Link is an adventurer, and adventurers need stuff to get through quests and save the day. He has a sword, shield, scabbard, and slingshot, and Instructables user makendo made them all. Though he made them as costume props, his methods actually make the items durable enough to withstand wear from playing pretend (his sons like to reenact scenes from the Legend of Zelda in the back yard). Here’s how he made Link’s shield:
Link’s round wooden shields are easier to make than his iconic Hylian shield, and they look pretty good. I cut out the circles on the table saw – my favorite table saw operation, it’s almost like magic (see video). Just attach a piece of plywood to the saw at one point, then raise the blade a few mm. Rotate around the point, and repeat until you’ve cut all the way through. I added a handle, a strap out of a bicycle inner tube, added to texture to the front with a router and a few screws or nails for interest, and painted on the emblems for the banded shield on one and for the braced shield on another (by request; there is another basic wooden shield in the game as well). I used stencils and spraypaint; the outside band of each shield used a mix of black/green/blue or black/orange for a metallic effect.
Read more about making Link’s sword, scabbard, and slingshot at Instructables.
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