Happy "Adult Crafting Day" (aka World Book Day) everyone! The boy wanted to go as Will Parry from The Subtle Knife (the His Dark Materials series). "That's fine," I said: "a bloody rag to be for the two fingers he lost, and we'll make a quick knife." I then spent four hours making said knife! Turned out pretty well though, and he was super happy with it.
The knife is made from XPS foam (a type of insulation board) cut to shape with a hot wire and a knife, sealed with mod podge (a PVA-based sealant) mixed with black paint, then painted layered up / highlighted / washed for shadows. I had great fun making it!
I was fully expecting it to be trashed by the time it came home, and I wasn't wrong (the blade had snapped off the hilt). But it's been repaired and strengthened, and still works!
