DIY: Harry Potter Wands

I was feeling particularly lazy this year and decided that we would just do bought costumes for book week. So I asked the kids want they wanted to be and set about the expensive but a lot less time consuming task of ordering their costumes from ebay or raiding the dress up box.

I had a two week delivery timeframe so everything should have been here in time but NOPE! The wands didn't arrive for C and M's costumes and since we live in the middle of nowhere I couldn't just duck down to the shops and pick up something so I first raided the cutlery drawer and decided that the chopsticks were too small so my next move was my knitting needles. Luckily I somehow ended up with two sets of 10 mm wooden needles!

Then I had to hunt down my hot glue gun. That was no mean feat since my craft supplies are stored in many places around the house. But never fear I found it and managed to turn the needles into something resembling magic wands as well as not burning myself in the process. WINNING!

Anyhow, I thought I'd share here just how I did it.

WHAT I USED:

10 mm bamboo knitting needle- but you could use dowel, a tree branch, anything wooden really. The knitting needle is just a perfect size and shape especially because of their bulky ends.
Hot Glue Gun
Acrylic Paint
Clear Varnish- I haven't sealed these wands yet because I was on a strict timeline, but sealing them with some clear varnish will ensure that the paint lasts and doesn't chip away or rub off.

WHAT I DID:

All I did was spread hot glue around the base of the needles until I was happy with it.

There was no pattern in mind at all. Again, I was on a strict deadline!

Then I pulled out the kids cheapie acrylics and painted one brown and the other silver.

And ta dah! They were done. 

Both kids were happy with the results and that's really all a mother can ask for! 

Do you do handmade or store bought costumes for book week? 

Book Week 2013

No completely handmade costumes for book week this year, only partial bits and pieces. I really wanted the kids to be a part of making their costumes this year too. Not just telling me what they wanted me to sew. 

Caden went as Where's Wally. He helped with his shirt, which was just a short sleeved white top we had on hand and we coloured in red stripes.

He helped with the pom pom on his beanie too. The beanie was a cut up old white shirt and some red felt I had on hand. The down side of living remotely. You need to be more resourceful, no just ducking into the local craft store...

And he helped B make his walking stick, that was made out of newspaper and duct tape! And I think it was all made just they way it should be, with the kids making or helping make their costumes. 

And well Mahli wanted to be Rapunzel. Easy since we already had a Rapunzel dress up and she helped cut the wool to make her wig. It's not the best wig, but she helped make it and that's what counts. 

Do your kids help make their costumes too? 

He is one wise fellow,

that Cat in a Hat!

Dr Seuss books are pretty popular here in our house, and which such great quotes as

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

and

Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you 

I am happy to read them as often as the kids like. Caden can ever read most of The Cat in a Hat by himself.

 

Book week ended today with a full school parade at Caden's school and all the kids got to get up on stage and show off their costumes.

Caden's costume was finished yesterday afternoon sans gloves, because he decided he didn't need them.

He also decided that he didn't want his face painted this morning.

But he got up on stage and told the whole school that he was Cat in a Hat and that made me smile from ear to ear. We have been having some issues with him and school. Tears every morning and pronouncements of 'I hate school, Mum!'. Or simply him hiding under his covers crying his eyes out and simply saying he wasn't going. We having been working with his teacher to try and figure out what on earth was going on as he loved school and has been doing really well academically, socially is where his issues lay. And that is something we have been working on too, building his confidence, getting him into team sports...

Anyway, seeing him up on stage in front of the whole (rather large) school and hearing his voice announce that he was Cat in a Hat made me oh so proud!

Kids, they really do make your heart beat outside your chest from the moment they are born!