Have a go at making your own viking brooch.
What you need:
- Card
- String
- PVA Glue
- Foil
- Safety Pin
- Sticky Tape
- Pencil
- Something Round
Step 1 – Get your piece of card and draw around something round and the size of a badge.
Step 2 – Cut the circle out with scissors.
Step 3 – Glue the string to the card in a pattern of your choice.
Step 4 – Place a square of foil over the string pattern.
Step 5 – Rub gently using your fingers to show the raised string pattern.
Step 6 – Turn over the edges and glue down.
Step 7 – Get another piece of foil and draw around the round object you used before.
Step 8 – Cut out the foil and glue it to the back of your brooch.
Step 9 – Finish off by taping a safety pin to the back.
History of Viking Jewellery
The Vikings loved their jewellery and it was worn by both men and women. The love of jewellery meant the Vikings created many different things from rings, to armbands and brooches.
Some of the jewellery was functional and some was just for decoration, but they were all created with highly decorative designs. Viking brooches were a functional, everyday item, used for fastening and holding clothing and cloaks around oneself.
Our Viking Ring
This gold ring is an elaborate and rare form of 9th or 10th-century gold ring. It was found during the excavation of a drainage ditch in Sedbergh. It is a double-banded hoop made from a gold strip, the ends of which are drawn into wires at the back of the hoop and then wound tightly round.
Since the ring is made of gold, we think that the person who owned it was most likely of a higher status and it may even have been given to them as a royal gift!
Hands-on History activities are specially created heritage events for children. We usually run them on Tuesdays during the school holidays.