The Full Armor of God Costume Craft

When my kids were young, they loved pretending to put on the full armor of God. We’d talk about how important it is to suit up and be ready to serve the Lord.

We also talked a lot about how the battle is already won, and how the battle belongs to the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:15, 1 Samuel 17:47). He allows us to serve with him in battle. That’s an honor. But we can trust that the Lord has everything under control, and nothing is a surprise to him.

As soldiers of Christ we have specific armor to wear, and important responsibilities. We are to carry the gospel of peace with our shoes of readiness to people who don’t know Christ. We are to be strong in the Lord, wrestling against the cosmic powers of this present darkness. We’re called to be on guard and awake.

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This is all exciting stuff for a child (and for us adults!). To help your child learn about the full armor of God in a hands-on way, I’ve created a fun Armor of God costume craft for you to do together.

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The Armor of God costume craft coordinates well with the Armor of God Bible Study and Lapbook from Thinking Kids Press–if you would like to spend more time working with your kids on studying the Armor of God, I’ve bundled four resources so you’ll have a handy little unit. You can find all of the Armor of God resources in the Family Discipleship section of the store at ThinkingKidsPress.com.

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Armor of God

The Armor of God Costume Craft is based on Ephesians 6:10-18 in Scripture. Kids can learn about the Armor of God in a fun, hands-on way using this craft. It will create a doll your family can refer to over and over, discussing the different aspects of the Armor of God.

In the ESV, Ephesians 5:10-18 says:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

The Full Armor of God Bible Study Bundle

The Full Armor of God Costume Craft

For our craft, we will make a wood dolls with felt and embroidery thread armor of God costumes.

These can be adorned any way you’d like. Your child can practice stitching, use sequins, or even puffy paint or permanent markers. You can also just use the felt undecorated. I found hot glue to be more effective than white glue. You’ll want to be sure to help your child with the hot glue so they aren’t burned, or you can try felt glue.

Check out this quick video showing you how to construct your Full Armor of God Costume Craft Dolls:

The Full Armor of God Costume Craft Printable

The Full Armor of God Costume Craft Printable, with step-by-step instructions is available in the Thinking Kids Press store, in the Family Discipleship section. The Bible verse sets come in both ESV and KJV. Register below, and you’ll receive a coupon that will make the printable free for the household license, or 50% off for the classroom license–AND–you’ll be added to the Thinking Kids newsletter. You’ll receive encouragements, gifts, and exclusive offers right in your email inbox.

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Supplies Needed to Make Your The Full Armor of God Costume Craft

Wood Dolls (about 3 1/2” tall)
Paint
Paintbrushes
Felt
Printable Templates & Cards
Embroidery Thread
Embroidery Needle
Sequins
Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
Scissors
Permanent Markers – Black and Red or Pink

The Full Armor of God Costume Craft Printable Unfinished Wood Doll Bodies -Dad (3-9/16 flic-flac 44PCS 4 x 4 inches (10 x10cm) Assorted Color Felt Fabric Sheets Patchwork Sewing DIY Craft 1mm Thick Scotch Precision Ultra Edge Titanium Scissors Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set, 18 Piece (2-Ounce Nylon Hair Brush Set Clover No. 3-9 Gold Eye Embroidery Needles, Pack of 16 (2 Pack)Caydo Embroidery Floss 50 Skeins Rainbow Color Embroidery Thread Cross Stitch Floss with 12 Pieces Floss Bobbins ccbetter Upgraded version Mini Hot Melt Glue Gun with 30pcs Glue Sticks with Removable Anti-hot cover Glue Gun Kit Flexible Trigger for DIY Small Craft Projects&Sealing and Quick Repairs 20-watt, Blue Honbay 100 Gram Mixed Sequins and Spangles Craft Supplies, Assorted Shapes, Color and Sizes Sharpie Electro Pop Permanent Markers, Fine Point, Assorted Colors, 24 Count

Creating Your Armor of God Costume Craft

1) Paint Your Wooden Doll

You’ll want to use a 3 1/2” wooden doll, either male or female. Paint the head of each doll in the skin color of your choice, add hair, and paint a “shirt” on the front.

Use your permanent markers to add eyes and a mouth. I made the eyes on my dolls closed because in Ephesians 6:18, we are told to pray.

2) Cut Out Your Printable Armor of God Card and Templates

Your armor of God base plate verse cards come in either ESV or KJV. If you need more than one in the version you prefer, just print extra pages. Cut out the card of your choice. Your child can color their base plate card in preparation for mounting their Armor of God costume doll on the card.

Cut out your armor of God costume templates next. These will be used to cut out the felt pieces of armor for your wooden doll. The belt of truth template does not need to be cut out–simply use it to measure a length of embroidery thread for the belt.

3) Cut Out Each Piece of Felt Armor

Use your paper template pieces to cut out each piece of felt armor. Just lay the piece of paper over the felt and cut it in the same pattern as the paper. You can make multiple pieces of armor for as many dolls as you would like.

Sew the crest of the helmet onto the helmet piece with three strands of embroidery thread and a simple stitch. This is something your child can do as well. I sewed the crest onto the female doll’s helmet incorrectly (parallel rather than perpendicular to the long center of the helmet), and it looks more like a bonnet. Roman helmets had the crest running from front to back of the helmet.

4) Allow Your Child to Decorate Each Piece of Armor

Your child can play around with very basic stitching on the felt. I recommend using just 3 strands of the embroidery thread. Separate it by dividing the threads in half and carefully pulling them apart. Tie a knot at one end for your child.

Sequins can be knotted onto the felt with the embroidery thread or glued with felt glue. Hot glue will melt the sequins.

Your child can also use puffy paint or permanent markers to apply decorations to their felt armor pieces.

5) Dress Your Wood Doll in the Full Armor of God Costume

Once your felt pieces are all decorated, it’s time to dress your wood doll. I used hot glue for this. Hot glue is very effective, but it’s also very hot, so you’ll want to do this part for your child. You can also try felt glue. I didn’t have any, so I can only report that white craft glue does not hold well.

First, glue on the helmet and the robe. You’ll want to wrap the robe around the body and the helmet should come down over where the doll’s ears should be. Next, glue on the breastplate, then tie the belt around the doll’s midsection. Glue the shield to the doll’s side. Let your child decide where the sword should be glued–it can be facing up or down, ready for battle, or at ease. Last, glue the shoes to the base of your doll so the toes are sticking out in the right direction.