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How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Far beyond my tutorial for a painted book brick I have plenty of ideas for a fantastic King Arthur and medieval study. Also, look at my post 4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas.

So, step into a world of brave knights, enchanted forests, ancient prophecies, and timeless quests for truth and virtue.

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has captivated readers for centuries.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

And it’s the perfect springboard for an engaging, cross-curricular unit study that combines literature, history, writing, art, and hands-on creativity.

Whether you’re homeschooling a middle schooler enchanted by swordplay or a high schooler ready to explore the deeper themes of honor, betrayal, and redemption, this unit study offers something for everyone.

Additionally, with versatile resources and thought-provoking activities your student will explore not just the myths — but the meaning behind them.

BOOKS TO READ ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES

9 Medieval History Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add a few of these books to your Middle Ages or Medieval unit study.

Then, look at these ideas for a quick unit study.

LANGUAGE ART IDEAS

First, choose one or more of these to serve as the spine for your study:

  • Research the code of chivalry and write an essay about each point.
  • Write daily entries as a knight of the Round Table, include – a quest experience, castle life, interactions with Arthur or Merlin.
  • Write a new adventure for one of the knights. Include a moral lesson and a test of virtue.
  • Rewrite a portion of an Arthurian tale from another character’s perspective -Mordred, Morgan le Fay, Guinevere…
  • Write a persuasive essay-Was King Arthur a good king? Use evidence from texts.
  • Research the historical accuracy of Arthurian legend, try to prove or disprove it.
  • Invent your own knight and write a tale of his (or her) quest.
  • Create a Medieval Newspaper-Have students create a fictional newspaper from Arthur’s time and include articles like- a battle report, jousting tournament announcement, a court gossip column, an interview with a knight, a medieval food review.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Next, here are ideas for history and geography.

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY

  • Create a timeline of Arthurian events vs historical events.
  • Create a medieval map of Arthur’s Britain.
  • Make your own kingdom by designing a fantasy map like we did here and this mythological map.
  • Read articles on Tintagel Castle, Camelot, and Glastonbury.
  • Research the role of knights, heraldry, and tournaments.

Then add a few science idea and some fun art projects.

SCIENCE

ART PROJECTS

Finally, look at this fun painted book brick.

HOW TO MAKE A KING ARTHUR PAINTED BOOK BRICK

Next, book bricks are a favorite way of mine to make a simple inexpensive art piece and dress up a garden or walkway. We made this Swiss Family Robinson book brick with a traditional brick, for King Arthur I wanted a larger surface so we went with a flat paver.

In addition, you can use any version of King Arthur that you like or encourage your child to make up their own unique cover for it, this hardcover children’s one is a favorite of mine.

First, you will need:

  • Paver brick
  • Craft paint
  • Paint pens
  • Paint brushes, assorted sizes
  • Clear sealer
How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

First, clean your brick well to remove any dirt or dust so that your paint adheres well.

Once the brick is clean and dry, cover it with 2 coats of white paint on the top, all 4 sides, and also the back.. Allow to dry.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Now you can paint the front, back, and “spine” of the book brick whatever the main color of your chosen book version is.Leave the top, side, and bottom edge white to act as pages. Allow this to dry to the touch.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Now the real fun begins, adding details. Use a sharpened pencil to draw out the main images and words of the book first.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Once you are satisfied with the look you can begin to go over your lines with a fine tipped brush or paint pen.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

To get the lines around the frame of the book I just used a scrap with a straightedge and a paint pen.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Then, continue drawing over your pencil marks and adding any other detail you like, using your book as just inspiration or recreate it entirely.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Also, son’t forget to decorate the back spine as well.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Next, finish it off by quickly sketching straight lines with the pencil all around the white sides to create the look of pages.

How To Make A King Arthur Painted Book Brick

Lastly, take your brick outside and give it 2-3 good coats of clear sealer to protect it from the elements and let this final step dry.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some Usborne knights and castles books to share and a fun tutorial for a medieval castle. Also, look at my 4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas.

The Usborne Knights and Castles books are a popular series.

Our preference is always to use living books but some of the Usborne books are our favorites over the years.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

I find the series is great for history projects.

Too, many of the books have lift flaps and tabs to pull so the books are interactive.

In addition, another favorite of the books are the illustrations.

Kids, not just young ones, have a hard time visualizing a time in the Middle Ages.

So, the pictures in the books are vivid and detailed.

BOOKS ABOUT CASTLES FOR KIDS

Before we create this adorable craft to go with our series of books, look at some other books about castles.

8 Castle Books for Kids

Add some of these fun books about castles to your unit study or learning day.

Then, look at these Usborne knights and castles books to add to your homeschool projects.

Grab one or two to add to read along with your living books.

