REALISTIC Harry Potter Wand - in 10 Minutes

I'm putting on a show in September with a Harry Potter booth and am getting ready for the full on costume with a Harry Potter wand in my hand. Here's the how-to for this easy and realistic wand made from a thrift-store dowel and a bit of paint.

If you'd like to see more of my DIY props as I get ready for the show, you can visit my website or shop here:
PropPrintables Website  PropPrintables Store

A dowel (or stick)
A saw (or other cutting tool)
Paint & brush (acrylic basics)
Glue Gun (+ Glue sticks)
Craft Varnish (or clear nail polish)
A gem (optional)

Measure dowel to the length you want, mark with pencil and cut (I cut to 12 inches). If you find you need to, like I did, use a bit of sandpaper on the end that was cut.

This is the fun part!

The first thing you want to do is start at the very end and work your way down by squeezing BIG globs of glue that ooze down the sides of the dowel. The more, the better, but don't get burned! Just remember - all things in moderation.

I found an old bead from some necklace at a thrift store which I stuck on the end. I let the glue harden and then pulled it off to paint black beneath it so it stood out better. I glued it back on after I painted it.