Tube Buddy: Swordsman

A chibi swordsman, 3⅛ in tall, made from one paper tube — the same hero as in the doll with a wardrobe: black spiky hair, a blue jacket, a red headband. A high ponytail sticks up above the head, and the sword in a red sheath is on his back, with the hilt above the shoulder.

• Easy
• 1 tube
• 4 small pieces
• 2 Letter sheets

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 4214

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

• 2 Letter sheets — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Markers
• Pencil — and eraser
• Scissors — small
• Glue stick — or PVA glue
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Trace

1. Sturdy sheet from two. Apply glue stick over the whole surface of a sheet of printer paper, press a second sheet onto it, and smooth with your palm from the middle to the edges. You'll get a thick sheet — work on that one. Put it back in the same spot, edge to edge; don't move the phone.
2. Strip: outline. Trace the strip with the tab above the middle in a solid line — you’ll cut along this line.
3. Strip: arcs. The dashed arcs at the top are the folds of the top of the head. Trace them pressing hard: the top will then fold evenly along the scored line. Don’t cut along them.
4. Strip: drawing. Trace in thin lines: the face, the wedge-shaped bangs, the eyebrows, eyes, smile, the hairline with its points and the highlights, the headband with the knot and tails at the back, the short jacket, buttons, the strap across the chest, and the pants. Don’t draw on the white margin at the left — it goes under the seam.
5. Small parts: outlines. Trace the solid line around the two arms, the ponytail with its tab, and the sword in its sheath.
6. Small parts: fold lines. The fold lines are dash-dot lines: these are valley folds. Don’t cut along them.
7. Small parts: drawing. On the arms — the cuff and the fingers of the fist, on the ponytail — the hair tie and a highlight, on the sword — the pommel, the zigzag of the grip wrap, the guard, and the tip of the sheath.

Color

8. Color: strip. Hair — black, leave the highlights white; above the arcs, all the way to the top edge: that’s the crown, and it shows from above. Jacket — blue, headband with the knot and tails — red, strap and pants — dark gray, eyes — blue, blush — pink. Leave the shirt white. Leave a narrow white stripe along the dashed arcs, and outline the contours, pupils, and lashes in black.
9. Color: small parts. Sleeves — blue, the ponytail along with its tab — black, leave the highlight white: the tab will lie on the black hair. Hair tie and sheath — red; pommel, guard, and tip — yellow; hilt — dark gray. Leave the cuffs white. Outlines — black.

Cut

10. Cut out: strip. Cut out the strip together with the tab above the face. Cut into the corners by the tab from both sides.
11. Cut out: small pieces — 4 pcs. Cut out the two arms, the ponytail along with its tab, and the sword.
12. Backs. Flip the ponytail and the sword. Color the back of the ponytail black; on the sword, color only the hilt with the guard and pommel dark gray: above the shoulder they show from both sides.

Roll

13. Roll the tube. Apply glue to the white area on the left. Roll the strip with the drawing facing out and lay the right edge over that area, up to the line. Press the seam for 10 seconds.

Fold

14. Spikes: top, back. Turn the tube with the seam facing you. Press your finger on the top edge above the seam: it will dent inward along the scored arc, and sharp spikes will stand up at the sides.
15. Spikes: top, front. Turn the swordsman to face you. Apply glue to the underside of the tab above the face, from inside the tube, and press in the front of the top the same way: the tab will lie on top of the back half.

Assemble

16. Arms. Apply glue to the back of the sleeve from the shoulder to the cuff, but not the fist. Glue the arms to the sides, fists down and slightly forward.
17. Ponytail. Fold the ponytail tab toward you along the dash-dot line, apply glue to its back, and glue it to the back of the head along the seam, hair tie down: the ponytail sticks out backward and above the head.
18. Sword on the back. Apply glue to the back of the sheath up to the guard, but not the hilt. Glue the sheath diagonally across the back: hilt above the shoulder on the left as you look at the back, tip at the hip on the right.

Check

19. Stand it on the table. Set the swordsman on the table — he stands by himself. Turn him all the way around: the ponytail sticks up above the head, and the sword hilt above the shoulder.

Done. The swordsman is done. Let the glue dry for 10 minutes — then you can put him on a shelf.

Make it with your phone camera

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