Mirai Kuriyama's Blood Sword! (Tutorial)
Wood Glue or Hot Glue (or any strong glue)
Step 1: Draw the Sword!
Get a large piece of paper (or tape two together) and draw the blood sword up to scale. I used these pictures for reference:
I made my sword 70 cm long (I’m 5’3”). Note: Remember to draw the inside shading.
Step 2: Cut the template out.
Lay the template on the cardboard and cut the shape out with a craft knife.
[See the inside shading lines?]
Step 3: Cut the inside shape out.
You’ll need two of those shapes, so I recommend first tracing the shape onto another sheet of paper. Cut both of those shapes out.
Once you have the two inside shapes, glue them to the base (the middle one in the pic). Glue one inside shape to one side, and the other on the other side.
Note: I used Wood Glue, but you can use hot glue or any type of strong glue.
Step 4 Optional: If the cardboard is bending because it is too long, use duct tape and wound that part up to make it sturdy.
Step 5: Prepare The Sword For Paper Mache.
In other words, time to put masking tape on it! I started from the handle and made my way up.
When you are masking-taping the sword, it is best to do it horizontally. When you tape the edges (the inside shape and the base), squeeze the cardboard together and tape it very tightly. If the tape isn’t smooth on the edges, it won’t look pretty in the end result. Make sure the tape has no folds.
Step 6: Paper Mache Time!
Rip the newspaper into strips of different sizes. Then lather the strip in Elmer’s White Glue (school glue) on both sides. Stick the strip onto the sword. The glued newspaper will want to stick to the masking tape.
Wait for the paper mache to be COMPLETELY DRY and then apply the Gesso. Gesso is a paint primer. If the first layer of Gesso starts to crack for some reason, do another layer, but stroke the Gesso in the opposite direction that you did before (vertical>horizontal).
After everything is completely dry, you can spray paint it! It is recommended that you do this step outside, or in a ventilated area. First lay the sword on top of some newspapers. Then, grab your spray paint bottle and shake it for about 1 min. Spray the sword evenly, one side at a time. If needed, you can do another layer once the first one is dry.
[As for the Spray Paint color, mine was Cadium Red Deep Hue. This pic is when it’s wet, so it looks lighter.]
Aaaaaaand you’re done! If you have any questions about this tutorial, send me an ask!
