Wand Making

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, we wanted to create magic for ourselves and our friends and hone our wood crafting skills. After much debate, we settled on wand making.

Our yard in the San Francisco, CA has several trees and shrubs that require routine maintenance.  Over the years, we carefully trimmed and stored the best branches for future use. One of our more numerous shrubs is boxwood and we have a large birch tree which both provide great material for wand making.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please take a look at our disclaimer.

The three essential tools for wand making are:

Selecting the perfect branch can be hard and a lot depends on what sort of wand you are looking for. When selecting a branch to turn into a wand, make sure that it is not too green or too dry. Also, you want the branch’s width to be wider than you want at the start. Spokeshaving takes off more material than you would imagine. Straighter branches are easier, but we prefer ones that curve slightly to make the wand more interesting. Many pieces of wood also have natural handles that works great on the wand.

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When cutting the wand make sure to not cut it too short, once you start crafting the ends you may find you need to trim it a bit more.

Wooden cut for making wands

Once you have trimmed the branch it is time to prepare it for spokeshaving.

To prepare for spokeshaving the wands, cure them in a mixture of water, dishwasher soap, and a little oil. Soak them for at least two days depending on how dry the wood was to begin with. If the wood is too dry it can by difficult to charge and split when spokeshaving. After two days of soaking, take the wands out of the solution, wipe them dry and store them in a cool dry place for at least one day to dry out. If your wood starts out very wet, you should not soak the wood and instead leave it to dry out for a bit.

Our technique for wand making involves lots of spokeshaving to shape the wand. The best thing about spokeshaving is it is great for all ages. Kids as young at six can spokeshave simple branches and adults can find it very rewarding after a long day at work.

When spokeshaving make sure not to cut into the wood. This can happen if the blade is not aligned correctly or your use too aggressive of an angle. If you do cut into the wood, we recommend not trying to smooth out the grove with the spokeshave. Instead, use a craving tool to widen the grove before returning to spokeshaving, or use a rasp to smooth it out. When spoke shaving it is best to use as little strength as possible and get into a rhythm to make the tooling as consistent as possible.

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Once the wand is in the shape you want then move on to shaping the ends.

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After years of practice we find repeated passes with a spokeshave can get the tip to the shape we prefer. You can use a carving knife as well, but with harder wood it can require a lot more force.

Sanding a wooden wand

After you get the shape and look you want move onto sanding. For wands sanding is really important. The wand needs a well-finished, smooth surface or it just will not feel right. Use multiple grades of sandpaper starting with the lowest grade sandpaper and ending with the finest.

Using wood stain on wands

Once the wand has the feel you want start applying the stain. Make sure to apply the stain in an open and well ventilated space. Remember, staining your wands will take multiple days, so you need a place where the wands will be safe and protected from rain or harsh sun. We stain our wands outside under our porch.

Above is a long line of wands after staining. Since it can take weeks to complete one wand we usually have several in the works at a given time. We also sand the wand after staining them because staining can make the wood feel rougher. Sanding can also give the wands an older look.

Waxing a wooden wand

After the last coat of stain has dried, apply beeswax to add another layer of protection and to give it a well-used feel. You want to wand to feel old and magical. This can require multiple coats of beeswax applied over several days depending on the condition of the wood.

Polishing the wands

The last step is to polish the wand using a rag or a bit of leather. We found leather does a great job getting a well-worn, ancient looking patina.

Now your wands are ready for use and harness the magic within!

Happy creating!

A Selection of Wands

We make wands to relax and to practice our woodworking skills. The process usually involves spokeshaving, sanding, staining, and waxing the wood. We always use wood from our yard to make the wands extra unique. Here is a selection of some of our wands!

DIY Wooden Wands
This piece of wood had a handle that bends that was very difficult to spokeshave, but turned out very well. We stained it red and brown then sanded the wood for the marbled finish.
DIY Wood Wands

Unusual for us, this wand is made from bamboo. Instead of spokeshaving, we just sanded this wand to maintain the classic look of the bamboo. The black color of the wood is natural, not stained.

DIY Wooden wands

This wand is nice and strait. We spoke shaved it smooth and stained it mahogany to add a pop of color. This wand was also sanded to have a smooth finish.

Happy creating!

Wand: Flame Tamer

Every wand we craft has unique mythos and a special spell. This wand is called the Flame Tamer.

 

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand with rosemary

Mythos

Flame Tamer was created on a hot sunny day which gave its power to control fire. 

Special Spell  

Control fire.

First, create a circle of fire. Then speak the incantation:

ignis coercere

While waving the wand in a circle then thrusting the wand through toward the flames.  Focus your mind on an animal, like a hawk or a wolf, that you are most aligned with. The fire will assume the shape of that animal and will obey your commands. 

It is 16 inches long.  This wand was made from pine and was soaked in rose petals and red clay. it was spoke shaved with a small bend in the middle. 

Happy Casting!

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand

Wand: Scarlet Sunset

Every wand we craft has unique mythos and a special spell. This wand is called the Scarlet Sunset.

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand with a book

Mythos

Scarlet Sunset was crafted as the sun was setting so its magic is strongest at night. For difficult spells, it is recommended to wait till a new moon. It plays well with fire and can even use fire as a healing energy to cure people and creatures.

Special Spell

Incendium Purgatio (Fire purification) 

It is 14 3/4 inches long. Made of poplar grown in the Hip Monster’s realm. The wood was spoke shaven straight, soaked in oil with a rosemary and chives blend then polished with bee’s wax.

Happy Casting!

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand with a book

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand with a book

Wand: Night View

Every wand we craft has unique mythos and a special spell. This wand is called the Night View.

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand in a garden

Mythos

The wand Night View has a darker side. Made of poplar and dyed in dark herbs she is ready for night time adventures!.

Special Spell

Noctem Visus (Night Vision)

It is 13 1/2 inches long. Made of poplar grown in the Hip Monster’s realm. The wood was spoke shaven straight, soaked in oil with a blueberries and mint blend then polished with bee’s wax.

Happy Casting!

wooden dyi wand with fake hand wooden diy wand

 

Staff – Twisting Wave

When we go hiking, we sometimes pick up some good pieces of wood to make into staffs or other creations. We found this one in a park close to our house, it was made from a fallen eucalyptus branch. Every staff we craft has a unique mythos and special spell. This staff is called the Twisted Wave.

wooden diy staff, woodcrafting

 

Mythos

The staff Twisted Wave craves unexpected journey and visitors. Travelers should only journey with Twisting Wave if they want to encounter potential friends, it is a peaceful staff, and does not like engaging in battle.

Special Spell

Amicitia (Friendship)

 

 

 


wooden diy staff, woodcrafting on a blanketwooden diy staff, woodcrafting,on the floor

Twisting Wave is 5 feet high, perfect for navigating tricky terrain. The wood was spoke shaven, soaked in oil with a red clay then polished with bee’s wax. 

Happy Travels!

 

Wand: Crimson Lava

Every wand we craft has unique mythos and a special spell. This wand is called the Crimson Lava.

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand on a crystal

Mythos

The wand Crimson Lava pulls in the magic of volcanos so needs an especially strong witch or wizard to wield its power.  It is said to have been crafted on the Big Island of Hawaii during a large eruption.

Special Spell

Accive Sassa Liquefacta (Summon Lava)

It is 13 1/2 inches long. Made of poplar grown in the Hip Monster’s realm. The wood was spoke shaven straight, soaked in oil with a red clay then polished with bee’s wax. 

Happy Casting!

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand with a crystal

Handcrafted DIY Wooden Wand