saturate small, ripped strips of newsprint paper with glue mix. Overlap strips over joints of helm. Continue to smooth strips as glue is setting. Do not add mache to band of helm below joints.
2. Cut out the visor and crest holder. Trace the top edge of the crest holder two times on cardboard, 1" apart. Eliminate the end 3/4" on one. Add a line 1/2" down from the top edge line. Repeat. Cut. This will create 1/2" trim pieces for the top edge of the crest holder. Hot glue trim to sides of crest holder.
3. Floral foam will be encased by the crest holder on all sides. Trace the crest holder shape, minus the 3/4" ends and tabs at the bottom, onto floral foam. Cut foam to 3/4" thick. Cut out foam shape. Hot glue foam on inside of one side of crest holder. Top edge of foam flush with top edge of holder. Fold both 3/4" cardboard ends (without 1/2" trim at 3/4" ends) to foam and glue. Repeat for opposite side with 1/2" trim at 3/4" ends. Flare out bottom tabs. Set aside.
4. Use hot glue to add cord around bottom edge of helm and around perimeter of visor. Start cord at center back of helm. Apply two separate lengths of cord to visor, one around top edge and one around bottom edge. Start and stop at the bottom side corners. A small bead of Power Tac may be added to the cut ends of cord to stop fray. Use Power Tac to apply appliques to center of visor and one button on each side.
5. Bend visor to wrap around helm. Center visor on front of helm, the opposite side from overlap in band. Mark locations of where visor sides contact helm. Clothespins may be used to hold visor in place. Dry fit crest holder centered on point of visor and center back of helm. The feather crest will add additional height. Keep the crest holder forward on the helm. Mark location. Remove visor and set aside. Hot glue under the tabs of the crest holder to attach to the helm. Optional: Mache over tabs for a smooth top of helm. Paint all parts white leaving the area to connect the visor unpainted. Paint back of visor gold and inside helm grey. Let dry. Paint cable cord, appliques, buttons, crest holder trim and exposed floral foam gold. Let dry. Paint all other areas silver. Let dry. Stipple over silver areas with medium grey for an aged look. Use hot glue to attach the visor at the side marks.
6. Apply feathers for crest. Divide up feathers by length. Apply a generous amount of Power Tac to 1" of the exposed floral foam. Start at the front of the crest holder. Press the ends of the feathers into the foam with glue to secure. Reserve the largest feathers for toward the front and down the center of the crest. Adjust the feathers to stand straight side to side and curve toward the back of the helmet. Add shorter, softer feathers to fill on both sides. Trim the individual tips of feathers to shape crest.

1. The pattern is for a small child and may be used as a guide for any size.
2. Locate cardboard the size of the chest + additional height to bend over shoulders.
3. Breastplate:
4. Measure chest side to side, waist to collar.
5. Measure from collar up and over shoulder.
6. A paper pattern of one side may be made. Shoulder guards: Measure from lowest point of center of collar to over the shoulder the same distance down from collar as front and from side of collar to 1-2" past outer edge of shoulder.
7. Transfer measurements onto cardboard following direction of corrugations on pattern. Bend cardboard.
8. Test fit.
9. Optional: Attach bias tape over collar edge of breastplate using Fabri Tac.
10. Hot glue or Power Tac shoulder guards to breastplate.
11. Use hot glue to attach cable cord next to all cut edges.
12. Hot glue a circle of cardboard centered at heart height on breastplate.
13. Circle size determined by size of decorative applique.
14. Power Tac applique onto circle, appliques to shoulder guards and small buttons centered on outer curves.
15. Paint back of breastplate/shoulder guards medium grey.
16. Paint front white. Paint edges, cable cord, appliques and buttons gold.
17. Paint all cardboard surfaces silver. Stipple over silver areas with medium grey for an aged look.
18. Measure waist + 2"-4" (overlap for Velcro). Cut one length of elastic to measurement.
19. Test fit breastplate. Mark waist height on either side of the back of the breastplate.
20. Draw a line to connect the marks.
21. Measure from 1" under the shoulder guards, over the shoulder and down to the bottom edge of the waist mark + 3"-4".
22. Cut two lengths of elastic to measurement for shoulder straps. Use Power Tac to attach waist elastic centered side to side on waist mark.
23. Power Tac Velcro to either end of elastic.
24. Power Tac two side straps 1" under breastplate/shoulder guards.
25. Let set. Test fit. Secure Velcro on waist.
26. Wrap tail ends of shoulder straps around waistband elastic.
27. Use safety pins to temporarily secure around waistband elastic.
28. Use Power Tac (and fabric clips or clothespins until adhesive has set) to secure shoulder straps in place around sides of waist elastic.

