This is a super fun nature craft that my son and I have created several times. The project gets us outdoors on cold days for an exciting treasure hunt.

We scavenge our natural surroundings for materials to use: dried seed pods, tiny pine cones, feathers, and anything that would look interesting attached to a magical wand. Then, we return to our warm house to peruse our findings and use our imaginations.

Parental supervision is required for this craft, so make it a family activity to remember.

Supplies

  • driftwood or a smooth stick
  • paints
  • natural twine or yarn
  • glue
  • found natural materials (seed pods, plant stalks, dried weeds, small shells, leaves etc.)

Encourage experimentation throughout the project! Enjoy this time spent with your little wizard or fairy creature, and watch the creative play begin with the newly made wands.

Let’s get started!

Directions

  1. Find a nicely sized stick or interesting piece of driftwood to decorate as a wand base. If the stick has rough bark, you can either sand it or peel it off.
  2. Prepare your paints, and cover your stick with one solid color. Let it dry.
  3. Embellish the wand with painted designs in the form of stripes, polka dots, etc.
  4. Squeeze glue on small segments of the stick, and wrap yarn tightly around the glued areas.
  5. Browse through your gathered natural materials, then decide where to place them on the stick. Glue the items onto the wand however you think they look best.

Here are some bonus decorating ideas that we’ve tried:

  • Glue on tiny stones or gems.
  • Wrap tiny shells or pine cones with natural twine or yarn and dangle them from the wand.
  • Before attaching elements like seed pods, dried weeds, or leaves, try painting them for a unique effect.
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