DIY Cardboard Shield
My daughters princess party is coming up in May and I’ve been brainstorming some activities for the kids to do at the party.  I finally decided that I would have a craft station where the girls could make Princess Wands and the boys could make Knight Shields. When Plaid Crafts asked me to create a kids craft utilizing Mod Podge Washout and Apple Barrel paints, I knew right away that these two products were perfect for this project! We’ve had the new Mod Podge Washout kid friendly formula in the house since it came out. My kids use it all the time to create collages and other crafts.  Both of these products are versatile and easy to clean up with just soap and water. (I also want to note that both are non-toxic and water based – important for kids crafts!). I don’t have to worry about them ruining their clothes or other linens and they get to enjoy using an “adult” item. My son and I did a test run to see how the shields would turn out, and he gave them a gold star!
Knight Shield Halloween Costume

 If you have a little Knight in your house that just NEEDS a shield, follow along:

Apple Barrel Paints and Mod Podge

 Supplies:

12″ cake circle (I purchased a package of 12 from Amazon for $5.50)

Mod Podge Washout

Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint

Paint Brushes

Embellishments

The first step is to paint the shield. Your child can have a ton of fun with this. You can let him just have at it, or if you are going for a more historically accurate shield, look over some examples on the web and draw it out before painting.  I was hoping for a nice bright blue shield, but my son had other ideas, so we mixed in some black paint and achieved the gray color he had pictured. Once done, set aside and let the paint dry (or at least that is what you SHOULD do… I was working with an impatient 5 year old, so we moved ahead while the yellow dots were still a little wet).

Mod Podge for Kids 
Handmade Knights ShieldI designed several crests on the computer and printed them off. After cutting out the one he liked best he adhered it to the shield with the Mod Podge, following the directions on the bottle. Again, set aside to dry. The consistency of this type of Mod Podge is a bit thicker and a little harder to smooth around then the regular stuff, but it still dries nice and clean, so don’t worry if it looks a little “thick”. {And yes, I realize it looks a bit like a clock… but it was his design. He saw a shield online that had rivets and he just HAD to have them on his…}
Ribbon
Homemade Shield

After everything was dry I used hot glue to attach ribbon straps to the back of the shield  and then secured them with duct tape. These create the handles that he can fit it arm through.

DIY Knight ShieldSince it is finally Spring and the snow has melted and the weather is in the 50’s I was able to send the kids outside into the realm of Princesses and Knights where epic battles are fought!
 
Turns out they have some modern day uses too:
Easy to Make Knight Shield Kid Craft
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This post was written as part of a campaign with The Blueprint Social. All opinions are my own.