5 USBORNE KNIGHTS AND CASTLES BOOKS

A few I listed above, but here are some more.

  1. Knights and Castles. Takes readers back in time to illustrate the exciting happenings of daily life.
  2. Knights and Castles. (Usborne First Reading. Level Four).
  3. Stories of Knights & Castles. Presents nine stories about brave knights, dangerous quests, enchantments, and epic battles.
  4. Knights and Castles Things to Make and Do (Usborne Activities). Provides instructions for creating knight- and castle-themed crafts, including jousting puppets, a cardboard sword, and a three-dimensional castle card.
  5. 1001 knights & castle things to spot sticker book.1001 Knights & Castles Things to Spot Sticker Book is an interactive sticker book full of busy, detailed illustrations of various scenes from the Middle Ages. Items to spot within the main picture are shown in the border as silhouettes and each has a corresponding sticker which children can find, match and add in the correct place. With over a thousand things for children to find, count and talk about, scenes include a village fair, a fantastic feast, a Spring jousting tournament and a school for young knights.
5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

Next, look at these hands-on middle ages activities.

MEDIEVAL ACTIVITIES TO PAIR WITH USBORNE KNIGHTS AND CASTLE BOOKS

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

Finally, look at how to make this medieval toilet roll paper castles.

HOW TO MAKE A MEDIEVAL TOILET ROLL CASTLE

Supplies:

  • Ruler.
  • Toilet Paper Roll.
  • Construction Papers.
  • Pencil.
  • Scissors.
  • Glue.


Step 1:
To make the toilet paper roll castle craft, first you will need to take 3-4 toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 2

We will be taking 2 toilet paper rolls, and then we will cut the paper towel roll into three pieces.

Two pieces should be slightly smaller (shorter) than the toilet paper rolls and the third piece should be smaller than the second one.

Use the template to cut the top part of the three smaller rolls.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 3

Then, use the templates to cut out the windows, doors and roofs.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 4

Use colorful marker pens to draw outlines and details to the windows and doors.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 5

Take one of the toilet paper rolls and glue the window on the top and door at the bottom.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 6

Similarly, glue the door and window on the other piece.

Glue only one window on the taller toilet paper rolls each and glue only a door on the smallest piece.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 7

Now, glue the smallest one with one of the medium sized ones. Allow the glue to dry.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 8

Then glue the other medium sized one in the other side of the small one.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 9

Glue the two larger ones in the back slightly towards the center.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 10

Cut the round paper cut out according to the templates

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

STEP 11

Glue the two ends to make a cone-like shape.

5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle

Then, glue the paper cones on the top of the two toilet paper rolls that are in the back (tallest
ones).

And your toilet paper roll castle is ready.

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4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a free 4-week Middle Ages unit study for kids. Look at these other Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more ideas and topics for hands-on learning.

The Medieval or Middle Ages is a period in history that is full of legend and myth.

This Middle Ages unit study is about medieval Europe.

4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas

We’ve studied other periods like Medieval Japan which can make for a great comparison with this one. That is an idea for a co-op with maybe a mix of middle and high school kids.

However, for today we’re focusing on the castles, knights, and King Arthur of medieval Europe.

Next, it’s important to understand that a way of life doesn’t just stop and another one begins at an exact date.

So many periods of history, customs, way of life, and events overlap. This period of Medieval we’ll cover is approximately 500 to 1400–1500 ce.

BOOKS ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES HISTORY FOR KIDS

First, look at some of these books.

Using a living book as your spine or main text is a fun way to bring this time to life.

9 Medieval History Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add a few of these books to your Middle Ages or Medieval unit study.

Also, understand why the Middle Ages are also called Medieval Times.

Merriam-Websters defines Middle Ages like this: With its roots medi-, meaning “middle”, and ev-, meaning “age”, medieval literally means “of the Middle Ages”. In this case, middle means “between the Roman empire and the Renaissance”—that is, after the fall of the great Roman state and before the “rebirth” of culture that we call the Renaissance.

In summary, I explained to my sons it’s the time between Ancient Rome and The Renaissance.

However, if you have older children, the Middle Ages can be broken down further into the Early Middle Ages (c. 400 to 900), the High Middle Ages (c. 900 to the mid-1200s) and the Late Middle Ages (c. mid1200s to 1500).

Each of these time periods have significant events, people and places which emerged. This helps to narrow your study if you want to dive deeper.

Because this is only 4 weeks, I’m teaching a general overview of the Medieval Times.

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY MIDDLE AGES UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 1

The Roman Empire had provided stability for centuries in the region. It had spread its culture, the Latin language, and Christianity across the continent.

But the Roman grew weak and worse it had been invaded.

So, it was a time when kings and feudal lords ruled the land and when castles appeared.

Castles were both a residence for the noble and a defensive structure.

However, the majority of people were poor people or peasants.

