How to Make a Wizard Wand with Chopsticks and Hot Glue

A good wand makes a costume, and it's one of the cheapest props you can make. All it takes is a wooden chopstick, a glue gun and some paint. The hot glue builds up the handle, knots and swirls that make a wand look carved, and a quick paint job turns the whole thing into something that looks like old wood, bone or polished ebony.

These wands are a brilliant party craft for older children and teens, as long as an adult handles the glue gun or supervises closely. You can make one in about 30 minutes, plus drying time, and no two ever come out the same.

What You Need

• Wooden chopsticks (the round, reusable kind are best, but disposable ones work)
• A hot glue gun and glue sticks (a low-temperature gun is safer for children)
• Acrylic paint in dark brown, black and a lighter shade such as cream, gold or copper
• A small flat brush and an old, stiff brush for dry brushing
• Sandpaper or a nail file
• Kitchen paper and a paper plate for paint
• Optional: beads, small gems, wire, embroidery thread or leather cord
• Optional: clear varnish or decoupage medium

Step 1: Shape the Chopstick

Disposable chopsticks often come joined at the top, so snap them apart and sand off any splinters. Round the tip slightly with sandpaper so it isn't sharp. If you want a more tapered wand, sand the narrow end a little more; it doesn't need to be perfect, because paint hides a lot.

Decide which end is the handle. Usually it's the thicker end, roughly the bottom third of the chopstick.

Step 2: Build the Handle with Hot Glue

This is where the wand gets its personality. Work in small sections and let each layer cool for a few seconds before adding the next.

1. Spiral. Hold the glue gun still and slowly turn the chopstick, so a line of glue wraps around the handle like a vine. Two or three spirals give a twisted-wood look.
2. Rings. Make a few raised bands by holding the gun in one place and turning the chopstick a full circle. Rings at the top and bottom of the handle make it look finished.
3. Knots and bumps. Add small blobs here and there along the shaft. Once painted, they look like knots in a branch.
4. A pommel. Build up a rounded blob at the very end of the handle, or glue on a large bead or marble-sized gem.

Step 3: Paint the Base Coat

Paint the whole wand, glue and all, in your darkest color. Dark brown gives a wooden look; black suits a dramatic or "dark arts" wand; white or cream makes a bone or ivory wand. Hot glue is shiny and slightly waxy, so you'll probably need two coats. Let each coat dry fully.

The easiest way to paint a wand is to hold it by the tip, paint the handle, stand it up in a lump of modeling clay or a cup of rice to dry, then paint the tip once the handle is dry.

Step 4: Dry Brush the Details

Dry brushing is the trick that makes the glue details pop. Dip an old stiff brush in your lighter paint, then wipe almost all of it off on kitchen paper. Lightly flick the brush across the wand. The paint catches only the raised parts, highlighting the spirals and knots and leaving the dark color in the grooves.

Copper or gold on dark brown looks like an expensive, well-loved wand. Cream on brown looks like weathered wood. Silver on black looks sinister in the best way.

Step 5: Add the Finishing Touches

• Wrap a short section of the handle with embroidery thread, leather cord or thin wire for grip.
• Glue a small gem or bead into the end, or into a hollow you've built up with glue.
• Paint thin lines or runes along the shaft with a fine brush or a metallic paint pen.
• Seal everything with a coat of clear varnish so the paint doesn't rub off on hands.

Wand Design Ideas

The gnarled branch

Lots of uneven bumps and a twisting vine of glue, painted dark brown with a cream dry brush. It looks like it was cut from an ancient tree.

The elegant wand

Three neat rings near the handle, a smooth shaft and a black base with a silver dry brush. Simple, sleek and very popular with older kids.

The bone wand

Knobbly joints along the length, painted cream and then washed with watered-down brown paint, which settles in the grooves and makes it look old.

The fairy or princess version

For younger children, paint the wand a pastel color, add glitter glue instead of dry brushing and finish with ribbon streamers. Our princess wand craft and pom pom wand tutorial have more ideas for little ones.

Running a Wand-Making Party Table

Wands are a great activity for a Halloween or wizard-themed party. Set up the glue station at one end of the table with an adult in charge, and the painting station at the other. Have each guest write their name on a strip of masking tape wrapped around the tip so wands don't get mixed up while drying. A paper "wand box" made from a rectangle of card makes a lovely party favor to carry it home in.

Safety Tips

• Hot glue can cause painful burns. Use a low-temperature glue gun with children, keep a bowl of cold water nearby and never let young children use a high-temperature gun.
• Round off the tip of the chopstick so it isn't sharp, and remind children not to poke wands near faces.
• Small beads and gems are a choking hazard for under-threes, so leave them off wands for toddlers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Every wizard needs somewhere to keep their spells, so why not pair your wand with a homemade spell book and a shelf of DIY potion bottles? You'll find more projects in our wand crafts and wizard crafts collections.