How to make a paper sword
Paper Sword: try all 14 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor paper sword with a long pointed blade, a straight crossguard and a contrasting grip. Three pieces fold into flat strips and join with a little glue, making a sword about 26 cm long for a paper display or costume decoration.
- You need
- A 6 × 24 cm paper rectangle, a 6 × 4 cm rectangle and a 6 cm square, a ruler, pencil, scissors to prepare the pieces and a little paper glue. Grey, gold and brown paper show the three parts clearly.
- Start
- Prepare a 6 × 24 cm grey rectangle for the blade, a 6 × 4 cm gold rectangle for the crossguard and a 6 cm brown square for the grip. Lay the blade with its long edges upright. Mark the middle of the blade and grip, 3 cm from either side, to guide their first folds.
- Tips
- Match the long edges carefully to keep the blade straight.
- Use thin paper so the pointed end folds neatly through all four layers.
- Keep the crossguard square to the blade before pressing the glue.
Your model is ready
Let the glue dry with the folds pressed flat. Your paper sword is ready to add to a paper knight, costume decoration or picture.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–5
- 1
Fold the blade's left edge in
Bring the left edge to the line halfway across the paper's width. Press the long fold flat.
- 2
Fold the blade's right edge in
Bring the right edge to the same middle line. The two edges meet without overlapping.
- 3
Fold the blade into a narrow strip
Fold the left half over the right half, matching their long edges. Press all four layers flat.
- 4
Shape the blade's left point
Fold the top-left corner behind on the slanting line. The line starts halfway across the top and ends 1.5 cm down the left edge.
- 5
Shape the blade's right point
Fold the top-right corner behind the same way. The two sloping edges meet at the blade's point.
Steps 6–10
- 6
Fold the crossguard in half
Take the gold rectangle. Bring its top edge down to its bottom edge, keeping the 6 cm edges horizontal.
- 7
Narrow the crossguard
Bring the bottom edge up to the top folded edge. Press the strip flat; it is now 1 cm wide.
- 8
Fold the grip's left edge in
Bring the left edge to the line halfway across the paper's width. Press the long fold flat.
- 9
Fold the grip's right edge in
Bring the right edge to the same middle line. The two edges meet without overlapping.
- 10
Fold the grip into a narrow strip
Fold the left half over the right half, matching their long edges. Press all four layers flat.
Steps 11–14
- 11
Set the crossguard across the blade
Centre the gold strip across the blade, 19.5 cm below its point. The ends project equally on either side.
- 12
Glue the crossguard
Glue only the small rectangle where the crossguard rests on the blade. Press the two parts together.
- 13
Add the brown grip
Lay the brown strip along the blade below the crossguard. Its top meets the guard's lower edge and its bottom extends beyond the grey paper.
- 14
Glue the grip
Glue the brown strip to the grey blade where they overlap. Keep the grip straight beneath the middle of the crossguard.
- ✓
Finish
Let the glue dry with the folds pressed flat. Your paper sword is ready to add to a paper knight, costume decoration or picture.
Fold next
Paper banger ↗
The traditional single-pocket paper popper: fold a long rectangle into a triangle that pops when snapped downward.
Fortune teller ↗
A fortune teller, or cootie catcher, is a paper choosing game worked by two thumbs and two forefingers. Two rounds of corner folds make the pockets; the last creases let them open in alternating directions.
Paper boat ↗
The traditional paper boat, folded from a rectangle through a newspaper hat and two pockets.
Windmill ↗
Fold the traditional uncut, single-color pinwheel with four flat blades from one square.