Wand Making

April 3, 2025April 2, 2025 Lutin

At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, we wanted to create magic for ourselves and our friends and hone our wood crafting skills. After much debate, we settled on wand making.

Our yard in the San Francisco, CA has several trees and shrubs that require routine maintenance. Over the years, we carefully trimmed and stored the best branches for future use. One of our more numerous shrubs is boxwood and we have a large birch tree which both provide great material for wand making.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please take a look at our disclaimer.

The three essential tools for wand making are:

Saw (we prefer a single-edge Japanese Pull Saw)
Vice mounted securely on a table
Spokeshave

Selecting the perfect branch can be hard and a lot depends on what sort of wand you are looking for. When selecting a branch to turn into a wand, make sure that it is not too green or too dry. Also, you want the branch’s width to be wider than you want at the start. Spokeshaving takes off more material than you would imagine. Straighter branches are easier, but we prefer ones that curve slightly to make the wand more interesting. Many pieces of wood also have natural handles that works great on the wand.

When cutting the wand make sure to not cut it too short, once you start crafting the ends you may find you need to trim it a bit more.

Wooden cut for making wands

Once you have trimmed the branch it is time to prepare it for spokeshaving.

To prepare for spokeshaving the wands, cure them in a mixture of water, dishwasher soap, and a little oil. Soak them for at least two days depending on how dry the wood was to begin with. If the wood is too dry it can by difficult to charge and split when spokeshaving. After two days of soaking, take the wands out of the solution, wipe them dry and store them in a cool dry place for at least one day to dry out. If your wood starts out very wet, you should not soak the wood and instead leave it to dry out for a bit.

Our technique for wand making involves lots of spokeshaving to shape the wand. The best thing about spokeshaving is it is great for all ages. Kids as young at six can spokeshave simple branches and adults can find it very rewarding after a long day at work.

When spokeshaving make sure not to cut into the wood. This can happen if the blade is not aligned correctly or your use too aggressive of an angle. If you do cut into the wood, we recommend not trying to smooth out the grove with the spokeshave. Instead, use a craving tool to widen the grove before returning to spokeshaving, or use a rasp to smooth it out. When spoke shaving it is best to use as little strength as possible and get into a rhythm to make the tooling as consistent as possible.

Once the wand is in the shape you want then move on to shaping the ends.

After years of practice we find repeated passes with a spokeshave can get the tip to the shape we prefer. You can use a carving knife as well, but with harder wood it can require a lot more force.

Sanding a wooden wand

After you get the shape and look you want move onto sanding. For wands sanding is really important. The wand needs a well-finished, smooth surface or it just will not feel right. Use multiple grades of sandpaper starting with the lowest grade sandpaper and ending with the finest.

Using wood stain on wands

Once the wand has the feel you want start applying the stain. Make sure to apply the stain in an open and well ventilated space. Remember, staining your wands will take multiple days, so you need a place where the wands will be safe and protected from rain or harsh sun. We stain our wands outside under our porch.

Above is a long line of wands after staining. Since it can take weeks to complete one wand we usually have several in the works at a given time. We also sand the wand after staining them because staining can make the wood feel rougher. Sanding can also give the wands an older look.

Waxing a wooden wand

After the last coat of stain has dried, apply beeswax to add another layer of protection and to give it a well-used feel. You want to wand to feel old and magical. This can require multiple coats of beeswax applied over several days depending on the condition of the wood.

Polishing the wands

The last step is to polish the wand using a rag or a bit of leather. We found leather does a great job getting a well-worn, ancient looking patina.

Now your wands are ready for use and harness the magic within!

Happy creating!

Carved Wooden Seals

February 25, 2025February 25, 2025 Lutin

These are old carvings that we forgot to post. We were inspired by the Chinese wax seals and wanted to practice wood carving, so we decided to make our own unique wooden seals.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please take a look at our disclaimer.

Chinese wax seals

Here are some of our favorite seals. Most were purchased at a little store in the middle of San Francisco’s China Town right off of post street.

Crafted WaxSeals Alligator Inspired by Claude the Alligator, we decided to make an alligator seal. Its tail curves behind it and opens its jaws wide. The stamp would go on the bottom.