JOANN HACKS:

• Add a 1" strip of felt inside the band of the helm, the area in contact with skin.
• Enlarge the circumference by 1/8" to accommodate the addition of felt.
• Cutting cardboard with a bandsaw with fine tooth blade will speed construction.

WHEELCHAIR CENTURION CHARIOT

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Cardboard
• Hacksaw, Fine Tooth Blade, Blade Extended Beyond Handle
• Utility Knife
• Cutting Board
• Optional: Bandsaw
• Sandpaper, Fine
• Power Tac Adhesive
• Hot Glue Gun/Glue Gun Sticks
• Floral Pins
• Quilting Pins
• Quilters Rule, 2'
• Pencil
• Smooth Fom:
• #24 Rod, 3 pack, 1
• #1 ball, 16 pack
• 3" ball, 1
• Craft Fom, #12 Wreath, 2 Full Round (wheels, size may vary), 1 Flat Back
• Paint:
• Acrylic: Black, White, Red, Medium Grey
• FolkArt Metallic: Antique Gold, Sterling Silver
• Brushes, 2" Chip, Assorted Artists
• Palette
• Assorted Trims, Fringe and Applique (center front)
• Chenille Stems or Zip Ties
• Grommets
• Hammer
• Additional Empty Boxes (as high as the width of the chariot)
• Large Book
• Weights
• Optional: Spackle, Paintable

DIRECTIONS:

