DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Magic Wand Craft

Contributed by Leanne Guenther

Materials:

• Newspaper
• Tape
• Mixture of 1/2 white glue and 1/2 water OR paper mache paste (1 part flour to 5 parts water... let boil 3 minutes and then cool)
• Magical item.  Examples include sparkles, pipecleaner, feather, ribbon, piece of twisted Aluminum foil.
• Silver, gold, black, brown or grey paint or markers.

Instructions:

• Everyone knows that the key to a good magic wand is a special magical center.  The most important part of this craft, therefore, is choosing your magical center (you aren't going to be able to see it, but you'll know it's there)! 
  • You can use a pipecleaner or twisted Aluminum foil (hair from a unicorn tail), feather (Phoenix feather), ribbon (dragon heartstring).
  • You can use things you find outside (feathers) or something special of yours (maybe even a small snippet of your hair if mom says it's ok!)
  • You can also sprinkle on a few sparkles for that extra bit of punch.

Put your magical items on the edge of a 1/2 piece of newspaper and roll it up tight like a sausage.  You might want to chant a couple of magical words as you roll (ROLLUS ENCOMPUS, for example). Take a look at the length of your wand.  If you like it, great!  If it's too long, take scissors and trim in down (every wand is different!) Tape the newspaper sausage tightly so it doesn't unroll as you work.  Put tape over the two ends so your magical items don't fall out.

• Take 1 inch x 6 inch (ish) strips of newspaper and dip them in the paper mache paste OR water/glue mixture.  Wrap them tightly around the newspaper sausage.
• Let your wand dry.
• Paint the wand your chosen color (or color with markers).   You can also dip the tip in white glue and then coat with silver or gold sparkles.