HARRY POTTER
WAND MAKING TUTORIAL & GUIDE

[I] REFERENCES

[A] MOVIE/REPLICA WANDS PHOTOS

NOBLE COLLECTION HARRY POTTER WANDS

*Information are courtesy of The Harry Potter Lexicon and Clefairies digging through the information in the Harry Potter Books, JKRowling.Com and Noble Collection Website.

[II] MATERIALS

Wooden Dowel OR Long Chopstick
Wooden Branch OR Small Hard Woody Plant Stem
" Wooden Dowel

Super Sculpey

Oven
Sculpting Tools
Penknife
Fine Sandpaper
Semi-Coarse Sandpaper

Acrylic Paint
Wood Stain
Spray Paint
Finisher
 

[III] INSTRUCTION

[a] Wooden Dowel/Chopstick with Super Sculpey

1) Wash the Wand Base (Wooden Dowel/Chopstick) with Soap thoroughly.

2) Allowed to dry completely for at least 24 hours under Direct Sunlight.

3) Decide the design you want.
You can check out the original Movie Versions of the Wand or Online Stores selling Replica or Own Design Wands or create your own design.

4) Take some of the Super Sculpey and kneel it gently to soften and smoothen it.

5) If just using the Sculpey to make the Handle of the Wand, roll out on a Flat Surface some of the Sculpey using a Rolling Pin and gently wrap the Bottom of the Wooden Base with it. Trim any excess parts of the Sculpey with a Sculpting Tool/Blunt Knife etc.
Gently roll the Sculpey-Wrapped end to smoothen it.
Add any more details you want onto the Handle like Patterns, Vines by adding more Shaped Sculpey
Vines: Roll out "tiny snakes" and gently wrap it around where you want it to be
Patterns: Using a Blunt or Sculpting Tool, sculpture out the patterns onto the Sculpey-Covered areas

6) Following the Instructions on how to bake the Sculpey in an Oven.

7) Allow the Wand to Cool Completely.
Using Acrylic Craft Paint (compatible with Sculpey), color the Wand Handle to your desired color.
Allowed to dry

8) Add the Sealer/Finisher and allowed to dry completely for at least a few days

NOTE: If you intend to color the Whole Wand, Sand the Wooden Base before Part 1, firstly with a Rough Sandpaper and then with a Fine one.

[b] TREE BRACH/HARD WOODY PLANT STEM

A) Choose the Tree Branch or Hard Wooden Plant Stem base on your preferences or luck.

B) Try to scrape off the Bark leaving behind the stem underneath it.

C) Gently wash the Stem and allowed it to dry in direct sunlight or for few hours in a low heat oven (With Supervision!) until the Base don't feel damp anymore.
Fresh Tree Branch or Hard Wooden Plant Stem tend to curve as they get dry up so do check on the drying wood every hour or so and GENTLY, bend it back against the natural curve so that it will be straight when totally dried. You'll have to do this several  times  to correct the curve of the wood.

D) Upon completely drying, lightly sand the surface of the wood.

E) Spray on or Wood Stain on the wood the color of your preference. Try to give thin coat each time and allow each layer to dry completely before applying the next layer. Give around 2-3 Thin Coats of Color

F) Allow Wand to dry for at least a day or 2.

G) Apply the Clear Finishing Coat and allow it to dry for several days.

[c] WOOD DOWEL & LATHE MACHINE

1) Get a wooden Dowel that is recommended ~ thick

2) Cut out a piece to the length of your choice

3) Place the Wood between the

4) Clean the wand thoroughly to remove any wood dust. You can either wipe the wand clean with a wet cloth or wash it with Soap and Water.
Allowed to dry completely.

5) If you choose to leave the wood in its original/natural color, the you either leave it as it is OR add a Clear Finisher, whether in Matte or Glossy.
If you want to recolor it, you can try to Stain it with Wood Stain. Just follow the instruction given on the Can and allow each layer to dry completely, probably until not Tacky any more. A final Clear Coat can be added to protect the Color further.

