[MR] Want to help make "Viking Shields" to decorate the Ymir Feasthall?

[david wendelken]

We are hoping to create a mead-hall atmosphere in the feast hall at Ymir and would like to ask your help.  We have a number of decorative hangings to grace the walls, but we need some decorative Norse-type shields to hang around the hall.  Since we can’t hang anything heavy, I’ve come up with a plan to make some light weight ones.

Get a sheet of foam-core board from the art or office supply store.  I’ve found the prices are better at office supply locations – about $13 for three sheets of 30x40” board.  Maybe you can do a group project!  Cut out a 24-30” circle.  You can use a mega-compass or a string and thumbtack to make the circle. (If you haven’t done this before, email me (at rwendelken at methodist.edu) for directions).  You can also just draw around an available round shield or use a garbage can lid.
Once you have your circle drawn, you need to cut it out. Use an Exacto knife or a razor knife. If you haven’t worked with foam-core board before, you need to know that it works best if you make two cuts – one through the top layer of poster board and most of the foam, and then a second to go through the bottom layer of poster board.

To neaten up the edges, run a strip of masking tape around the edge of the “shield.”  Use a small pair of scissors to cut slits in the tape to form tabs every inch or so where it hangs over the edge of the shield.  Then press the tabs down onto the shield front and back.  Now you have a neat edge and a shield rim.

Next paint the shield. I used cheap acrylic paint (44 cents for 2 ounces).  You will notice that as your shield dries it has a tendency to curve upward.  To counteract that, turn the shield over (once the front has dried) and give it a coat or two of paint on the back.  Place a weight in the middle while it dries to make sure it ends up flat.

To make a shield boss, use a cheap plastic container and spray paint it gold, silver or bronze.  You will notice that the bottom of the container may have some words printed on it. Unless your name is “Ziplock” or your family motto is “Patent pending” you will want to cover these up.  I used a layer of duct tape (you HAD to know we were going to use some sometime!) applied before the paint.

To decorate the shield, paint it with a suitable device or, better yet, with your device.  Leave room in the middle of the shield to glue your “boss.”  I suggest actually gluing the boss on at the event.  I will have a glue gun and sticks available.  I will also have some hangers for gluing to the back of the shield.


EXTRAS:  Here are some ideas if you are having a “Martha Stewart Moment” (decorating, not investing).  Decorative studs or even gold colored thumb-tacks make good “nails.”  You could paint in the plank lines on your shield. You can also take the left-over foam core board and cut out shield attachments (a la Sutton Hoo).  Buttons are also useful for decorating the middle of the boss or other parts of the shield.  Metallic trim could spiff up the boss.

Best of luck on your faux shield and thank you so much for helping out!

Fuil