Arduino Controlled Led Magic Caster Wand

For a wizarding larp i wanted a magic wand that would really stand out.

I made a magic caster wand containing three individually controlled LEDs and a laser, which can be controlled by a casting button, a potentiometer to choose between 5 different spells, and an extra button to switch between different spell indexes

supplies needed are

• Fly Swatter handle
• Clear plastic tube
• Diffuser Paper
• Arduino Nano
• 3 Cathode LEDs
• Laser
• 2 Buttons
• Potentiometer
• On/Off Switch
• Battery Clip
• 9V Battery
• Assortment of Wires
• Soldering Equipment

Try putting the schematic above together using a breadboard first to see if it works. you wouldn't want to solder everything together only to find out you did something wrong and have to take half your project apart

Solder all components together following this schematic, the top left icon is the laser

Soldering it in this way makes it so all led's can be controlled separately. it is possible to add a fourth led using some analog pins, but i found 3 already gave me a good effect

When soldering make sure to add a 100 Ohm resistor to the Blue and Green legs of the LEDs and a 150 Ohm resistor to the Red Leds

Make sure to leave enough wire length between each of the LEDs and laser, and the Arduino to have them evenly spaced out once inserted in the plastic tube

I went through some different handle options, like empty bubble blower tubes, and empty spice containers before settling on the handle of a flyswatter. the other options were way too finicky, and the flyswatter had some very helpful support pieces, like a way for the clear tube to be secured and a dedicated battery space that can be opened without having to unscrew everything

Screw apart the flyswatter remove the electronics, and break/cut off all inside supports, except the middle three screwholes and the battery slot.

roll up a piece of diffuser paper and insert it in the tube so it fully covers the inside

Drill a hole through the sides of the bottom of the plastic tube, you should now be able to lodge the tube between the top screwhole, instead of the original swatter part. Fill any open spots with foam or cardboard.

drill a hole at the bottom of the handle for the potentiometer.

Map out comfortable places for the buttons and on/off switch to go and drill holes for them.

I have included the code I have used for my wand

it is very easy to change spell names and what they do, the easiest way to program a spell is by asking and AI to create one from a description of the effect you want it to have

Fit everything together in the handle and tube, making sure no wires break or touch other wires.

Now you are ready to screw the handle closed and decorate your wand. i used some fake leather to wrap the handle, and used pieces of black wiring to create a spiraling effect along the clear tube

Your wand should now be working!

This Arduino project was a wild ride of learning. I started by just throwing leds together, no resistors or anything, wondering why my lights got fried, but after having a friend help me i got the hang of it, i became quite adept at figuring out how to put it together and quickly picked up on the soldering

The concept was a breeze, but executing it threw me off track. Having to take it apart twiceand dealing with two bricked Arduino Nanos tested my patience. Despite the time crunch, I pushed through, Finishing just a day before my Larp event

Looking back, it's been a blast. The wand is a nice little reminder of my hard work and new skills. This experience not only boosted my tech know-how but also my determination to tackle future challenges, whether they're related to Arduino or beyond.