By Future Craft Collective
Have you ever wished you had a magic wand? Something to hold all the goodness in your world so that when things were a little low you could tap into the goodness? This super simple project is just the thing for making sure that you can create a little magic whenever, wherever, and for whomever you want! This can be a group endeavor, with everyone participating towards one special person’s cause, or it can be a solo project, with one person working with a particular individual in mind.
Materials
Stick of any size; a stick from a special or sentimental place is nice
Colored embroidery thread, string, or copper wire or any such long and colorful material
Buttons, baubles, beads, coins, rocks, fossils, or small pieces of rusty old hardware
Paint, pens, or markers
A sharp knife for carving (optional)
Magnifying glass (optional)
Directions
Step 1: Find a nice person for whom to make the stick. This is a great project for an occasion that beckons a little magic, such as a birthday, graduation, or an illness.
Step 2: Find a nice stick. One that suits your aesthetics. Smooth, barkless wood is nice to work with. Any size stick will do. We have made magic wands just a few inches long and others 10 feet long.
Step 3: Prepare the stick by sanding off rough pieces or whatever else you think needs tending to. This is definitely an individual choice and the stick should be prepared to your liking. Smooth, rough, or somewhere in between.
Step 4: Make sure you are in a good mood. If you are feeling cranky, tired or otherwise upset, put the project off until later. Part of the magic in this project is that as you add each item, you are infusing the stick with good feelings.
Step 5: Find the baubles or buttons that represent the person for whom you are making the stick. For my nephew, who is both very sentimental and mechanically minded, we used items from his grandfather’s shop: stripped electrical wire, decoy eyes, metal nuts and bolts, etc. For a friend moving away, we used small fossils to remind her of the permanent mark she made on our lives. If you are doing a group project, you could also ask each person to bring something, such as a button or a bead to add to the stick.
Step 6: Begin wrapping the stick with string, wire, or thread. As you add each piece, think of the person for whom you are making the stick. Think of good times you have had together in the past. Think of wishes you hope for them in the future. Wrap the string nice and tight and tie it off using a surgeons knot or some other nice, tight knot.
Step 7: Tie the buttons by going through them with the string or wire. How you apply them is totally up to you. Nice and tight, or hanging loosely, or a combination of the two.
Step 8: Carve into the stick, marking the date, name, or just a design. A Sharpie can be used as well. You can also use a wood burner for this step, if you have one. Or, if you’re feeling particularly crafty, burn a design into the wood using a magnifying glass and the sun above.
Step 9: When you present the stick, explain to the recipient that this stick has magic powers. Let them know that you have filled it with total goodness and that they can now have access to that goodness whenever they desire by simply holding the stick and letting the goodness flow. They can fill it with their own goodness too by holding it when they are feeling particularly good, and they can tap into it when they are feeling low or just needing a little more power.
Step 10: After you make one for a friend, you may just want to make one for yourself as well. Just a few inches or ten feet long!
About the Authors:
Future Craft Collective is brought to you by Kathie Sever and Bernadette Noll. Kathie is an accomplished seamstress, creator of Ramonsterwear Custom Western Wear, artist, and mother of two. Bernadette is a writer, co-founder of Slow Family Living, and mother of four. They have found renewed energy in their collaboration and are continuously amazed by the ideas, inspiration, and a-ha moments that have come from this shared effort.
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