They learned a trade and survived off the land living in thatched huts and farming on land they did not own.

The lands were normally owned by a feudal lord.

And it’s important to help your child understand what we mean when we say Middle Ages Europe. All the countries did not have the same name as they do today but we’ll use the modern day names so our kids will understand the geography.

During the early Middle Ages, Europe included the islands of Britain and Ireland.

Also, much of the land that we now call Italy, Germany, and France was included. It also included the Vikings and the Scandinavian countries. The countries are we now called Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

MIDDLE AGES HISTORY VOCABULARY WORDS

Too, look at a list of words to define.

  • noble – A person of high social rank, often owning large amounts of land and having titles like lord or lady.
  • feudal society – a social system in which land is owned by a small ruling class and is worked by peasants in exchange for protection and other services.
  • vassal– A person who receives land from a lord in exchange for loyalty and service.
  • papacy – the office or the position of the pope
  • fief – A piece of land granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and service
  • manor – a Iarge estate, often including farms and a village, ruled by a lord
  • knight – a man who received honor and land in exchange for serving a lord as a soldier

NATURE & SCIENCE MIDDLE AGES UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 2

Next, in the Middle Ages people decorated their heads with flowers and leaves. Make a crown of flowers with any long stem flowers. Daisies are a good choice.

Medieval Chemistry had early beginnings although we don’t always think about the medieval period as that time.

MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS MIDDLE AGES UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 3

During this period, it was hard for people to separate myth from reality.

But that is why the book King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is fun to read to get a taste of the time.

Also, we don’t have as many primary sources which is why this is called the dark period.

But be sure to pore over what we do have from that time which are the famous stories like “Beowulf” and “The Canterbury Tales”.

Too, here are some history makers and events during this period.

Research one or two that interests your child.

FAMOUS PEOPLE AND EVENTS

  • knights – men who fought for and protected the lands of their lord, baron, count, or king.
  • barbarians – people that the Romans thought were primitive.
  • King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table – No one knows if they’re real or not.
  • Medieval minstrels – Musicians who traveled from place to place, singing songs and reciting poetry. Look at this beautiful site Luminarium for Lyrics (make sure your sound is on) and look at the English Anthologies too.
  • Henry II of England – In 1154, Henry II was crowned King of England. Under his rule, England prospered. He brought common law to England.
  • court jester – the court’s official entertainer
  • bubonic plague – infectious disease carried by rats and mice that spread to humans.
  • Charlemagne – “Charlemagne” is French for Charles the Great. Charlemagne used the great wealth and strong military organization that he had inherited from his father and brother to build his empire.
  • Crusades – A series of wars fought between Christians and Muslims during the 11th to the 13th centuries in the hopes of taking possession of Jerusalem and other places considered to be holy by the Christians.
4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas

ARTS & CRAFTS MIDDLE AGES UNIT STUDY WEEK 4

Also, look at this list of craftsmen and trades during the Middle Ages.

  • Tanner – Made leather from animal hides for clothing and goods
  • Fletcher – Made arrows for archery and hunting.
  • Weaver – Created cloth and textiles using a loom.

Also, look at a few more Middle Ages resources.

MORE MIDDLE AGES RESOURCES

Of course, as I mentioned this is a huge quick overview and just touches the fringe of this expansive time.

There are more colorful characters and events to explore.

What are you studying about and doing hands-on?

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for fun medieval times crafts, you’ll love this knight Templar helmet. Also, look at my page 4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas and How To Upcycle A Monopoly Game History to A Medieval Theme & Free Printables.

Do you have a kid that loves the Middle Ages and medieval times crafts? They are going to absolutely love this one.

We are building a medieval knight helmet.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

This style is a crusader helmet/bucket helmet but can be adjusted and you can add more detail as you become comfortable with using cardboard for costumes.

This activity takes any Middle Ages lesson to the next level through research, building creativity, and problem-solving, then ends with a fantastic craft project.

Before you enter into battle with your knight Templar helmet here are 5 mind-blowing facts about knights and their armor to share.

5 Facts about Knights and their Armor

  1. There were two main kinds of armor: chain mail, made up of thousands of little metal rings, and plate armor which was sheets of metal worked together.
  2. The Knights Templar was an order of military monks that provided protection for pilgrims traveling in the Holy Land during the Crusades.
  3. Chivalry was a code of conduct that all knights swore and adhered to.
  4. The boys who trained to be knights were generally the sons of knights or lords.
  5. Some two-handed swords that knights carried were over 5 feet long.
How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Also, look at some of these resources.

9 Medieval History Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add a few of these books to your Middle Ages or Medieval unit study.

The Middle Ages were dark and often violent but there were many amazing inventions that came out of them, gallant knights, and beautiful architecture.

It is a beautiful and fascinating time to study deeper.