Crafted WaxSeals Alligator

This is the side view, where is shows off its tiny feet. There is some texture on the tail to replicate an alligator’s scales. At first the tail was indicated with a shallow grove but the carving was hard to make out or we opted to cut a slot to highlight the tai more clearly.

Crafted WaxSeals, Cat

This is the other wooden seal, which is a cat. The cat is perched on top of a wooden column, with its tail curved down the side.

Crafted WaxSeals, Cat

This carving captures the shape of a cat, with its pointed ears and curved body. We tied a red string around its neck like a collar to add a pop of color.

At the bottom of the seal, we added a stamp. We made the stamp out of an eraser and carved on the ancient Chinese character for ocean.

Here are the two wooden seals together!

Happy Creating!

Making a Toy Bunny

July 7, 2023October 15, 2024 Lutin

It was the end of the school year and we want to make a toy for one of our teachers. She loved bunnies and Beatrice Potter, so we thought that we should make her a toy bunny.

First, we drew a design for the toy bunny. We wanted it to be able to move its legs and ears so the design had to have a lot of details. It make sure it could more we used balsa wood for most of the parts to the bunny put together with nuts and bolts.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

Here is a picture of us cutting the wood. We had to use a fine saw because the balsa wood split with the Japanese saw.

Next, we drilled holes for the nuts and bolts. We don’t use wood screws because over time they loosen and damage the wood if the toy is played with it. To drill the holes we used a bench press and a secured the wood carefully. Because Balsa wood is so soft, it couldn’t be hand drilled.

After all the parts were cut, drilled, and sanded it was time to assemble!

Assembling a wooden toy bunny

If the plans are good enough, once you have the pieces done, it is like assembling a puzzle!

Assembling a wooden toy bunny

We made the ears out of plastic because the wooden ears broke too easily. We could also easily cut the plastic to be whatever shape we want.

To finish it off we added a purple pompom for a tail. And here is the completed bunny with a scarf!

Because it is posable, you can change how it looks year round!

This is what it looks like when it’s finished!

Happy Creating!

Wooden Toy – Alligator

February 4, 2023November 15, 2023 Lutin

We decided to make a special present for our teachers at school. One of the teachers really loved alligators, so we decided to make one for her out of wood.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

So we set out to make one out of wood. First we cut the wood into the rough shape of the toy.

Using a drill press to create a wooden toy alligator

Next, We drilled the wood that we cut. We cut lots of little pieces so the tail could move. We also drilled a small hole in the center of each small piece.

To smooth the edges we used a wood plane. Then we sanded each piece with fine grain sandpaper. For the details on the head we made rough cuts using an alligator saw then sanded repeated to get the shape we wanted.

A handcrafted wooden toy alligator We laid out the final design before threading the wire through the holes we drilled.

Threading a pipecleaner through pieces of wood for a handcrafted wooden toy alligator

Here we are threading the wire though the holes. We used pipe cleaners to get a snug fit. This will make the toy alligator flexible but will also hold its shape well.

Here is the completed alligator! We named him Claude after the alligator in the San Francisco Academy of Sciences.

Happy Creating!

DIY Pump Drill

June 19, 2020October 15, 2024 Dryad and Harpy

Comleted Pump Drils — Completed Pump Drils

The Hip Monster’s sister team has created a DIY pump drill. Pump drills are ancient tools used by many cultures including Native Americans. The sisters got the idea from seeing pump drills made by the Miwok tribe who used to live in California.

Please note, this material is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guide on how to create the designs. Please read our disclaimer.

Supplies for a handmade pump drill. — Some of the supplies

Equipment:

saw
drill
spade drill bit ~1 inch
drill bit 1/8 inch
spokeshave
sandpaper
strong string
bee’s wax
three long, straight branches

Branches:

1) shaft: the centerpiece of the pump drill. Look for a long, straight, and thin piece of wood.

2) spindle whorl: Attached near the tip of the shaft and makes the drill rewind. This piece should be heavy and thick enough the shaft can go through it.

3) handle: What you hold onto. This piece should be just thick enough for the shaft to go through.

First, you pick out three straight pieces of wood, one long and skinny, and the other two thick. Make sure the handle and the spindle ones are thick enough for the shaft to go through. Cut off the extra parts making sure to leave a bit extra on each end.

This se should look like this. The extra inch on each side of the sticks are so you can secure them to a vice for shaving.

The first one will be the spindle, the second the handle, and the last the shaft.

Next, spokeshave the pieces to make them smooth. Be very careful while spoke shaving you don’t want to make any of the pieces too thin or curved. Continuously flip the piece over to get to make all the sides are even. Sometimes when there is a knot or we accidentally cut into the wood, an adult can help smooth it out. If you have finished spoke shaving but don’t have enough time to stain or wax it, soak it in water so it doesn’t dry out to much.

For the main shaft, spokeshave till it is as straight as possible. To find out which side to shave roll the stick on a table and see which part is bent up. For the handle and spindle, you just need to get the bark off.

Now cut the piece to the right size. Make sure the thin one is the longest because that would be the main piece that supports everything else. Measure everything out the right size before you cut it.

Sand the pieces to make them really smooth. Spend more effort on the shaft. Remember, the shaft needs to be smooth and straight for the pump drill to work. They should look like this when done. Drill the holes in the two thick pieces. The with of the holes should be a bit bigger than the diameter of the shaft. When drilling, go slowly to avoid splitting. Make sure you drill in the middle of the wood. When done you should have two big holes in the large pieces big enough for the shaft. For drilling hole likes these where the edge of the drill bit comes close to the vice we let an adult do the final set up and test.

After you have drilled all the holes apply bee’s wax. The bee’s wax makes them smooth and help avoid splitting.

To apply the bee’s wax use an old towel. Since bee’s wax does not go bad, we use the same rag repeated for other projects.

Drill two holes at the tip of the shaft the same width as the string you will be using. Measure the string and put the string through it.

Now drill holes at both ends of the handle. Make sure the hole is in the same direction as the shaft hole.

Next, assemble the pump drill by sliding the shaft through the handle.

Then loop the string through the two holes you drilled in the handle.

Adjust the string so that the center stick if a little less than halfway down the pole. Then tied knots on both ends of the string.

Now slide the spindle onto the shaft.

Use a thin board of wood like the one shown in the photo and break off a strip.

Wedge the strip of wood in the gap to make the fit tight. Add more strips of wood as needed. The spindle should not be able to move.

And finally, cut a slot at the end of the shaft by cutting two parallel cuts. Then use a chisel to clean up the notch. Secure a sharp stone shaped like an arrow tip with string.

Yay! You finished!

Now you know how to make a DIY pump drill!

You use the drill by first winding it up. Then gently push down on the handle. Let the string rewind itself (thanks to the spindle whorl). Do not push the stick up but let the pump drill wind back then, again, gently push down.

Happy Creating!

Shape Shifting Toy Robots

May 1, 2020October 15, 2024 Lutin

When the sisters team discovered Transformer comics (Go WindBlade!) they wanted a whole city of Transformers to play with. While that was way too expensive, they could build their own shape-shifting toy robots out of wood.

Supplies for a hand crafted DIY robot that transforms — Getting Started

Borrowing from wooden dolls, we settled on a design with rubber bands attaching the arms and head to the body and a bolt to attached the legs enabling the robot to shift forms.

Making DIY wooden transfromjng robots — Drilling to holes

First we cut and drilled all the wood based on a working design.

Assembling a hand crafted DIY robot that transforms — Assembling Begins!

We used lego wheels for the robots that transformed into cars.

Fitting rubberband a hand crafted DIY robot that transforms — Fitting the rubber bands

Attaching the rubber bands proved difficult. We used a jewelry tool to thread the rubber bands through the holes in the wood (many broke in the process).

A few more adjustments, including sanding the edges, and widening holes.

A hand crafted DIY robot that transforms — The robot is complete!

By using springs in the legs, the toy robot can hold a standing position.

DIY wooden transfroming robots — The assembly line

After we perfect a design, it was just a matter of creating a assembly line to crank out droids! We did some that turned into cars, some that turned into bugs, and some that turned in to other forms!

The robots in alt form.

The robots transformed!

Happy Creating!