The short answer: a 3D bead sword has three parts: a blade, a cross guard, and a grip. Make each as a flat piece, iron one side only, and glue them together. Use two blade layers glued back to back for thickness. It is decoration, not a real weapon.
Swords are mostly straight lines, so they are one of the easiest 3D builds. The only skill they add is layering two panels to make something thicker.
Step by step
- Make two identical blade panels, about 5 beads wide and 30 long. Iron one side only and cool flat.
- Glue the two blades back to back so the sword has thickness on both sides.
- Make a cross guard: a strip about 13 beads wide and 3 tall, with a hole slot in the middle for the blade.
- Slide the guard over the blade and glue it in place near the base.
- Make the grip: a strip about 3 by 8 beads, wrapped or glued around the blade below the guard.
- Add a pommel bead at the bottom and a tip color at the top of the blade.
Design variations
- Knight sword: gold blade, brown grip, a jewel bead in the guard.
- Pixel game sword: copy the sprite colors straight from the game.
- Dagger: shorter blade, about 18 beads, and a simple guard.
- Wall display: glue a loop of beads to the back of the guard to hang it.
Layering and gluing panels is covered in our 3D patterns guide, and sword grids are in the pattern library. Beads, boards, and paper are in our shop.