Early Americans : Native Americans

We really have to remember that the FIRST Americans were the Native Americans, who were here thousands of years before the Europeans arrived.  Here are some of the weapons that they may have used, and a simple headband to finish off the costume.

Headband

Supplies :

• Black (or brown) construction paper
• White construction paper
• scissors
• staples
• magic marker

Directions :

• Cut a strip of black paper that is 1" wide and as far around as your head.  This will be the band.  Staple the ends together.
• Create two (or more feathers) but cutting shapes out of white paper and using magic markers to color the feathers.  We used plain white feathers with a black line down the middle and black tips at the end, to look like white hawk feathers.
• Staple the feathers to your headband, and wear proudly.

Spear

Supplies :

• cardboard
• aluminum foil
• tape
• wooden dowel (about 4' long)

Directions:

• Measure the length around the dowel (circular part).  Cut a piece of cardboard that is 6" long and as wide as around the dowel.
• Cut out a diamond with a tail at the bottom (to stick inside the cardboard shaft).
• Assemble the shaft by rolling the cardboard rectangle around the dowel, and taping it closed.
• Add the spear point, and tape it on.
• Cover the entire surface with aluminum foil.
• Slide the spear point onto the dowel.

 

Crossbow

Supplies :

• cardboard
• tape
• yarn
• knife

Directions:

• Cut out a shape (as seen in the photo below) that is about a 16" by 3" rectangle, with three 2" by 4" (long) prongs coming off the end of it.
• Bend down the long 16" sides of the rectangle to make a three-sided shaft.
• Fold down the three prongs so that they meet at a point, and tape them together.
• Cut a long strip of cardboard - about 12" by 3/4".  Center it across the front of the 16" shaft, and tape it in an arc across the front, to make the bow.  (see second photo)
• Make a small cardboard oval and tape to the center front of the bow.  (see third photo)
• Create an arrow by cutting a strip of cardboard that is 9" long and pointed at the end.  It should have an open point (see second photo) at the other end.  Tape it to the top of the shaft.
• Using a knife, cut notches into both ends of the crossbow (on top and bottom) about 1/2" in from the end.  Wrap yarn around each notch and tie a knot to begin your string.
• Cut a notch just where the arrow ends, and run the string from each end of the bow down into the shaft.  Run it through the shaft, back around, and through it again, and tie it off so that it will stay.
• The crossbow will not work, but it will look good!

Bow & Arrow w/ Quiver

Supplies :

• cardboard
• tape
• yarn
• knife

Directions:

• Cut a piece of cardboard about 2 feet long and 1" wide.  Cut notches into it at about 1" from each end.  Make the notches small, and on either side of the cardboard.  Take a long piece of yarn and thread it through the notches of one end and tie it off.  Run it to the other end, thread it through the notches, and tie it off.  Now you have your bow!
• For the arrows, cut 9" by 1/2" strips of cardboard (as many as you want for arrows).  Make the front a triangle shape, and the back a reverse triangle shape (see photo).
• For the quiver, cut a piece of cardboard about 4" wide and a foot long, with an arc shape at one end (see photo).  Roll it into a shaft, and tape it shut, so that it can hold the arrows.  Cut a length of yarn that will go around your body from one shoulder to the other hip.  Tape one end of the yarn to the top of the quiver, and the other end of the yarn to the bottom.  
• Then you can slip your arrows inside, put your quiver on, and go hunting!

Revolutionary War : Musket

Colonial Musket

Supplies :

• 2x4 wood 
• sand paper
• wood stain
• varnish
• band saw
• metal pipe (at least 10" long)
• spoons (ones that can be ruined) (about five)
• vise
• small lapel pin of your choice (like a flag or an emblem)

Directions :
PLEASE COMPLETE THIS PROJECT WITH HELP FROM AN ADULT!!!!!!

• Sketch the pattern of how you want your gun to look on a length of 2x4 wood.  If you want a 20" gun, you'll need a piece of wood at least that long.  
• Have someone help you cut it out with a band saw.
• Hand sand the wood to make it smooth.
• Stain the wood, and hang it to dry.
• Press a lapel pin into the wood stock to personalize your gun.
• Varnish the entire piece, and hang it to dry.

For the barrel -

• Use 1/2" electrical conduit (this is a light pipe that won't rust).  
• Cut it to the length that you want your barrel and paint it black.
• Create barrel bands to hold the barrel to the wood by stripping the sheath from #10 copper wire and hammering it flat.

For the trigger, trigger guard, and attachments -

• Cut and bend spoons using a vice and grinder.  Spoons can also be used to make sights and a spoon pan.  Drill holes into the wood and use screws to hold the spoons in place.
• Old spoons look better, but newer spoons are easier to cut and bend.

This is a complicated project, but the muskets will last a very long time and can be used with many different costumes!

We used these with many of our costumes!

