For magical purposes, I needed a new wand. I created a this whimsical one, which I will explain in detail in this tutorial.

Step 1: Gather Materials

For this project I used the following:

InstaMorph, a light-weight thermal plastic which is moldable when warm and hardens as it cools
Clear acrylic dowel, purchased at the hardware store
Acrylic paints, purple & gold
Acrylic gem stones
Ribbons
Sculpting tools, glue, brushes

Of course, you can alter the look of the wand by using different color paints or gems.

Step 2: Prepare InstaMorph for Top Star

Heat the InstaMorph according to package. Click here to visit their website for more detailed instructions.

Step 3: Create the Star

Mold the InstaMorph into a star shape. Flatten about an egg's worth against a hard surface. Then push a knife or some other tool into it to create dents and pull on the tips of star to elongate them. Don't worry about getting it just the way you want it until after the next step.

Step 4: Add Wand

Cut the acrylic wand to the length you desire. I used a Dremel tool to cut mine down from the 3' original length to 12".

When the star is moldable, push the acrylic rod into the star at one of the dents.

Step 5: Work the Star on the Wand

You can reheat the InstaMorph as much as you want. Work the star until it has a shape you really like.

Step 6: Prepare for the Gem Stones

I changed my mind about which gems I wanted to use during the project. I decided to use all purple and red gems.

When the star was moldable, I pushed the gems in where I wanted them, leaving a slight impression. I wanted the gems to look embedded in the star.

Of course, you could just paint designs on the star or use glitter instead of the gem stones.

Step 7: Paint the Star Purple

Let the star cool completely.

Paint it with dark purple paint and let dry.

Be careful to not get paint on the clear acrylic wand.

Step 8: Paint the Star Gold

After dipping a brush in gold paint, dab it on paper to remove some of the paint before brushing lightly over the purple. Let the gold be streaky so some of the purple paint shows through.

Step 9: Glue on the Gem Stones

I used a toothpick to dab a small amount of E6000 glue (found at craft and hobby stores) onto the star in the impressions made and then carefully placed the gem stone on the glue. If applying gems to both sides, let the glue set on one side before doing the other.

Step 10: Add Ribbons

Choose colors and cut ribbons to desired length. Since I was using purple and red gem stones, I used the same colors for my ribbons.

Tie ribbons together at base of star. Again using a toothpick, I dabbed a little E6000 glue on the knot, to ensure it does not come untied, and used another dab of the glue to secure the ribbons to the acrylic wand, so they don't just slid down.