7/29/2019 How to build Medieval Tents

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How To Build...

Mdival TTs

B Pal Davies

With this month’s WI theme being “The

English Bowman”, the guys asked me to

put together something for a medieval

battleeld. I decided to show you how to

build some basic medieval-style tents.

A brief browse through the Internet

quickly demonstrated that there was

considerable variation in style. Some

were conical, some had at sides, some

were oval and others were more like

modern-day pavilions. And some tents

had alternate panels in contrasting

colours and some did not. Given all the

possible options, I decided to design

something ‘generic’ for maximum use.

Another area of discussion is whether

or not medieval tents had supporting

external guy ropes? In the primary source

material shown here, some did and others

did not! For me the decision of whether

to include them is a modelling one, rather

than an historical one. If you want your

tents without bases, then guy ropes would

be impractical, but if you intend to base

your tents then it would be a simple

matter to stretch a short length of thread

from each corner of your tent, through a

hole in the base, and then nish it off by

adding a tent peg.

MATERIAL NOTES AND PLANS

These tents are designed to be made fromthin card - around 220gsm or as thick as

you can safely put through a printer. You

can either use a matt coated card which

will provide a very sharp printed image

or a rougher, uncoated card which will

respond well to light drybrushing to bring

out the texture.

Ideally, try out a few different materials

until you’re satised with the result.

tools & materials

These should all be available from your local art, hobby, and 

sewing stores, failing that they 

can typically be found through 

various online vendors.

• Cutting mat and steel ruler

• Sharp hobby knife

• Thin card (220gsm or 60#)

• PVA glue and super glue

• Fine thread

• Balsa wood strips

• Paints and brushes

The plans have been drawn at full size

for 15mm gures but obviously they

can be scaled up or down to suit. If you

have access to a computer and the right

software, then, using the plans as a basis,

you can ‘drop in’ colour, and then simply

print out as many tents, in whatever

colour combinations you wish.

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• Once you’ve cut out the roof, lightly score along the lines.

 Note: Remember to carefully cut out the ‘crenellation’ edge

of the valances.

• I assemble the roof rst as it will help to keep the walls to

shape Fold the valence sections down and then fold the roof 

panels and nally glue the roof together by applying PVA glue

to the ap and pulling the roof to shape.

• Cut out and lightly score along the wall panel lines. If you

intend to have the tent open, then cut along the ‘door line’,

and either simply fold the ap back or give it a slight curl by

gripping the ap with a pair of tweezers and carefully rolling it

up. Apply PVA glue to the ap and glue the wall together.

• For the purpose of this ‘ How to…’, I’ve left the tent in its

natural/canvas nish. If you’re intending to paint the tent, then

do it now, before gluing the roof and walls together. If you are

adding guy ropes, skip ahead before attaching the roof.

• Apply glue to the upper wall edge and gently press the roof 

down into position. Then set the tent aside to dry thoroughly.

• First, decide on the shape and size of your base and whether

you want your tent to be individual or part of a group. Texture

and paint your base to match your usual playing area. Glue the

completed tent in position on the base.

• Once the walls are securely glued to the base, drill a series of holes surrounding the tent where you estimate the guy ropes

would be ‘pegged down’.

• Cut a length of thread to reach from inside the tent wall

through the nearest hole. Take the rst length of thread and

thread it through a hole from the underside. Glue the thread

inside the tent walls at the corner. Repeat at each corner

•Once the glue has completely dried, gently pull each thread tautand glue the opposite end of the thread to the underside of the

base. For the tent pegs, I cut some thin strips of balsa and glued

them into each hole with the peg leaning slightly outwards.

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ADDINg SOME cOLOuR TO yOuR TENTS

There are two basic ways that you can add some colour to your

medieval tents and, as the contemporary pictures suggest, there

were plenty to be found.

• If you have the appropriate software on your computer you can

“colour in” the appropriate sections on the tent plans.

• You can use the age-old method of simply painting your thin

card. This is best done before you afx your roof to the walls, or

even before you cut the pieces out from you printed plans.

FINIALS AND BANNER POLES

Most of the contemporary images I studied featured nials at the

apex of the tent through which a banner pole projected. To create

the nial itself I used a small pre-drilled metal bead of the sort

used for jewellery making and available from most craft shops.• To t the nial you rst need to have a central tent pole,

which will project through the apex of the tent. I made mine

from piano wire.

• Make a small hole in the apex of the tent. Mix up some

modelling putty (such as Milliput) and carefully press a small

ball of it into the apex of the tent from inside.

• Gently push the piano wire through the putty (before it fully

cures) and out through the hole. Ensure that the wire is vertical

and leave the assembly until the putty has set.

• Slide the bead down the wire until it rests on the tent apex.

Drop a tiny dot of superglue in the hole through which the wire

protrudes to x the bead in place.

• Paint the banner pole a suitable colour above the bead, and, if 

the tent aps are open, paint the inside section of the pole too.

BANNERS

If you can source a ready-made ag or banner, then this can now

be glued to the banner pole. Failing that, you’ll need to make

one. This could be a simple banner featuring the colours of the

tent owner, or a more complex design reecting the knight’s

personal heraldry. These can be produced by using decals of 

heraldic devices, downloading something suitable from theInternet or, if your hand is steady enough, by painting your own.

Whichever method you use, remember to add a few curves in

your ag. It will look all the better for it.

.net

As with most of Pal’s reent “How To...” artiles, we’ve pt

p the plans for these medieval tents on or website in a

hand, downloadable PDF.

References

FLAgS: Both the following sites feature a magnicent

collection of ags for downloading, and I cannot recommend

them highly enough.

• www.warag.com

• www.krigsspil.dk/download/download_2

TENTS: A short search on the internet will produce a large

choice of sites with information on medieval tents; their

appearance, construction and decoration. The following are a

good starting point for your research.

• http://home.adelphi.edu/~sbloch/sca/tents/taxonomy.html

• http://midtown.net/dragonwing/col9712.htm