If you like all things magical, then this easy wand DIY tutorial is just for you. Learn how to make your own wand with just a few supplies and tools. Remember, no two wands are the same! So just have fun and the magic will start flowing. Let's create our very own magical wand!
Gather Your Supplies
In the following video tutorial, I show you how to do a very simple wand. Of course you can use other materials like clay to make more elaborate and fancier wands, but this tutorial is a great starting point for beginners.
After you feel comfortable doing your first wand, feel free to experiment. There is no limit to your imagination!
Here's what you'll need:
- ¼” | ⅜” | ½” Wood Dowels.
- Hot Glue Gun
- Acrylic | Colourarte Metallic Paint *Use Coupon Code love621 to get 10% OFF from any Colourarte product
- Paint Brushes
- Sandpaper | Sander
- Jewelry Wrapping Wire, or UV Resin and UV Light
- Glass gems | Acrylic gems
- Glow in the Dark powder in aqua color (or any color you prefer)
- Tri Art Liquid Glass
- Angel Halo GLAM Glitter powder *Use Coupon Code love10 to get 10% OFF from any EnchantingFineArt product
TIPS: For my wand, I used a ⅜” wooden dowel, however, you can make a thinner or thicker wand. It's up to you!
Feel free to use tree branches or a piece of wood from the forest instead of the wooden dowels. Just make sure that your branch/ piece of wood is about 11"-13" long, between ¼” - ½” thick, and is relatively straight.
Sand & Sharpen Your Wand
If you are using a tree branch rather than a wooden dowel rod, you will have to sand down your wand using an electrical sander to smooth it down. If you are using a wooden dowel, you can skip the electrical sanding and just use a sandpaper to get it as smooth as you want.
Use a pencil sharpener to make one end of the dowel pointy. Use an electrical sander or sandpaper to make the pointed tip a little bit more rounded and blunt.
Wipe the sawdust off.
Add Gems
If you want to add a gem to the top of your wand, then now is the time to do so.
The easiest way to attach the gem to your wand is by using some UV resin. Just add some UV resin to the gem, stick it on top of the dowel, shine a UV light on the resin to cure it.
You can also use some jewelry wrapping wire and a gem or bead with a hole. Thread the wire through the gem and wrap the wire around the dowel.
Don't worry about how the wire looks right now! You will be adding some hot glue on top of it which will hide the wire as well as further secure the gem in place.
Shape and Add Details
Now it is time to shape and add details to your wand. An easy way to create patterns on a wand is by adding hot glue!
If you don't have a particular design in mind, just randomly add glue to your dowel. On the other hand, if you already have a particular design picked, then use the glue to make the pattern you desire.
TIP: Use the low setting on the hot glue gun so that the glue applied to your wand solidifies faster. You can also use a hair dryer (in cool setting) to blow cool air on the glue or dip your wand in a cup of ice water.
Paint
Once the hot glue is cool and solidified, add a layer of black paint to the surface of your wand, making sure you get into all the nooks and crannies. paint the wand with black acrylic paint. Let it dry!
Then brush some metallic colors on the surface of the glue pattern.
I first brushed on some of the Rich Auburn Prizm Pour paint and then I added some highlights with the Mayan Gold Prizm Pour paint. But feel free to make your wand as colorful as you'd like!
Colourarte has gorgeous metallic acrylic paints in luscious colors. For example... Scarab Beetle, Muscatel, Forbidden Ruin, or Dark Waters would be perfect colors for wand making!
*Use Coupon Code love621 to get 10% OFF from any Colourarte product
Add Glitter (optional)
If you want to add some sparkle to your wand, sprinkle some glitter on the paint while it is still wet.
I used this super sparkly Angel Halo GLAM Glitter powder.
*Use Coupon Code love10 to get 10% OFF from any FairytaleApothecary product
Add a Glow-In-The-Dark Tip
This step is optional, however, I found that the glow-in-the-dark element made my wand even more magical!
Just mix some glow-in-the-dark powder into some Tri-Art Liquid Glass (or maybe even some clear glue) and brush this mixture onto the tip of your wand.
Here's how the tip of the wand will look like when the lights are off.
Doesn't that look sooo cool???
Other Ideas for Wand Shaping and Decorating
Here are some extra ideas for your next wand:
- Adding a few stones, gems, or crystals along the shaft of the wand.
- Make designs or a cute handle on your wand with some clay.
- What about a leather handle!
- Dollar store items like spiders and skeletons are great items to glue on a wand to give it a more creepy look.
- What about using a wood burning kit to make cool designs?
- Or maybe creating a wand case for your magic wand. If you don't want to make one, you can just get a 3-tiered Wizard Wand Display Stand, a Magic Wand Box, 10 wand Display Bracket Rack, or this super fancy Noble Collection Harry Potter 10-wand Wooden Display.
Fun Facts About Wands
If you are a Harry Potter fan or simply love wands, here are some fun facts that you might like to know!
- "Only a minority of trees can produce wand quality wood (just as a minority of humans can produce magic). It takes years of experience to tell which ones have the gift, although the job is made easier if Bowtruckles are found nesting in the leaves, as they never inhabit mundane trees."
— Garrick Ollivander
Various types of wood were used when making wands. These wands would be carved and afterwards have a magical substance embedded in it's core.
Wands would vary in length anywhere from 7" to 16" in. They would also vary in rigidity... from springy, to flexible, to supple, or to unyielding.
According to Ollivander, these are the best woods to make wands:
- Beech - best for someone young but wise, and full of understanding and experience.
- Cedar - well-matched to someone with good perception and perspicacity.
- Chestnut - wands made out of Chestnut are attracted to skilled magical beasts tamers, natural fliers, and those who possessed great gifts in Herbology.
- Ebony - wands for wizards who are not afraid to be themselves and who hold fast to their beliefs. These wands have an impressive appearance and reputation.
- Fir - for the strong-minded and focused. Owners need to have a strength of purpose and not be changeable or indecisive.
- Maple - Their ideal owners would be travelers and explorers with lofty ambitions. These wands need fresh challenges and regular changes of scene to shine and thrive.
- Sycamore - best for adventurous, curious, and eager learners. Wands could burst into flames if allowed to become 'bored'.
- Vine - perfect for wizards seeking a greater purpose with a vision beyond the ordinary.
- Walnut - good wands for magical innovators and inventors. This wood possesses unusual versatility and adaptability. A truly lethal weapon in the hands of a witch or wizard of no conscience.
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial!
Stay tuned, because I will soon create another tutorial that will show you how to do a replica of one of the Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts wands.
