Hero of Legend Foam Sword

Want to make your store-bought foam sword into an adorable, convention-safe prop? Let me show you the way!

What you need:

• Foam sword here's one for under $6
• Felt squares (9in x 12in) in gold and also brown (or tan)
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun (and glue sticks)
• Jewels (x 2) in a color and style of your choosing
• Padding - this is optional, use if you need help getting your store-bought sword to the right shape for your Hero sword, you can use stiffened felt, I used foam caulk backer rod to give the sword handle a more rounded look.

If your ready-made sword doesn't conform to the shape you want it, trim extra parts with your scissors and pad out other areas with stiffed felt or caulk backer rod. I used backer rod (cutting it in half lengthwise to get a half-round strip) and hot glued it to the sword's handle to create a rounded pommel. I also trimmed a bit from the center of the pommel to give a flatter area for me to glue the jewels.

Now it's time to cover your sword in felt and give it that distinct Hero flair. Through trial and error, I have found that I need three pieces to cover the sword handle (as pictured above) plus two small circles to finish it off. Using the gold felt, outline the shape of your sword, keeping your desired sword shape in mind, and giving a generous margin. Include a long flap on one side (will be used to wrap around the handle). Once you have cut out that main piece, fold it in half and check for symmetry, then use it as a pattern to cut the smaller piece. The smaller piece will cover the sword hilt only. Cut a large rectangle and add some slits on the long edges of the rectangle - this shape will wrap around the bottom of the handle (pommel). The slits will help the felt wrap around the pommel. Finally, cut two circles, about 1" in diameter. This will decorate the pommel.

Start by gluing the main piece to the hilt and gluing down the handle wrap. REMEMBER TO USE CAUTION WITH HOT GLUE! Anchor the piece to the sword by lightly gluing the large point to the middle of the blade itself. I say 'lightly' because the foam used for the blades of these swords is typically spongy and can melt easily from the heat of the glue. Once you have the larger piece in place and the handle wrapped, add the smaller piece to the other side of the handle, using the same steps for gluing. Now glue the handles of the felt to each other, covering over the foam. Finish it by securing the down-facing point (on the smaller piece) over the wrapped handle.

You may need to trim the new handle so it looks even and crisp. Now glue the rectangle around the pommel - see the picture for how to position this. Once you have this piece glued, fold in the different sections like petals of a flower. Top it off by gluing the circle in the center of each side of the pommel.

Cut a thin strip, about 1/4" wide, from your tan or brown felt (I actually ran out of tan so I used moss green here). Wrap this strip around the handle, blending it in by cutting an angle in the end of the strip as shown. Start at the top and glue as you go along and trim the end at an angle, plugging it into the bottom of the handle. Glue your jewels in the center of the circles that you just glued onto the pommel.

PRO TIP: Make one each of green, blue, red, and purple and have a Four Swords-style competition with 3 of your friends!

I hope you have a ball making this fun, easy accessory. It makes a great kids project, cosplay prop, gift, or give-away for adventure-themed parties. Always do your best,

Supreme Thunder