I'm migrating some posts from my original blog, SalmagundiExpress, that relate to crafts or needlework. I didn't have a full post on this, but it's an easy project, so I thought I'd give the instructions here, expanded from the original.1) Choose a photo or image for the front of your wand. The photo above, a shot of my brother and me in our Halloween costumes back in the '50s, was originally black-and-white. I tinted it digitally before printing it out to make this wand. You can also use stickers, images cut out of magazines, or other embellishments to decorate your wand instead of a photo.
2) If using a photo, print it out in the correct size to fit on the front of your wand. Make it a little smaller yet if you want to frame it first by gluing it to a piece of patterned paper, as I did with this wand. Set aside.
3) Paint a paper mache box black. If you're making a rattle, put the gravel or other items in the box now, then glue the lid in place so it can't come off. Cover the top of the lid with Halloween-style scrapbook paper.
4) Cut a wooden dowel the desired length and paint it orange with craft paint. The dowel should be about 1/2" in diameter so it won't snap when carrying the wand.
5) Make an X-slit in the side of the box where you want the dowel to go through as a handle for the wand. You could also try a drill, but be careful with a power drill and don't use a drill bit bigger than the dowel. Paper mache is sturdy but not impenetrable; cutting or punching a hole in the side shouldn't be too hard.
6) Cut a strip of patterned paper for the ruffle. Make sure the strip will be long enough to go around the wand head after folding, or you can overlap two strips and glue them down. Fold the strip like an accordian, then tie the folded paper, with one end short and the other longer. Fan out the longer end to create the ruffle, gluing the ends of the long folded side together so it resembles a ruffled wreath. Use tape, if you prefer.
6) Glue the ruffled wreath to the back of the paper mache box, with the box centered in the middle of the ruffle. This could get tricky as the folds may not want to adhere to the box well. If you use glue, let it dry thoroughly before you try to move the wand. You could also try taping the ends of the short folds to the box.
This step is optional, but if you want the back to look more finished, cut a circle of patterned paper and glue it to cover the folded ends of the ruffle.
7) Put some glue around the hole you cut or drilled into the side of the paper mache box. Insert about 1" of the dowel into the hole. Add additional glue once the dowel is in place. If you prefer, place a collar of glued paper or tape around the dowel and hole so the dowel won't slip out. Let the glue dry thoroughly before you move the wand.
Patterned duct tape is another possibility for securing the dowel in the hole; you could even extend the tape down the dowel, winding it barber pole fashion.
8) Glue the photo or other embellishments to the front of the wand. Add glitter glue, if you like. Tie black ribbon around the dowel where it enters the box for an added touch.
Read the rest of the original post, minus the wand directions, at Nudged to Write.
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