Cheap, Easy, Realistic and Simple to Make Sword!

Hello fellow Instructablers! This is the first of a four-part series on easy to make but realistic fantasy/medieval armoury, which can be tailored to look however you want to suit a particular character. And just in time for Christmas too! You can be a king, soldier, dark warrior, whatever you want to be with this set, and what better to start with than the sword! It is the second least complicated of the four things (which I won't reveal until I post them) to make and possibly the most flexibly designed of them too. You can start your collection here and make the others when they come!

Materials
2 meter-long cardboard tubes - these can be obtained by finishing a roll of wrapping paper. One must be slightly larger in diameter to the other; the larger one will be the scabbard, so you need to be able to fit the smaller one inside it.
Thin Cardboard - Can be obtained from most cake set boxes.
Thicker cardboard - most boxes
A leather belt - don't worry, you will still be able to use it after use, the scabbard is removable!
Any decorations you could add - Anything you can get your hands on!
String (optional) - Will make the handle considerably more comfortable

Tools
Sellotape
Strong glue - I used Uhu power for this.
Scissors
A steel ruler
A pencil for marking

Even though it is made of cardboard, it is exceptionally strong, and great for playfighting, filming and ornamental purposes alike, so lets get building!

Here you will build the blade and the grip; part of the hilt, minus the pommel and crossguard. Read the notes on the pictures to find out what to do.

This is the cross guard of the sword, which will go on between the blade and grip. It will cover how to measure the sizes to position it perfectly.

Here you will make the scabbard for the sword. For those that don't know, it is the slip that the sword is kept in both for safety and for easy carriage. It is easy!

I used a ping pong ball for the pommel on the bottom of the handle, but youcan use whatever you want. I also made a cardboad disc with the diameter of the width of the blade, cut it in half, and then I taped it in place upwards to add support to the blade, which then stopped wobbling at all. I sealed off the ends of the cross guard with two more cardboard discs.

I used thick cardboard to cut out all of these.
I Made the "locket" part of the scabbard with a cardboard ring and an arrow. For the Chape at the tip of the sabbard, I made a design but with a pointed bottom as a pose to the curve of the scabbard bottom. This is so you can get a more definite point.

Here is where you can do whatever you want. . I wrapped string around the handle for comfort and a more realistic effect, and put more string on the cross guard to add a gilding effect. I then Painted the pommel red to make it look as though it was a ruby or other gem. I just painted the rest but you can do what you want. The most important thing to remember is:

BE CREATIVE!

Good luck!

Well, I hope you like your new sword. But wait... I want to see your swords too! Post pictures in the comments and I will put them up!

Thank you for reading, making if you did, and merry Christmas!
The Jamalam