• Revolutionary War (Patriot & Regular)
• Civil War (Confederate & Union)
• Explorers
• Colonial American

World War II Costumes: Pilot, Soldier, Evacuee

Part I :

World War II Pilot

Supplies:

• Brown jacket (preferably with fur lining)
• Patches (like the B-52 or Rockwell 1-B)
• at least 3' x 1' of cloth
• aviator cap
• aviator goggles

Directions:

• To make the scarf, fold the cloth in half so that it is about 3' by 6".  Sew two sides together and part of the third.  Turn it right side out, and finish sewing the edge.
• To make the jacket, sew patches all over a brown coat.  Or, if you want to make it easier, just buy a bomber jacket.  But it's not as much fun as making your own.
• The hat and goggles were really really hard to make....I tried.  But my aunt got my brother a set for his birthday a few years ago, and he let us use them for the costume. 
• Wear a pair of jeans, some black gloves, and dirty shoes, and you have a bomber costume!

Part II :

World War II Soldier

Supplies:

• Navy blue church pants
• Blue button down shirt from Dad's closet
• large sheet of origami paper
• dog tags
• patches and wings for shirt

Directions:

• If you need to make dog tags, cut two pieces of black construction paper that are about 1" by 2".  Put a hole of them and thread them through a piece of string to make a necklace.  I just used my Grandpa's from when he fought in the Vietnam War.
• Put on your pants, tuck in your shirt, put on your dog tags, and then you need a cap!
• To make a cap, follow the directions below.  Use a big sheet of black or navy blue paper.
• 

                    

Part III :

World War II Evacuee

Many children were forced to leave their homes quickly, with very few belongings and only the clothes that they had. Some of the clothes were too big, and some were too small.

Supplies:

• too-big vest from Dad's closet
• long sleeved button-down church shirt
• khaki church pants 
• two pieces of ugly cloth, about 2' square each
• church shoes
• newsie cap

Directions:

• Make a carpetbag out of your two squares of cloth.  Turn them inside out, and sew three of the sides together.  Now you have something to carry everything you own.
• Roll up the khakis so that they look way too short.  Put the rest of the clothes on, and your newsie cap.  Put on a really sad face, because it will be a long time before you see your parents again....if you ever see them again.

Templar Knight Costume

Making a Templar Costume from the Crusades

Supplies :

• Black cloth, about 3' by 6'
• Scissors
• Red cloth, at least 12" by 3"
• Sewing Machine
• Tin foil
• Cardboard
• Viking hat (with horns removed)

Directions :

• Fold the cloth in half, so that you have a 3' by 3' square.
• Cut out a neck hole in the middle.  We cut it a little too big, and just used safety pins on either side to make it the right width.
• Cut out two 12" by 1.5" strips of cloth, with a little 'V' at the ends.  Make a cross and sew them to the front of the black square.
• Sew about 3" in the middle of both sides of the square.  This will keep it closed, but make it easy to get on an off.
• Cut a 2' length of cardboard and wrap it with tin foil.  Cut a larger square at the bottom, glue it, and wrap it with foil.  Now you have a sword!
• We used a viking hat for a helmet, but you could make one with tin foil, like the Roman Legionnaire, but without the red stuff.

Civil War Soldier Costumes: Union & Confederate

Civil War Union Soldier Costume

Supplies :                                

• one blue suit jacket
• one pair blue suit pants
• two black shoes
• one blue Civil War cap
• yellow ribbon
• velcro dots
• two snaps
• one musket

 Directions :

• scavenge the yard sales and thrift stores for as many of the above pieces as possible.  it's a lot easier to make a good costume if you already have the basics, but don't pay a lot for them.  mom can usually find stuff for a quarter or fifty cents.  she says it's worth her time not to start from scratch!  for this project, we found the jacket at a garage sale for a quarter, and a pair of old lady suit pants (that we cut off) for fifty cents.  i already had the shoes and musket from my Revolutionary War costume.
• we got our Civil War caps in Pennsylvania, and we made our muskets.  mom sews a lot, but dad can make anything in the garage!  
• on another post, i'm going to show you how we made our muskets.
• on the pants, we sewed on yellow ribbon and stuck some velcro dots to make it look like white buttons, and mom pulled in the back about an inch.  the cool thing about that was that it gave the back the flared out pieces like a real uniform.  i sewed on a second set of buttons to make it look like it had two rows of buttons, but them mom put a couple of snaps on the inside so that we could take it on and off easily!

If you don't want to make one, here is where you can just buy one.  But it's more fun to make one!

Civil War Confederate Soldier Costume

 

 Supplies :                              

• one grey suit jacket
• one pair grey suit pants
• two black shoes
• one grey Civil War cap
• yellow ribbon
• velcro dots
• two snaps
• one musket

  Directions :

• scavenge the yard sales and thrift stores for as many of the above pieces as possible.  it's a lot easier to make a good costume if you already have the basics, but don't pay a lot for them.  mom can usually find stuff for a quarter or fifty cents.  she says it's worth her time not to start from scratch!  for this project, we found the jacket and pants for a dollar.  i already had the shoes and musket from my Revolutionary War costume.
• we got our Civil War caps in Pennsylvania, and we made our muskets.  mom sews a lot, but dad can make anything in the garage!  
• on another post, i'm going to show you how we made our muskets.
• on the jacket, we sewed on yellow ribbon and stuck some velcro dots to make it look like white buttons, and mom pulled in the back about four inches to make it fit my brother.  the cool thing about that was that it gave the back the flared out pieces like a real uniform.  i sewed on a second set of buttons to make it look like it had two rows of buttons, but them mom put a couple of snaps on the inside so that we could take it on and off easily!

