How to make an EVA foam sword

A step by step tutorial on How to make an EVA foam sword that can be used as a prop with your cosplay, for LARPing or as a cool decorative feature.
I absolutely love swords and I figured it was about time I made a tutorial on how to make a prop sword for use with cosplay. The sword is made mostly out of EVA foam and it is a relatively simple prop to build.
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Free Sword Template:
drive.google.com/file/d/1hmfv...
Jax Cosplay Links:
Instagram: / jax.cosplay
Discord: / discord

[@CalebJanssens]

Love the Grogu shirt!

[@JaxCosplay]

Thank you, all thanks to PnP clothing 😁😁🔥🔥

[@alamhuang1324]

I was going to say that

[@bamsara]

Going to a con in less than a week and needed a fast tutorial for a sword, this was perfect, thank you!

[@JaxCosplay]

Glad I could help

[@dazza04]

Finally a tutorial that doesn't need a dremel to get the dowel rod into the foam

[@JaxCosplay]

Glad it could be helpful to you 😁😁

[@andre_pikes]

just buy dremel, its awesome tool :)

[@Darkhell87]

You should put material and tool list in the description.

[@Papercut337]

I recommend using fiberglass, graphite, or carbon fiber rod as the core rather than a wooden dowel, as wooden dowels snap easily in combat. Your local hardware store should have inexpensive fiberglass driveway markers for sale. Also, I’d recommend reinforcing the tip for safe thrusting. Many crafters use hot glue to achieve this, though structural reinforcement may be necessary. One more thing: remember to sculpt your handle so that you can “index” the blade’s edge, or tell where the edge is pointing by gripping the handle. Overall, great tutorial! I’m gathering knowledge for my first LARP sword build, and this has been helpful.

[@JaxCosplay]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, this sword wasn't designed for LARP combat mostly just for carrying at conventions and photoshoots for cosplays. Glad it was still helpful.

[@hanelyp1]

If Roy Underhill made it, I'd trust a wooden core. A random dowl, no way, the grain is likely to run wild.

[@theragepage9428]

would pvc be a suitable replacement for the core?

[@cryan1369]

thank u so much for this tutorial, this is so much easier than any other one i’ve seen so far and much more accessible for me, i’m gonna be making a sword for a cosplay of my minecraft character and i’m happy to say that your tutorial has made it significantly cheaper for me, a 16 year old who can’t afford shit lol

[@cryan1369]

random note from two hours later but- my only problem with the way that all of these are done is that the sword i’m making has holes in the blade lol

[@JaxCosplay]

I'm glad that this tutorial could be helpful to you. Good luck with the sword you make.

[@michellehuxtable5720]

Never thought of putting a Dowl into a pvc pipe. Though of just using one or the other for structural support. Would be cool to make different swords with different support structures and see which is best.

[@JaxCosplay]

Yeah, I wanted something slightly bigger for the handle section of the sword.

[@panicraptor2837]

Dont use wood sticks though, wood splits along its length axis creating a strong and dangerous blade when breaking. Use nylon, pvc or another uniform material.

[@Mai-jk8nm]

Very very helpful, thank you!

[@Justrex01]

I like your style, Jax. Thank you for sharing with us!

[@JaxCosplay]

Thanks so much, glad you like it. How the video was helpful 😁

[@raytonks2236]

that's a very helpful tutorial, thank you! the template is great, thank you for letting us use it! the sword will be an amazing addition to the project I'm currently doing! :D

[@JaxCosplay]

No problem, I'm glad you have found it helpful. Yours is looking great so far 😁😁

[@aurorelambert2728]

Thanks!

[@yehudalevy7555]

defiantly gonna use this sometime

[@JaxCosplay]

Looking forward to seeing your results 🔥

[@roryardxn4036]

This is oddly satisfying to watch 😱🤣🤣

[@JaxCosplay]

Thank you, I'm glad you like it

[@complexgamer-hg8sf]

Saw your post on reddit my man thanks for the help

[@JaxCosplay]

Thanks for the support 😁 Hope this helps you to make an epic sword

[@christodeklerk8281]

You are a real master!!! With your permission I also want to try this and film it?

[@JaxCosplay]

Thank you so much 😁, Yeah totally, I'd love to see what you can come up with 😁😁💪💪

[@Cookies_World]

What would you use if your broke and don't have a dermal / electric sanding tool?

[@JaxCosplay]

Try get some regular sand paper sheets and glue them to a piece of scrap wood to make an improv sanding block. It will require some more elbow grease but you should still get a pretty decent result. Hope this helps

[@borderj9519]

This is a great tutorial! Where do you get your EVA foam from? I’m making a couple of swords for my uni project and the only foam I can find is on Amazon, but I don’t know how long a roll needs to be?

[@JaxCosplay]

I live in South Africa and get mine from a store here called Sondor

[@Psycadillo]

I need to start taking your tips about prop structure seriously, my Wonder Woman sword is an unstable mess- just like me

[@JaxCosplay]

I'm sorry, but this made me chuckle 😊 I can't wait to see what props you make in the future, knowing you they're bound to be epic 😎

[@quemeese]

sure glad you can see the cut lines.....

