Duct Tape / Cardboard Iron Helmet (Skyrim)

This will show you how to make a easy and cheap Skrim iron helmet using duct tape and cardboard.

I've always wanted to make one of these, but i never can acquire the proper materials, so i made one using my favorite crafting  stuff, cardboard and duct tape! The result is very sturdy too.

Here are the supplies needed to make this

Tools:

• Hot glue gun
• Cutting mat
• Exacto knife or other cutting tool
• Measuring tape

Materials:

• Corrugated cardboard (a large box should be enough)
• Duct tape Gray and tan (optional brown)
• Glue for hot glue gun
• Horn shaped pieces of Styrofoam (Hey, i found some, if you don't have any you easily make some out of cardboard, I'll update this when i do)

***WARNING, always use cation when handling knifes and hot glue!***

First we'll start with the head-dome.

Start by figuring out your head size. (side note: i cant give exact measurements for anything here, its completely up to your head size) then cut a rectangular piece of cardboard, the width of it should be long enough to go from the top of your head to the tip of your ear when curved, the length should be about an inch above your head size

Now draw a row of spikes on the cardboard, these should be an inch wide at the bottom and the tips should reach all the way to the top and be spaced an inch apart. Start the spikes an inch and a half from the bottom of the piece.

Now break the backing by running it down the edge of a table, see third photo. (credit for this technique goes to Seamster)  you'll be using this technique for every piece

lay it out flat and cut the spikes out (as strait as possible) and then break the backing of all the spikes so they can curve inward.

(another side note) Don't worry too much about how the cardboard model looks because you'll be coating it in duct tape.

Now tape or glue both ends of the spiky part (we'll call it the crown) together.

Ok now hot glue the ends of all the spikes together as shown, try to keep them all towards the center but make it  slightly oval so it can fit your head.

 When you're done with that you should have a slightly oval dome.

Good news! that was the hardest part.

Now Make two tiara shaped pieces of cardboard, break the backing, form it into a circle and tape the ends together. Make sure that the horns can fit into these beforehand! if you cant determine that, come back to this step after you make the horns.

Now hot glue both of them to the upper sides of the dome, make sure they're level and strait, i recommend gluing them on with a little bit of glue (so you can pull it of easily if you mess up) until they're alined strait, then add more.

Next make the face plate. Start by drawing the face on a rectangle piece. (this piece can be as short as behind the horn mounts) make sure that your face lines up with it correctly. (see image notes) Break the backing, then cut the face out, but don't cut the eyes out yet.

Then cut a strip out, (a little more than an inch in length) just short of the top leaving an inch holding it together.

Next the nose bridge, this is so your nose doesn't get squished down when wearing it. (optional if you're Voldemort)


see the picture, the prong-things go a little lower than the middle of the mouth and should be wider too.

Cut it out from a piece of cardboard and break the backing.

Now bend where i drew the black lines in the second photo.


Lastly, glue the bridge on, it should line up so the curve lines up with the mouth. Make sure the prongs are still bent or else this was a pretty useless step

Now you can cut the eye holes out.

First put the dome on your head. Now hold the face-plate on, adjust it until it lines up with your face, now get someone to draw a line where the face-plate meets the dome. (see photos)

Now take it off and line it up to the drawn marks and carefully glue the face-plate on, this part is critical.

Now cut a cardboard piece that alines with the curve of the face-plate, you can make it line up with the face-plate after you attach it, but its more difficult. Don't forget to break the backing.

Next make the armor on the neck.  The piece should be about the same length as the back plate (again, dont forget to break the backing) then glue it on the inside.

Now glue little pieces on the outer side as shown in the second picture.

Now the last cardboard parts the ridges.

Make a long inch wide piece to go across the top and the back and shorter pieces to go from the horn mounts to the first ridge.

Now your done with the cardboard!

Now to make the horns.

I got lucky and found these Styrofoam pieces in an old car seat.

Most cant find these, so I'll update this when i can make cardboard horns  its fairly easy, bonus points if you can make them yourself.

First make sure the horn fit in the horn mounts.

Put glue on the top of the horns and put it in its mount.

Quickly adjust the horns if needed,  the glue can set pretty fast.

Start taping the helmet starting in the four sections between the ridges, get in between with thinner strips* (make them by tearing normal strips in half, its easy)

then go over the ridges.

*(side note) when coating with duct tape use thin strips (normal strips torn in half) around the edges, then cover the larger areas with normal size strips.

Now tape over the face-plate. I don't have much to say here, so see photos.

Now get the back.

Now to tape the horns. Add a layer of gray tape first to secure the horns, then go over with thin strips of tan.

Now duct tape the innards. I happened to have brown duct tape but that's totally optional.


Now look around the whole helmet to see if there's any cardboard showing, if so, more duct tape!

Now your done!

This sure was a tough one for me, hope you like it.

If you have questions feel free to ask!