[IV] OTHER WAND MAKING/MODIFYING TUTORIALS

[A] OLLIVANDER'S APPRENTICE
http://users.owt.com/bluefox/Bluefox/wandmaking.html

[B] HERMIONE'S MUGGLE STREET CLOTHES: WAND
http://www.stormtrooperprincess.com/mugglewear/wand.html

[C] MAKING A WAND
http://www.geocities.com/thespiraloak/makingwand.html

[D] MAKE AN AWESOME HARRY POTTER WAND FROM A SHEET OF PAPER AND GLUE GUN GLUE
http://www.instructables.com/id/ENK3V66F3PIEONZ/?ALLSTEPS

[E] WIZARD'S WAND - MAKE YOUR OWN BEAUTIFUL WIZARD'S WAND (DADCANDO.COM VERSION)
http://www.dadcando.com/default_MAKING.asp?project=Wizards_wands&category=Wizardry_and_Magic

[F]

FROM MADAME MALKINS MAILING LIST

[1] From: "hippolyta1974"

RECIPE:
1/4" wooden dowel, cut to 13" length
Translucent polymer clay (Super Sculpey)
Sandpaper
Tact cloth or just a soft, lint-free towel
Paint--spray paint in this "recipe"

INSTRUCTIONS:
I got 1/4" wooden dowel, cut it to 13" and then shaved and sanded one end until it was tapered.
I used small "snakes" of (translucent) polymer clay and wrapped them around and around the untapered end of the wooden stick for the handle of the wand. And good wands are as different as fingerprints to the individual witch and wizard, so the polymer is a pretty interesting way to bring out your creative side.

I added a small Tree Of Life design to mine. I baked it (to cure the clay) for about 40 minutes, rather than 15 (like the package of clay says), and then I sanded it a little more and used tact cloth to remove the debris from the wand. Last, I painted it with a satin black spray paint, around mid-range price--about $3 per can.

It turned out pretty great. I'm rather proud of it, and I'm taking it to a Halloween festival in town, dressed as...who knows what!

Hope that helps!
~SFoaV

[2] From "M J D"

I saw a discussion about wands, and I wanted to offer my $0.02.

I find it almost sad that some people have the most incredible costumes - hand-sewn robes, perfectly movie-accurate accessories... and wands that look like they came from an elementary school arts and crafts class. What's really sad is that it's actually very easy to make your own hand-carved wooden wand.

I carve my own wands. Yes, the wooden dowel approach will create a functional wand that you can wave around, and as long as nobody looks too closely, it'll fill the requirement. However, it's very easy to carve your own wand from solid wood, and with some time and effort, you'll have something completely unique that you created yourself. I've carved nearly 50, and have sold most of them. You don't need a lathe. You don't need fancy foreign woods. And the only supply you need to start is a jackknife.

**WARNING**:
If you're a young person, ask your parents BEFORE using a sharp knife.
Or, if you're an adult who just doesn't seem to have the best eye-hand coordination, then this activity might not be a good idea for you.
I don't want to be held responsible for people chopping their fingers off. Madam Pomfrey will NOT regrow your fingers for you.

Instructions:
- Find a straight length of live wood. Yes, this involves going into the forest, looking closely at trees, and finding a suitable piece of wood. You'll want at least a 16-inch length to begin.
Maple or birch works nicely for beginners, or any moderate hardwood (no pines, no spruces, no firs).
I recommend against oak for beginners. It's extremely hard to carve.

- Strip the bark from the stick, and begin whittling. (You'll want the knife to be very sharp.)

- Use photos of wands from Alivans or Whirlwoods for inspiration, but (obviously) use simple designs if you're new to whittling.

- When you've carved out your wand, let it slow-dry by loosely wrapping it in a plastic bag.
As it dries, it will try to curve.
GENTLY, bend it against the natural curve with your hands so that it dries straight. (It will bend easily when it's still green
wood, but as it dries, BE CAREFUL or you'll snap your wand.)
You'll have to adjust it several times.

- When it's dry, sand it.
Start with medium-course sandpaper to smooth down the bumps, and then use fine sandpaper to make it nice and smooth.
If you use ultra-fine buffing paper, you can literally polish the wood to a natural shine.

- Once you're done sanding, you can keep it as it is, you can use a spray-sealant (varnish, polyurethane, etc.), or you can stain it.

This is definitely a case of practice-makes-perfect. Your first wand will probably suck. Mine did. It was too short, it had a horrible curve, the design was poorly balanced, and the handle didn't fit my hand.
Now, I carve some amazingly intricate designs, and have sold my wands for up to $140 at Harry Potter conventions, just peddling them out of my backpack.
And as for the price of materials... I bought myself the jack-knife once, plus a sharpener.
One can of spray-varnish or sealer costs about $6, and it will do over a dozen wands.
Stains... I blend my own, and you can use almost any color. I even stained one with strong black tea, and another with red wine.

Woods that I've used:
Ash,
Aspen,
Beech,
Birch,
Black Cherry,
Blueberry,
Dogwood,
Fire Cherry,
Holly,
Lilac,
Maple,
Oak,
Poplar,
Willow

Anyhow, that was my solution to the question of adding a wand to a costume. If anyone here decides to try it, please let me know how it goes for you! And I can answer any questions you might have. Good luck, and happy carving!

~Michelle

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