If you don't want to make one, here is where you can just buy one.  But it's more fun to make one!

I've also been making some accessories for my Civil War costumes, like this sewing kit that can be carried.  I used flower cloth because that's probably what they would have available, from scraps, and just sewed two rectangles together with a ribbon to close it.

Ancient Egypt & Rome & Greece - LEGOs

How Legos have influenced my life...

As a three year old, I received my very first Lego set. It was for a castle, and I loved it! I was hooked on Legos, and got many more sets through the years. They inspired my love of history and design, and were my largest creative outlet for a long time. Working with Legos helped me learn how to read directions, look at schematics, learn how pieces are able to fit (or not fit) together. In later years, I had to learn how to work around the constraints of a square-based block to make my own creations. I have used the Lego Digital Designer to create my own ships, castles, and one enormous traction city. Oftentimes, my designs would become large and complicated enough that they crashed the program. 

At sixteen years old, I have spent most of my life designing and creating things. My grandfather was a carpenter, and my father showed me a lot about metalworking, so I grew up around tools a lot and used them often. They also taught me how to do things like design machines and structures. Mostly I used these skills for historical recreation and traditional craftsmenship, but they are useful for modern use also, and often I would fix machines and items with the knowledge they gave me and knowledge acquired on my own through research and experimentation. I soon learned the usefulness of spatial skills and the ability to think in three dimensions, as well as the interpretation of schematic drawings and sketches. Perhaps the most important thing I learned though was the value of extensive research and prime sources; too many times, I have made the mistake of using uncited sources and inadequate research! Off-time research has perhaps been one of the best activities for furthuring my knowledge.

Following the Legos through the timeline of ancient civilizations...

ETA:  This Parthenon is my own creation!  I designed it using the Lego Digital Designer, and then earned the money to purchase the pieces and build it.  What do you think?

In Ancient Egypt, the crocodiles and zombie mummies guard the underworld in the Valley of the Kings.

The Pharaoh's Mummy comes back to life and uses his magic asps to control everyone!

In Ancient Rome, Julius Caesar is resting in his palace while the guards protect him.  Then he declares that there will be war!

The soldiers and legionnaires gather together to conquer new land.

In Ancient Greece, the gods and monsters are all gathering...

Medusa, the Cyclops, and the Minotaur want the monsters to have more control.

But Poseidon and Athena know that the gods need to stay in control, and they will do whatever it takes to keep their power.

The Greek gladiators get some help from the gods, and are allowed to use Pegasus to defeat the monsters.

.......stay tuned until next time, when we will zoom through the dark ages and time of exploration!

Roman Household

• Use two ionic columns pieced together from Lord Business' Office Tower.   
• You can also find columns from the Atlantis Temple set.
• Put them on a baseplate, then add a Roman couch in between the columns (made from four regular yellow bricks).  
• For the top, use a grey baseplate with a fence piece on it.  
• Make marble walls from three white, regular half-bricks.  
• Use single-piece circles to finish off the ionic columns.

Roman Chariot

• Use a regular black horse with a red horse helmet, and top with a fire piece from a Ninjago set.
• Take two wagon wheels and connect them to axles.  Connect these with two 3x3 baseplates.
• Put two regular 2x2 bricks in the front center of the baseplate.
• Use four 2x2 'macaroni bricks' (two in each stack) and add to the sides of the chariot, on either side of the center.  Use a flat piece across the top to hold them all together.
• To connect the horse to the chariot, use a hinged 2x2 brick.
• Most of these pieces came from the Lego Movie Castle Calvary set.

This is our Roman chariots (we made more than one) beside our Roman house....and my brother wouldn't get out of my picture!!!

I want to build a Lego Coliseum, but don't have enough of the right kind of bricks.  If you want to create a Coliseum, maybe you can convince your mom to get this set.  It's not Lego, but it's similar!

Lego ancient history

This is an updated version of the Lego chariot which now has a better standing area and two horses.

I now have three Lego Legionaries which I have placed in phalanx formation, but I wish I could have put them in testudo formation. Next to them is their Commander. 

The Lego roman structure has been enlarged and has more columns now than the previous structure. 

These are my new Arabian Soldiers with a snake charmer.

These are my new Egyptian soldiers. I decided that living soldiers were much better than living mummies.

The ones on the right are my Greek Hoplite mini-figs which I ordered of off Brick Forge.
The other one is the series 2 Spartan Warrior

These are my Persian soldiers I got them form the Battle of the Alamut set.

This is my the biggest piece in my Lego ancient history theme the viking longship, complete with Jormungandr (aka the world serpent).