There's no prop on television that's more coveted than Game of Thrones' Iron Throne. For the past four seasons, the Iron Throne — built from the swords of a thousand fallen enemies, and forged by dragon fire — has been at the center of most of the conflicts in Game of Thrones. It has become so iconic that it even popped up in another TV show:
It's hard to imagine a Game of Thrones fan who wouldn't have that kind of freak-out if the Iron Throne suddenly materialized in their living room. Fortunately, HBO sells a full-scale replica; unfortunately, that replica costs $30,000 (plus $2,500 for shipping).
But while the actual Iron Throne might be as elusive in real life as it is on the screen, there are a surprising number of real-life alternatives that don't require a lot of bloodshed or a Lannister-sized bank account. Here are six cheap ways to get your own Iron Throne:
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You already have at least one throne in your house, so why not just add a few swords and call it a day? A quick search turns up plenty of sellers offering a sword-laden decal designed to fit perfectly behind a standard toilet bowl. At around $30, it's a cheap but no-frills option — but you can always get a little more elaborate if the spirit moves you.
2. Bean bag
The Iron Throne is one of the most coveted chairs in pop-culture, but it's not exactly known for being comfortable. Fortunately, Nerd by Night blogger Isabell Kiko came up with an ingenious compromise: a beanbag version of the Iron Throne. Kiko provides helpful, detailed instructions, so with a sewing machine and "a gazillion hours free time," you can make your own softer, gentler riff on the Iron Throne.
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3. Chair back
If you don't have the strength to lug a 350-pound chair around, why not settle for the ability to turn any chair into an Iron Throne? Sky Atlantic partnered with NOW TV to give away a cushioned seat with a sword-laden backboard that fits onto everything from an office chair to an easy chair. The only catch: just like the real Iron Throne, you couldn't just buy it. You had to win it by answering a Game of Thrones trivia question: "What is the name of Joffrey Baratheon's mother?" Real tough one, guys.
4. Pedicab
For a brief, magical moment, anyone could take a free ride in their very own mobile Iron Throne. To promote the premier of the third season, HBO unleashed a series of Game of Thrones pedicabs to shuttle people around at SXSW. The mobile Iron Thrones didn't pop up again this year — but given the show's tendency to revisit long-forgotten stories, who knows where they'll show up next?
5. DIY (plastic version)
(Image credit: The Associated Press)
One ingenious Game of Thrones fan, who goes by the handle flaming_pele, built an impressive Iron Throne replica out of an Adirondack lawn chair — and he was kind enough to provide step-by-step instructions to help you do the same. All told, he estimates the project cost around $100 to complete. It may be wood and plastic, but it's a lot more reasonable than paying the iron price.
6. DIY (iron version)
If you're really bent on building your own Iron Throne from scratch, it's theoretically possible — but you'd better have some time on your hands. Professional swordsmith Jake Powning speculates that it could take as long as 700,000 hours to forge the 1,000 swords that make up the Iron Throne. From there, you'd need to mold the swords to fit a chair frame — preferably by dragon. (If you can't track one down, welding torches would also do the trick).
Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
