Gladiator Costume

No sewing necessary! Build this costume with museum board and prong fasteners, a piece of window blind, and — for the helmet's crest — a section of flower fan.

By

Martha Stewart Editors

Updated on June 5, 2019

What You'll Need

Materials

Gladiator Suit of Armor template
Gladiator Helmet template
Gladiator Kneepads template
2 sheets 2-ply gray museum board (Strathmore 2-ply museum boards, 32" by 40", in Gray, $7.50 each, dickblick.com, dickblick.com)
Hole punch
Brass fasteners (Brass fasteners, 1/2", $6.25 for 100, staples.com)
4 pieces gray elastic, each 1 inch wide, cut to fit snugly against back of knee
Paper shade, 36 by 72 inches (Redi Shade paper blind, in Gray, $5, homedepot.com)
Double-sided tape
Honeycomb paper fan, 6 inches (Fan, 6", $2 for 5, partycity.com)

Instructions

Download and print costume templates onto card stock. Tile as needed and cut out. Trace onto museum board and cut out. Punch holes as indicated on template.
Using brass fasteners, assemble armor, knee pads, and helmet (follow instructions on templates). Add elastic to backs of knee pads, securing with fasteners.
Working with closed shade, cut a 9-inch width. Unfold that piece and cut to a 13-inch length. With double-sided tape, adhere to front bottom edge of armor.
Open paper fan halfway, creating a half-circle shape. With double- sided tape, adhere to top of helmet.

Originally appeared: MARTHA STEWART