[@zegreznidi2922]

I have a question, can this foam sword be used for LARPing? (Live Action Role Playing)

[@mr.contreras3305]

I found your video very informative and creative I’m interested in making a sword myself I was curious what length dowel rod and pvc pipe you used?

[@JaxCosplay]

I can't remember the actual lengths. I just measured them against the template to see what size was right.

[@mr.contreras3305]

No worries appreciate the reply

[@sjbechet1111]

Hmmm - I was thinking of a polystyrene blank and fiberglass but this is far more resilient. Ive made kayak seats out of EVA foam - you can sand it with wet 'n' dry, car body-shop sand paper to get very smooth finishes. I find the Dremel too aggressive for that kind of finish. Good work!

[@JaxCosplay]

Thank you. Best of luck with making swords 👍😁

[@enlightenedbeing492]

❤

[@The_polishcrusader]

Is it OK for light play with my friends?

[@XxBunnytailxX]

What metallic paint did you use? It's SUPER nice and opaque

[@JaxCosplay]

I used a brand called Dala but I think it's only available in South Africa.

[@alamhuang1324]

I suggest that maybe some other video you make can add some link to the below for the template

[@JaxCosplay]

There's a link in the description for the sword template

[@dmac89]

Is there any way to format your template to fit 8.5in x 11in paper? It keeps only allowing the hilt for me to be printed.

[@JaxCosplay]

Open the file in Adobe Acrobat and in the print settings choose poster, it should then print on multiple pages of 8.5 x 11 that you can stick together with tape. Hope this helps 👍😁

[@MCreeper-eg9xy]

Starting out with cosplaying, what is the machine you used for smoothing out the foam?

[@JaxCosplay]

It is called a rotary tool. The brand I use is Dremel. Good luck with your cosplay journey 👍👍

[@littleketty]

Did you use 10mm foam to cover both sides of the first layer? Or a less thicker foam size?

[@JaxCosplay]

I used 5mm to cover the sides. I didn't want it to be too bulky.

[@littleketty]

@@JaxCosplay thank you! I've made a sword with the help of your tutorial and it wasn't bad at all!

[@JaxCosplay]

@@littleketty Glad to hear it 😁

[@MoonstarGaming318]

This may be a stupid question but what is the stick called that you put in the center of the sword

[@JaxCosplay]

Dowel stick

[@venom9319]

I'll hopefully get an Aether Cosplay (Genshin impact) and if i do i will probably make a sword for him so here I am trying to pass the time of waiting wether i get the cosplay or not with watching vids on how to make a sword fndn

[@JaxCosplay]

That will be awesome, I want to cosplay Albedo and possibly a Ruin Guard. I hope this video helps you make an epic sword 😁

[@michellehuxtable5720]

What's the wood glue to water ratio?

[@michellehuxtable5720]

And does the wood glue/water mixture act as a primer for the blade part of the sword before you print it?

[@JaxCosplay]

Wood glue to water ratio is roughly about 2:1 but feel free to adjust as you feel necessary 😁😁👍

[@forgottenduelists9655]

I dont have a dremel. What else could i use?

[@JaxCosplay]

You could try using sandpaper by hand, it just may take some time

[@shgsu9503]

May I ask how long the dimensions are?

[@JaxCosplay]

The full length of the sword is just over 1m. The template included is to scale.

[@Buenzilla]

What’s the ratio for the water/black paint?

[@JaxCosplay]

Probably about 40:60 paint to water. You want it runny enough that it covers and spreads into the details but still has some pigment to it. I generally eyeball and adjust the mixture as I go.

[@rahasanum]

Can you fight with these swords??? Like is it sturdy enough to like swing around and shit???

[@JaxCosplay]

You can swing it, but it will probably get damaged if you hit anything too hard. Could be ok for kids to fight with

[@christodeklerk8281]

How long did it take you?

[@JaxCosplay]

It took me about 3 days to make 😁😁

[@earlenglish4674]

What paint are you using?

[@JaxCosplay]

I use acrylic craft paints

[@oldmancreakybones3967]

Went to download the template and it's itty bitty, all on one page. Am I missing something?

[@JaxCosplay]

It's one page that you print as poster/actual size in Adobe reader. This will print it over multiple pages that you can tape together

[@roxannevanvuuren2797]

Where do you buy your EVA from

[@JaxCosplay]

I get mine from a place called Sondor, but if you're just starting out you can also use Yoga or puzzle mats 😁

[@roxannevanvuuren2797]

@@JaxCosplay thank you!

[@ralphmousseau3026]

It kind of resembles that sword from roblox

[@CalebJanssens]

First!

[@trivetteamy]

Everyone love Jesus

[@kameronyoung781]

Super helpful! Thanks for this

[@JaxCosplay]

You're welcome