Make Your Own Magic Wand

This fun craft is not just for making a child's toy. Even if you are not a parent, if you are a die hard fan of "Harry Potter," enjoy magic cosplay or you just really like knick knacks and oddities with a fantasy theme, you will love the end result of this DIY tutorial. Since it does involve hot glue, you will want to assist smaller children with that part of the process, but the rest they can mostly do on their own. You can use plain white copy paper or even pastels, but the fluorescent colors create a nice glow effect with the hot glue, so those colors are recommended.

Materials
Fluorescent/Neon Copy Paper
Transparent Tape
Hot Glue Gun
Glue Sticks
Acrylic Paints
Paintbrushes

Optional
Pearlescent medium such as Perfect Pearls powder
Glitter
Metallic paints
Acrylic spray sealant

Load the glue gun and plug it in to start warming. Take a sheet of the copy paper and roll it lengthwise into a long, thin, tapered tube, and tape the paper edge in place to keep it from unrolling. Once the glue is ready, start by putting a small blob on the very tip of the cylinder. Next, run a thin line of glue from just under that blob down the taped edge of the rolled paper to the corner, in spirals down the length of the tube or in any other pattern which is both decorative and helps hold the paper in the tube shape (see article photo for ideas). Allow that portion to cool and dry for a moment before proceeding.

Next run a line of glue around the edge of the large bottom opening of the tube. Do a second line below that one and a third line just inside it. Starting by making a grid with the glue, running lines back and forth across the bottom opening, to slowly fill in the opening with a layer of glue. Allowing the glue to cool between each grid section you make will help it fill faster instead of melting inward. Again using the article photo as a guide, use the glue to create thickness on this "handle end" of the wand.

Once you are done with the glue, it is time to paint the wand. If you want to create the glowing effect, paint only the paper and not the raised glue. If you are painting the glued areas, paint the whole thing in a dark color, and then allow it to dry. Paint the glued area with a lighter color, a metallic paint, glitter, or dust it with pearl powder. Seal, if desired.