Whether you want to spear some deer or hang a cool looking object on your bedroom wall, a neat thing to have is an Indian spear. There are many variations of the Indian spear. You can add your own dash of creativity and uniqueness to make one that is truly yours. To make an Indian spear, gather some easy-to-obtain supplies and follow a few simple steps.
Items you will need
Sturdy, straight stick or other item 3 to 6 feet long
Spearhead
Feathers and fur
Leather or other durable cord
Quality glue
Other adornments as desired
Find a spear shaft, or the main portion of the spear. This can be a stick that you found in the woods, a thin metal pipe, part of a staircase railing or anything else that is at least 3 feet long. Sand, carve, paint with a base coat and stain, paint or stencil designs on the spear shaft as desired.
Get a spearhead or make your own. You can find spearheads at a variety of places, such as museums, rock or fossil shops or places that sell Indian artifacts. Perhaps you have some of these places in your hometown or you can shop on-line. Fashion your own spearhead by chiseling a triangular shape out of a piece of rock or slate. If you want an offbeat spearhead, use a triangular shard of broken glass or other sharp, triangular piece of debris.
Ready your spear shaft. Cut a notch at least 1 inch deep across the top of the stick or whatever else you found to use as a spear shaft. Broom and mop handles work. Saw them down if they are too long. The notch can be cut with a saw or knife.
Insert your spearhead’s base into the notch you’ve created in the spear shaft. Adjust the notch with the saw or a knife so the spearhead fits snugly. Cut the notch deeper if the spearhead is not staying put. After fitting it properly, slather a thick, heavy glue onto the area according to the glue’s directions. Wrap a heavy cord or swatch of leather, also coated with glue, around the neck of the shaft for added security. Allow the glue to dry.
Adorn your spear shaft, if desired. If your plain spear is fine with you, then leave it. Otherwise add more cord wrapped around various places of the shaft, a patch of fur glued around where you would hold the spear for a soft grip, and feathers, beads and other adornments. Attach adornments to the spear shaft with glue and you can use wire and small loops found in the jewelry sections of craft stores. Don’t make your debris too heavy as a spear should have the appearance of being light enough to be functional even if you are creating it for display only.
Tips
- If you are using the spear as part of a costume, definitely make sure you use light items that are fastened extra-securely to the spear as you will be carting it around.
- If the spear is being used with a kid's costume, fashion the spearhead out of a piece of rubber, such as part of an old tire, so he will not accidentally spear his classmates.
- You can choose a wacky theme for your spear, such as a snake-head spear, with the spearhead being a snake's head, or a girlie spear, with the spearhead fashioned out of something soft, like a sewn piece of stuffed velvet, and the shaft painted bubblegum pink and adorned with hearts and silk ribbon.
- Make a bony spear by choosing a bone shard as the spearhead and smaller bones dangling from the spear shaft.
Tips
- If you are using the spear as part of a costume, definitely make sure you use light items that are fastened extra-securely to the spear as you will be carting it around.
- If the spear is being used with a kid's costume, fashion the spearhead out of a piece of rubber, such as part of an old tire, so he will not accidentally spear his classmates.
- You can choose a wacky theme for your spear, such as a snake-head spear, with the spearhead being a snake's head, or a girlie spear, with the spearhead fashioned out of something soft, like a sewn piece of stuffed velvet, and the shaft painted bubblegum pink and adorned with hearts and silk ribbon.
- Make a bony spear by choosing a bone shard as the spearhead and smaller bones dangling from the spear shaft.
