Build-Your-Own Labyrinth and Knossos Palace Throne Room Playset!

Thank you for buying the Build Your Own Labyrinth and Knossos Palace Throne Room Playset, now in COLOUR!

See below for comprehensive instructions and tips for building.

Enjoyed this kit? You may also enjoy the Trojan War Paper Doll Playset!

While this Labyrinth build is from my imagination, the Throne Room build (and the objects that form the accessories) are based on plans and my own photographs of the actual Throne Room at Knossos Palace site, Crete, as well as models and artefacts from the Heraklion museum, Crete, and also scholarly articles about the site and its archaeology.

Full video instructions coming soon!

Instructions for printing:

  • It’s best if you print to ‘fit‘ your page – this way you won’t have any cut-off around the edges. (However, if you feel confident resetting your printer margins to make the print size bigger, go for it!)
  • Make sure you have NOT selected ‘print on both sides’
  • If you don’t want to print the cover and game rules (first and last pages), print…
    • Old version: pages 2 – 40 to print the whole thing, or pages 2 – 21 for the Labyrinth and pages 22 – 40 for the Throne Room.
    • New COLOUR version: pages 4 – 21 for the Throne Room and pages 24 – 42 for the Throne Room.
  • All the pages are marked at the bottom with what number page they are of which project.

Using the Layers:

The new COLOUR PDF contains a black and white main image on each page and a colour layer for each page. The colour layers are turned on by default. To make a colour print of the pieces needed to make this kit, simply ask your printer to > print > in colour > true to size
selecting the pages of kit pieces to avoid wastage (you may not need to print the cover and instructions)


Layers and how to use them:

To see the layers, in your PDF reader choose:
– view
– show/hide
– navigation panes
– layers


This will allow you to see the colour layer on each page in the navigation bar at the left-hand side.

Turning off the colour layer:

 If you would like to print the building pieces as just black-and-white (for colouring in), do the following:

• having unhidden the layer navigation, navigate to it

• you will see the list of layers, with an eye icon next to each

• to hide a layer, click the eye icon next to the layer.

• when the eye is ’closed’, the layer is hidden and will not print. 

Building the Labyrinth

NOTES:

  • The pieces are generally in the order in which you will need them, save for some small pieces that have been put elsewhere to use the space.
  • If you want, blow up the pages to A3 before printing to create an enormous Labyrinth!
  • If you plan to colour the model in, it’s best to do this before construction.
  • Make sure you read the Instructions page first!
  • GLUES: A ‘dry’ glue like Pritt Stick is preferable to use, although if you find the details difficult a ‘wet’ glue may be easier to apply. Use it sparingly and spread thinly, so as not to soak the paper. A PVA glue like Modge Podge would be good, but avoid rubbery glues like Copydex (you’ll see why in the instruction videos – it stains and dries lumpily, and also it stinks).

1: Cut out the two Floor pieces and stick together. It would be a good idea to mount this part on cardboard.

NOTE: if you are planning to mount the base on thick cardboard/corrugated card, do this AFTER you have built the structure to avoid the inner and outer walls not lining up.

2: Cut out the Outer Wall pieces – all 5 of them – and fold along all the fold lines.

3: Take the longer portion of Outer Wall 1, fold along the middle and stick the inner and outer sides together. Take the tab at the side and insert it between the inner and outer sides of Outer Wall 2 before sticking them together. Repeat for Outer Walls 3 and 4, before sticking the tab of wall 4 between the sides of the shorter portion of Outer Wall 1. You’ll end up with one long wall piece with four joins.

5: Starting with the back (piece 3), slide the bottom tabs under the base and stick in place.

6: Now swing walls 2 and 4 round and slide the glued tabs under the base, sticking them down firmly.

NOTE: You’ll note that sides 2 and 4 have gaps between the tabs that cut into the main wall – these are important for the sliding wall sections so cut them carefully.

NOTE: wall 1 is in two parts – one shorter that attaches to wall 2, and one longer that attaches to wall 4. Use the diagram to check you have this correct.

7: Cut out the Gate, being careful to cut down the middle and make a fold on the right hand side. Stick the left hand side of the gate over the edge of longer part of wall 1 (as shown on the piece), and stick the opening side to the edge of the shorter wall. This will mean that from outside the gate looks central in the wall, but actually only has one opening part – for the drama!

8: Now work through each row of Labyrinth, using the plan to locate each set of internal walls and stick them down with their floor and wall tabs.

Internal Wall construction:

  • Cut out each inner wall section. Fold along the fold lines, then fold and stick the front and back of the inner wall pieces together, before lining up the tabs with the floor and sticking in place as directed by the diagram. Where inner walls attach to eachother, use the tabs to attach them once attached to the floor. Where there are tabs to attach to the outer walls, leave those for now.
  • Some of the inner sections of the outer walls have an ‘M-like’ shape on the wall (see Instruction page of the PDF). Carefully cut round these and fold them down and then up again (see diagram) to form Labrys holders, before sticking the front and back of the walls together.

The sliding wall strip sections:

9: Cut out each sliding wall strip and the Push/Pull tab and the Stop Tab for each.

10: Stick the walls in place on each strip, as guided.

10: Slot the ends of the strips through the gaps between in the outer wall and the base, where there were gaps in the tabs. Now, with the strip pushed as far out as possible on one side, add either the Push-Pull Tab or the Stop tab to that side. TIP: cover the join with tape (preferably recyclable paper or washi tape) so that the tab moves smoothly through the gap. Now, push the strip in the opposite direction and add the other tab (again using tape to finish off).

NOTE: when the Stop Tabs are flush with the outside walls, the sliding wall strips are in the correct starting position.

Now cut out some characters to inhabit the Labyrinth, or play the game!