More Medieval Times Crafts

Next, look at more Medieval times crafts.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Finally, look at this fun knight Templar helmet.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet Craft for Kids

If you are anything like me, you have boxes coming to your house filled with goodies on a regular basis.  So, grab the next large one you get for this really fun project.

You will need:

  • Large cardboard box
  • Silver spray paint
  • Scissors or box cutter blade
  • Hot glue gun/ glue sticks
  • Marker

First, cut your box so that it is one long straight rectangle.

Trim it down to about 8”-10” tall and around 32” long.

Turn the better side of the cardboard down. This is going to be the inside of the helmet; you want the cleaner side to be outside.

Take a straight edge or an open scissor blade and score through the top layer of cardboard only, not all the way through.

Do this from the top to the bottom about ½” apart all the way across.

The purpose of this is to allow your cardboard to bend wonderfully into any shape without creasing it.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

The next thing you want to do is decide where the eyeholes should be.

To do that I just rolled the cardboard around the head and made a mark on the inside where the eyes were. Shape and color in your eyes so you know where to cut.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Cut out each eye hole and make adjustments as needed. You could also cut a slit all the way across if you prefer.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Here is where I am going to tell you to learn from my mistake.

We did not cut our mouth area out until after it was all glued together.

 It would have been much easier and much cleaner to cut it out at this point while it is flat.

 So, we are just going to pretend that is what I did okay? Depending on the style you have chosen to make there are different shapes and directions for them.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Now to create the top of the helmet you are going to try the helmet on the noble knight by rolling it into a cylinder, cutting off anything more than 1” excess and tape it to the size you want.

Then trace a second piece of cardboard around your circle.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Start in the center and run a bead of hot glue right at the edge of your helmet several inches long, put the round in place on the hot glue and hold for a minute or two until the hot glue sets.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

You can then continue around adding hot glue and rolling it around the circle you cut out until it is done. At the very end overlap your pieces slightly and secure with hot glue from top to bottom.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

If you want to be sure it is secure add another bead of hot glue all the way around the top.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Make what looks like welding dots along the edges of your helmet wherever you would like by making little puddles of hot glue, allowing it to harden before you turn it to work on the next section.

These are little rivets that were used to join pieces of metal together.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Trim any rough edges and put on any other design you like with hot glue before the next step.

Finally, take your helmet outside with lots of ventilation and give it a light coat of silver spray paint.

Allow it to dry for 15 minutes and give it another coat.

Let the paint dry completely before using it, here is what we used, it’s hammered silver and we loved the final look.

How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts

Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 100 free unit study resources. Unit studies have a way of taking any topic from drab to fab. Grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies pages

They can bring life to the most seeming lifeless topic.

Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources

So today in sharing toddler to teen 100 free unit study resources, I hope you find something that inspires you and your kids.

A good amount of the work has been started for you already with the resources I have listed below. And no, I just couldn’t stop at 100 resources!

Free Unit Study Resources

General Information & Unit Study How-Tos

Free Unit Studies

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Also, look at Beautiful Feet literature for some fun literature, history and geography unit studies.

Homeschool Unit Studies

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Unit Studies for Multiple Ages

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Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources

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100 Unit Studies

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Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources

Free Unit Study Printables

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Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources

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Don’t forget that I have the Ultimate Unit Study Planner. Having an eye for detail and creating many unit studies with multiple levels of kids, I know you’ll love it.

Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources. I have 100 free unit study resources. Unit studies have a way of taking any topic from drab to fab. Grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies pages. They can bring life to the most seeming lifeless topic. So today in sharing toddler to teen 100 free unit study resources, I hope you find something that inspires you and your kids.
  • This is a DIY printable Ultimate Unit Study Planner in COLOR.
  • Undated pages, so it is a 1 Time Purchase
  • You do not pay for “Fluff” pages like calendars found freely on the internet and provided here on my blog. Only unique working forms are part of your comprehensive download.
  • Lesson Pages are divided by lower, middle and higher grades.
  • Learning Objective Forms & Assessment Forms
  • Brainstorming Maps

Feel inspired to try one or two or . . .?  You’ll be hooked!

You’ll love these other posts and tips too:

100 FREE Toddler to Teen Homeschool Unit Studies. Your kids will love these ideas and you’ll find plenty of topics to keep homeschool planning easy. CLICK HERE to grab one or two!
100 FREE Toddler to Teen Homeschool Unit Studies. Your kids will love these ideas and you’ll find plenty of topics to keep homeschool planning easy. CLICK HERE to grab one or two!
Ultimate Homeschool Unit Study Planner - Comparing Two Different Lesson Planning Pages @ Tinas Dynamic Homeschool Plus


This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

Toddler to Teen 100 Popular Free Homeschool Unit Study Resources