How To Paint Larp Weapons

Last week my nephew brought a friend to our house while I was preparing for a local roleplaying event. In an instant, I was in the middle of an interrogation. This kid had so many questions regarding my weapons and the procedure of painting them.

The majority of my weapons are finished, some are halfway there and some were purchased recently with the intention of repainting them.

Anyways, our talk gave me an idea, that idea eventually flourished into this article. I’ve tried to gather all the methods of painting LARP weapons that I know of. This guide will hopefully be helpful to someone who:

Is making their own LARP weapon
Wants to repaint old or new foam weapons
Wants to repaint a latex-coated weapon
Is looking for ways to maintain the quality of the weapon.

As you probably know, there are different types of weapons. Different materials might require different methods of painting to achieve the best possible result.

How To Paint Foam Weapons

Foam weapons tend to have that low-budget look that works fine for some of us (those who just don’t care). But for those who have spent a lot of money on their costume, the incredibly ugly foam weapon just adds itself to injury.

Some use duct tape to coat the weapon to make it more robust. This usually makes it look even worse. However, it does make the weapon more durable. Function trumps fashion. Here’s what you can do to make a foam weapon look better.

First Method: Latex-coating the foam weapon

You’ll need:
- Clear Liquid Latex
- Acrylic Paint
- Paintbrush
- Silicone Spray

If you’re using this method, do not wrap your weapon in duct tape.

Step 1) Put the liquid latex in a bowl or tub.
Step 2) Using your paintbrush, start by adding a layer of latex to the weapon. Give the latex about 25-40 minutes to try before adding another layer. Two layers should do.
Step 3) Apply 4-5 layers of paint to the latex base. Make sure the paint doesn’t have any metal flakes in it – this will cause the latex to decay.
Step 4) Optional but still recommended – Coat your weapon in a layer of silicone spray.

As an added bonus, the latex works as a water-resistant – your foam weapon can now be used outside when it rains.

Second Method: Wrapping the foam weapon in a sleeve

Wrapping the foam weapon in stretchy fabric (like women’s tights) gives you a surface to apply the paint. Tights aren’t very expensive to purchase. There are many colors to choose from but I’ve used white tights that I painted before wrapping the weapon.

Here’s the process step-by-step.

Step 1) Get a pair of girls’ tights/leggings
- They need to be sealed – closed toe – you don’t want this
- Stretchy fabric
- Opaque
Stretch one leg over the sword then cut it off.
At the base of the sword, use rubber bands, tape, or string to tie the leg to the sword.
Paint the sword as you please
Alternatively – If you can’t find a pair of tights, you can sew your own cloth sleeve using stretchy fabric.

How To Paint a Latex Coated Weapon

Some of the weapons I own were far from cool when I first purchased them. They were quite terrible, to be honest. I’m still pretty satisfied with my purchase though – mostly because they look very good now that I’ve repainted them. Well, how do you repaint a latex-coated weapon?

If you use the wrong paint on latex

The paint will crack and come off eventually
The latex coat will decompose and destroy your weapon

To avoid this, make sure the paint you’re using doesn’t contain metal. Any paint with copper in it will cause the latex to rot.

When latex is applied, the fresh layers of latex stick together well. After a while, the cured latex layers won’t stick together.

There are two ways of painting the weapon. The first method is quicker but doesn’t work nearly as well as the second one.

Method One: Painting over the cured latex

This isn’t my first recommendation, but we’ll go through it first because it might work for you. I’ve had a low (25-35%) success rate using this method. However, if you decide to try this method – follow these steps.

Using detergent and warm water, wash the weapon. You want a very clean surface.
Mix a latex-based rubber cement (Preferably Copydex) with acrylic paint.
Apply 4-5 thin layers of the mix on the weapon.

This just MIGHT work. If it doesn’t, or if you decide to go with the other option right away – here’s method number 2.

Method Two: Re-latex the weapon when re-coloring.

Instead of using the old, cured latex – we’ll remove the old latex and apply a new layer of latex to the foam. This method is a little bit more time-consuming than the first method, nevertheless, the end result is long-lasting.

Remove the latex by scrapping it off using a sharp object, preferably a blade.
Continue skinning the weapon until every layer of latex is removed
Apply a mix of latex and acrylic paint in layers
Recommendation: Finally, add a layer of Isoflex Special Primer to seal the latex. It isn’t necessary but I would strongly advise doing so.

Sealing Larp Weapons With Plasti dip Instead of Latex

Instead of using latex, many players have moved over to Plasti dip for their weapons. There are many benefits of doing so, the primary one being the drying time. Plasti dip is solvent-based and dries much quicker than regular latex. Oftentimes, when coating with Plasti dip, I can start coating the second layer when the first layer is finished – with latex, I would have to wait a long time.

As tempting as it sounds, I still don’t dip my weapons in Plasti Dip. I use a brush when applying layers of coat. Working with Plasti Dip is a quick procedure, I don’t think I’d save that much time dipping the weapons.

When working with Plasti Dip, make sure your workplace is well ventilated to protect yourself from harmful fumes.