Building the Knossos Palace Throne Room

NOTES:

  • The pieces are generally in the order in which you will need them, save for some small pieces that ave been put elsewhere to use the space.
  • If you want, blow up the pages to A3 before printing to create an enormous Throne Room!
  • If you plan to colour the model in, it’s best to do this before construction.
  • Make sure you read the Instructions page first!
  • Fold all tabs and cut along all cut lines before construction!
  • GLUES: A ‘dry’ glue like Pritt Stick is preferable to use, but for the fiddly bits and for attaching the Lower Floor, a ‘wet’ glue may be easier to apply. Use it sparingly and spread thinly, so as not to soak the paper. A PVA glue like Modge Podge would be good, but avoid rubbery glues like Copydex (you’ll see why in the instruction videos – it stains and dries lumpily, and also it stinks).

1: Cut out the two Upper Floor pieces and stick together. It would be a good idea to mount this part on cardboard. (NOTE – there is a lower floor, to accommodate the sunken Lustral basin. You’ll add this later. The Upper Floor is the main floor). Cut down the sides of the Lustral Basin Back Wall and fold it down.

2: Cut out Outer Wall 1. Fold along all fold lines and apply glue to tabs where shaded grey. Attach Upper Floor to Outer Wall 1 using the tabs. NOTE- the bottom part of Outer Wall 1 will mostly be hidden inside the space between the Upper and Lower Floors, except for the walls of the Lustral Basin.

3: FIDDLY BIT: Cut out the three pieces of Outer Wall 2A1, 2A2, and 2A3. Stick parts 2A1, 2A2, and 2A3 together to create wall 2A*. Attach to Upper Floor using the above-and-below tabs on the ‘outside’ portion, and to Outer Wall 1 using the side tab under ‘E’, then by using the tabs A – D to attach the bottom section of 2A3 to the Upper Floor from underneath, and the side tab of Outer Wall 1 to 2A1. Stick the small floor tabs of 2A to the Upper Floor, creating a double doorway. Stick the lustral basin side wall section A to the tab on the lustral basin back wall (attached to Upper Floor).

*After some testing, it may be better to add the Steps at this point, before sticking the A-D tabs under the outer floor!

4: FIDDLY BIT: cut out the Steps section, and fold along all the fold lines and tabs. Carefully stick the top step to the part of 2A3 with tab D above, then stick the other tabs to the side walls created by 2A3 and Outer Wall 1, carefully working your way down the steps, holding them in place til the glue has set before moving onto the next step. NOTE: Leave the very bottom tab for now – we will deal with the Lower Floor later.

5: Cut out Lustral Basin Wall Right, fold along fold lines to create tabs and create wood detail on either side. Attach using main side tab to Outer Wall 1 and Upper Floor/Lustral Basin Back Wall as indicated – line up the illustration on the tab and the wall it’s attached to – and the additional tab on the Upper Floor.

6: Cut out Outer Wall 3 and attach to Outer Wall 2a and Upper Floor using the tabs.

7: Cut out Outer Wall 4 and attach to Outer Wall 3 and Upper Floor using the tabs.

8: Cut out Outer Wall 2B and attach it to the lower part of Outer Walls 1 and 3, and the Upper Floor, using the tabs on each of the walls. This should add strength to the box-like structure you have constructed.

By now you will have a ‘box’ with open top and bottom, with a floor roughly a third of the way up from the bottom, and a ‘Lustral Basin’ sunken area with no floor. Before adding the Lower Floor and sealing in the bottom of the box (and adding the Lustral Basin floor), do the following:

9: Build the ‘furniture’ of the room: L-Wall and Column Wall, L-Bench and Bench, the Bench Sections 1 and 2 (outside in the anteroom) and the Throne. Construct these box-like structures and stick them in their locations, as directed. As you have not added the lower floor yet you’ll be able to press and hold them in place from the other side of the Upper Floor as the glue sets.

9: Next, cut out the Columns and Architrave Beams. Fold down the middle of the capital beams and stick the sides together.

10: Stick the Square Capitals (technically, the ‘Abacus’ of each column capital) onto the Architrave Beam in the area suggested, making sure to make a snip in Capital 1 so that it will slot onto the Lustral Basin Wall Right when inserted.

11: Stick the Column sides together – there are two of each letter, so that there is a back and a front to each flat column. Leave them to dry.

12: Cut down the cut lines that go halfway down each column, either from top to bottom or bottom to top.

13: Match column A to B and slot the two together to make a 3D shape. Do the same with the rest, matching C to D and E to F.

14: Using the tabs at the top of the 3D columns, stick the top of each column to one of the Square Capitals, using the X on each capital as a guide. NOTE: the two tabs should be folded in different directions before being stuck down.

15: Now, using the tabs at the bottom of the columns, stick them to the circle shapes on the Column Wall, using the Xs as a guide again.

16: Now that the columns are in place, fold the tabs at the end of the Architrave Beams over the back of Outer Wall 1 and stick in place. You should now have columns that stand up straight, held in place by the Architrave Beams that run over the Lustral Basin.

17: Now cut out the Lower Floor and stick the bottom tabs of the Outer Walls and Lustral Basin walls to it.

18: Cut out the Outer Wall coverings and stick them on the plain outward-facing sides of the Outer Walls.

Hurrah! You are finished! For the finishing touches, add characters and objects! Feel free to make your own!

Connecting the two builds

19: Connecting the Labyrinth to the Throne Room: cut out the four Corner Supports and stick them over the four corners of the Labyrinth Outer Walls, so that you can then place the Throne Room on top. You may like to only stick one side, so that you can fold them back when playing with the Labyrinth.

For more information on the Throne Room or Palace of Knossos: