Make it yourself

[Merlin]

Making the costume and accessories is half of the fun. For this season...I am making a new staff.
Start with twisted wood... carve it and debark it.... I used a lawn ornament that I took apart to get the glass orb...some simple sash and leather pieces... hair from a doll... stain and coat with polyurethane and you got yourself a wizard staff!




The wife unit is making my oldest daughter a new costume using a simple pattern and making a few changes here and there.


I'm thinkng it's going to require purchasing a hat though.

[Squire Mickey]

Very nice work!

And I couldn't agree more that making it yourself is half the fun!

[Betty Munro]

Oh MY, I LOVE the material on the coat, almost as much as I LOVE the staff!
Good work!

[Butch]

Beautiful staff, and beautiful tunic!

Hey Merlin, what did you use for a ferrel?  (I think that's what the thingee on the bottom is called.)  We made a staff for my son out of a limb of Bradford Pear.  We rounded the bottom, so it wouldn't split.  It held up all season!

[Merlin]

Are you referring to the bottom of the staff? If so...I haven't done anything to it yet but I will wrap it in leather.

[Butch]

Yes, the bottom.  If you're not planning on putting anything on the part of the staff that contacts the ground, I recommend you round the corners up all the way around (like the end of a baseball bat).  It will make your staff less likely to split.

It looks wonderful!  How did you incorporate the doll hair that you mentioned?  I missed it somehow.  I really like your use of lawn orb!

[Merlin]

Yea...I'm going to wrap the end with some soft leather straps...may even coat the entire area with poly. The doll hair hangs in 3 braided strands but in the pictures...it's wound around the staf to avoid the poly that is still drying. I may make a few others before the Spring.

[Zardoz]

I affixed a penny to the bottom of my stick with epoxy and a tack, it's held up for plenty of miles.

[Butch]

Wow!  What a great idea!  And the price is right, too.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Merlin!!  Can you post a link to where you purchased that lovely fabric? Your project is going to look fabtastic!!

[Merlin]

Lady Kathleen,

  The wife unit gets all her fabric and supplies from Joannes. She really doesn't know how talented she is.... and she's self taught.

Here's the final product.... we will have to find some boots before faire...probably be able to locate a hat at faire unless some of you good people can recommend a big frenchy hat with a feather from the interwebby.

[Baroness de Vale]

Absolutely lovely! Truly stunning fabric!

[LadyShadow]

Extremely wonderful.  I have a pattern that looks like that, I think I might have to give a try after your wifes inspiration.

[Merlin]

It is Simplicity 3685

[LadyShadow]

Yep, thats the pattern sitting in my box waiting to be made.  Thank you for reminding me of it.