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Isaac's Hand Painted Shield

About Shields

by: Isaac Griffith (SCA: Isaac Rowland Matthews) age 6

Shields are used for fighting and to block, they have been around for a very long time. In medieval times they were lots of shapes and the one I made is from my favorite time of the 13th century (the children's crusade happened around 1212), when the heater shape started and heraldry became fashionable. From what my mom read to me most wood shields would have been covered in rawhide or leather, but I didn't have any of those so I used canvas fabric instead. I heard about metal edging, so I used big nails to put a metal edge.

I thought that this picture was funny

My Hand Painted Shield

I wanted to make a shield, with my heraldry on it, and Idid. I love it, I wear it about everyday now. It's so cool, I hope you like it too.

I drew a half a shield shape on a folded piece of brown paper so that both sides would match when cut out, and my mom cut out the shield with a jigsaw out of one of my dad's curved wood blanks, and I sanded the edges smooth.

I then used some wood stain to paint the back of my shield.

I drew a deer head on a piece of paper that my mom then drew onto a piece of canvas fabric for me. Then we used a stencil of a trinity knot to put the knots on top and then a ruler for the straight lines. We used the same paper pattern that I made for the shape before. Then I painted the shield fabric all by myself.

After the paint dried I helped my mom cut straps for the arm stuff, then we drilled holes to put rivets with washers in. We had to wait for my dad to come home because neither my mom or I were strong enough to cut the rivets shorter. After my dad clipped the rivets, he held the shield on an anvil while I pounded the rivets with a hammer. I got them really flat all by myself; I am very proud.

My mom then used spray glue outside and then inside we put the fabric on the shield front. My mom held the little nails steady with little pliers and I hammered them all flat. I only hit her fingers 2 times, and that finished the edge. I then used a permanent marker so I could outline everything in black and do details. My dad put the buckle on and we sprayed the shield with a clear spray to protect it, and then I rubbed stain on front to make it look really old. I like stuff that looks old.

I am very happy with my project, I had triffle on my face in the last pictures.