How to Make a Tomahawk

Gather the necessaries., Cut your cardboard in the shape of a tomahawk.You should cut two pieces that are the full outline of a traditional tomahawk, including the ax-head and handle., Glue your pieces together., Apply some papier-mâché., Paint your...

7 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Gather the necessaries.

    To make your own tomahawk, or to make this as a craft with your kids, you should gather the supplies you'll need before you begin.

    For this project you will need:
    Feathers and beads (optional) Glue Paint (gray and brown suggested) Pencil (optional) Scissors Scrap paper (brown preferred) Cardboard Twine (optional)
  2. Step 2: Cut your cardboard in the shape of a tomahawk.You should cut two pieces that are the full outline of a traditional tomahawk

    You might want to consider adding support to the handle to make it more sturdy.

    You can do this easily by cutting 2 additional separate pieces of the tomahawk handle, which you will use later for support.

    To give a 3D appearance to the ax-head of your tomahawk, you can add a couple of pieces of cardboard cut only in the shape of the ax-head.

    You might want these to be slightly smaller than the full size ax-head.

    This will give contour and make it even more realistic. , Your ax-head/handle combined pieces should be glued together first, with your supporting handle-only pieces glued on the outside.

    The same goes for your ax-head; the slightly smaller ax-head-only pieces should be glued on the outside of the ax-head on the ax-head/handle combined pieces.You should allow your glued together pieces enough time to fully dry before you move on from this stage in the tomahawk making process. , To make the adhesive for your papier-mâché, you can dilute some normal all-purpose glue (sometimes called PVA glue) in a small amount of water.Use a paintbrush to apply your glue-water solution to your scrap paper and the surface of your cardboard tomahawk.

    For scrap paper, you might use thin brown paper, like the kind used for paper lunch bags or grocery bags.

    Cover the cardboard of your 'hawk so that it has a uniform appearance.

    To give a stone-like effect to your ax-head, you might want to crinkle the paper that you paste to it.

    To make the handle of your 'hawk appear wooden, you should try to glue your papier-mâché to the handle as smoothly as possible. , If you are going for the classic appearance, you'll want gray and brown paint for the ax-head and the handle, respectively.

    Native Americans did not learn ironworking until after the arrival of colonists, so the more authentic 'hawks will have heads made of stone instead of metal., These will depend on your preference, but at this point, you might consider wrapping the head of your 'hawk in twine using a criss-cross pattern that goes around the handle, making it appear as though the head and handle are tied together.You can also:
    Give the appearance of wood finish by taping the handle in clear tape.

    Glue or tie beads, ribbons, and/or feathers to create a more ceremonial looking 'hawk.
  3. Step 3: including the ax-head and handle.

  4. Step 4: Glue your pieces together.

  5. Step 5: Apply some papier-mâché.

  6. Step 6: Paint your toy tomahawk.

  7. Step 7: Add finishing touches.

Detailed Guide

To make your own tomahawk, or to make this as a craft with your kids, you should gather the supplies you'll need before you begin.

For this project you will need:
Feathers and beads (optional) Glue Paint (gray and brown suggested) Pencil (optional) Scissors Scrap paper (brown preferred) Cardboard Twine (optional)

You might want to consider adding support to the handle to make it more sturdy.

You can do this easily by cutting 2 additional separate pieces of the tomahawk handle, which you will use later for support.

To give a 3D appearance to the ax-head of your tomahawk, you can add a couple of pieces of cardboard cut only in the shape of the ax-head.

You might want these to be slightly smaller than the full size ax-head.

This will give contour and make it even more realistic. , Your ax-head/handle combined pieces should be glued together first, with your supporting handle-only pieces glued on the outside.

The same goes for your ax-head; the slightly smaller ax-head-only pieces should be glued on the outside of the ax-head on the ax-head/handle combined pieces.You should allow your glued together pieces enough time to fully dry before you move on from this stage in the tomahawk making process. , To make the adhesive for your papier-mâché, you can dilute some normal all-purpose glue (sometimes called PVA glue) in a small amount of water.Use a paintbrush to apply your glue-water solution to your scrap paper and the surface of your cardboard tomahawk.

For scrap paper, you might use thin brown paper, like the kind used for paper lunch bags or grocery bags.

Cover the cardboard of your 'hawk so that it has a uniform appearance.

To give a stone-like effect to your ax-head, you might want to crinkle the paper that you paste to it.

To make the handle of your 'hawk appear wooden, you should try to glue your papier-mâché to the handle as smoothly as possible. , If you are going for the classic appearance, you'll want gray and brown paint for the ax-head and the handle, respectively.

Native Americans did not learn ironworking until after the arrival of colonists, so the more authentic 'hawks will have heads made of stone instead of metal., These will depend on your preference, but at this point, you might consider wrapping the head of your 'hawk in twine using a criss-cross pattern that goes around the handle, making it appear as though the head and handle are tied together.You can also:
Give the appearance of wood finish by taping the handle in clear tape.

Glue or tie beads, ribbons, and/or feathers to create a more ceremonial looking 'hawk.

About the Author

J

Joseph Ross

Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.

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