Simple Child Gladiator Costume

This is a simple and cheap alternative, for a really epic halloween costume. The entire costume can be built in about three hours, and everything can be purchased or made for under twenty dollars. Get creative, adding in your own unique twist to costume, but above all, have fun!!

• 12 x 18 inch thin foam sheets
• black spray paint
• stone grey spray paint
• Bandsaw
• Wood rasp
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Computer
• Printer
• Painter's tape
• Hair dryer
• 16 inch aluminum pizza pan

https://www.amazon.com/American-Metalcraft-HACTP16-Thickness-Aluminum/dp/B004LYTYG2/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=large+pizza+pan&qid=1604980821&sr=8-4

• Plastic child knight helmet

https://www.amazon.com/Toy-Plastic-Knight-Helmet-Costume/dp/B004M47EB8/ref=sr_1_15?crid=12FGG42R1XUVK&dchild=1&keywords=plastic+knight+helmet+for+kids&qid=1604981197&sprefix=plastic+knight++helmet%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-15

On the bandsaw, I just cut out the rough shape or Aragorn's knife from the Lord of the Rings. It is an ideal size for a sword, for a child. I rounded the edges of the handle, with a metal file. I sanded it down, painted it black, and wrapped the handle with part of a cut-up rubber inter-tube.

For the helmet, I took a plastic medieval helmet, that had been purchased on Amazon. I removed the visor, and added foam wings to the sides, and hot glued them in place. I also added cardboard to the back of the wings, to stiffen them.

The shield was made from a 16 inch round aluminum pizza pan.I painted it with a base coat of matte black, and added the square design later, using painter's tape. For handles, you could use, Duct tape, or real leather, as a bit more substantial design.

For the shoulder guards, use the first picture, to get the template shape. cut them out of EVA foam. Pull the seam together with Gorilla tape, and paint stone grey.

For the breastplate, first print off the template, at the desired size. Cut into separate pieces. Cut out all of the pieces, and hold them together on the back, with LOTS of Gorilla tape. To hold the Armor on place pieces of velcro on the back edges. Cut a thick strip of foam, and place the opposite piece of duct tape on the other end.