1. Measure length, width and height (floor to a few inches above waist) of wheelchair. Determine areas that chariot frame may be attached to wheelchair with zip ties or chenille stems. These measurements will dictate the size of box required. The pattern for the front curve of the chariot frame should be used as a guide, to be adjusted to appropriate curve to fit wheelchair.
2. Locate a cardboard box that when open on the top and bottom will wrap around wheelchair. Cut off top and/or bottom flanges to determined height. Cut off one short side (one with overlap vertical seam) if cardboard will not surround wheelchair. On inside of short side, front, mark vertical lines every 2" starting at center. Score. This will create the curve front. Test fit on wheelchair. Additional lines may need to be scored to accommodate the width of the wheelchair. This will determine the diameter of the front frame curve. Cut and score front frame. Cut a second piece of cardboard without the flanges and angle braces. Hot glue to the top curve surface. Dry fit the frame inside the box curve. At the mark for the start of the curve of frame, on both sides, the top curve surface may be bent at a 20-30 degree angle down from the top edge of the box. Mark the location on the inside of the box. The sides of the box will slope down from the angle. Set the box around wheelchair. Determine appropriate height for back top corners of box, mark. On inside of box lay flat back wreath at marked back top corner, outer edge of wreath flush with back vertical and top of finish height. Trace around outside of wreath. Only approximately 1/4 of wreath will be used for each side of box. Add a curved line on the sides of the box connecting the wreath curve and the end of the frame. Use a utility knife to cut the curve mark for the wreath through to the slope at the ends of the frame. Use the cutoff cardboard as a pattern for the opposite side of the box. Mark cut lines on wreath where slope of box begins and back vertical of box begins. Use a hacksaw to cut the wreath. Set wreath aside.
3. Hot glue the outer flanges of the frame to the inside curve of the box, top curve surface flush with the top of the box. Match the center of the curve of the box with the center of the frame. Use Quilters pins to hold each flange in place until glue has set. Bend the three angle braces so the 2"x 4" area lays flat on the inside of the box. Hot glue in place.
4. Add rod trim flush to top edge of chariot. Cut two of the three foam rods in half lengthwise. Find the lengthwise center of one. Match center of rod with center of front curve of chariot. Use Power Tac to attach rod to cardboard. Use floral pins pressed through from the inside of the cardboard, between flanges, to hold rod in place as glue sets. Glue wreath sections at back top side corners of chariot. Mark and glue additional rods to fill space between front rod and wreath. If joints are not perfect the areas may be covered later. Paint the inside of the chariot grey. Paint the outside of the chariot white. Let dry. Paint the rod trim and top frame curve gold. Paint the cardboard outer surface silver. Let dry.
5. Construct 11 7/10" wheels. Lay a full round wreath on top of a piece of cardboard. Mark a line around the outer edge of wreath, tipping the pencil so the line reflects the surface of cardboard that touches the wreath back. Paint wreaths gold. Let dry. Cut out the cardboard circle. Repeat. Paint circles black. Cut one 3" foam ball in half. Flatten the top center 1 1/4" of ball with sandpaper. Paint sides gold. Let dry. Cut two 1/2" thickness of full round rod. Paint one cut end and sides red. Let dry. Cut rod (cut in half lengthwise) into 10 @ 3 1/4" long. Lay the flat back of 3" ball over one end of rod. Mark curve of ball onto the rod. Cut curve. Repeat. Paint silver. Let dry. Power Tac ball onto center of cardboard circle. Equally space five rods around ball (spokes). Make light pencil registration marks. Power Tac rods in place. Repeat. Power Tac 1/2" thick rod on flat center of 3" ball. Repeat. When glue has set place wreath on top of rods, centered on cardboard circle. Mark on rods the inside edge of wreath. Remove wreath and cut outer ends of rods with hacksaw and sandpaper. Test fit until wreath sits flush with cardboard circle. Repeat. Use Power Tac to attach wreath to cardboard. Repeat. Locate wheels on sides of chariot. Drop bottom edge 1-2" past the bottom edge of side. Mark line to indicate locations. Set wheels aside.
6. Cut #1 balls in half. Use pattern for shield as a guide. Cut one. Use Power Tac to attach applique in center of shield and #1 balls as rivets. Paint white, let dry and paint gold. Add cardboard trim to lower edge of chariot. Measure chariot from one bottom back corner to the other. Cut 2 1/2" W strips of cardboard as trim. Paint trim black. Let dry. Attach trim flush with bottom edge of cardboard using hot glue. Do not add trim at area designated for wheels. Add cardboard trim from side back vertical edge under wreath trim down to bottom edge black trim. Cut 1 1/4" strips of cardboard to fill. Cut additional 1 1/4" and 1/2" cardboard to cover any vertical and horizontal original box creases. Paint white. Let dry. Paint gold. Let dry. Do not attach additional cardboard trim until any other fabric trims and cording have been attached.
7. Test fit chariot on wheelchair. Mark locations to add zip ties or chenille stems to attach to chair. For durability, areas may need to be reinforced with a second layer of cardboard on the inside of the chariot. Cut holes for grommets through one original layer of cardboard. Add a reinforcement layer of cardboard to the inside. Attach with hot glue. Keep glue away from the grommet holes. Add grommets.
8. Use hot glue to attach roping, cording or other trim around edges of trim rods, back vertical trim and bottom black trim. Hot glue shield to front center of chariot directly under trim. Add roping around shield edge.
9. Power Tac wheels to sides of chariot. Lay the chariot on one side. Support the upper side with empty boxes. Attach one wheel. Place a large book on top of the wheel and additional weight. Let set. Repeat.
10. Add additional 3/4" cardboard strips painted black to wrap around rod trim seams. Wrap around rods and extend over top frame or to the inside of the sides of chariot. Add additional 1 1/4" & 1/2" trim to cover original creases on box. Power Tac #1 balls, cut in half, as rivets on the 1 1/4" and 2 1/2" trim. Paint rivets to match trim.
11. Touch up paint. Stipple medium grey paint as a shadow and texture.
12. Add zip ties or chenille stems through attachment holes and secure to wheelchair.

JOANN HACKS:

• When cutting cardboard shapes that will be bent run the corrugations in the cardboard opposite from the direction of bend. If necessary, score the back of the cardboard in the valleys of the corrugations for sharp, clean bends.
• Optional: Fill holes and cracks in foam with flexible, paintable spackle prior to painting.