My Ice Staff Project Log
Alright, so I got this idea stuck in my head: make an ice staff. Sounded cool, you know? Like something out of a game or movie. Didn’t have a clue where to start, really.
First step was finding the main piece, the staff part. I thought about buying a dowel rod, but that felt kinda boring. So, I actually went for a walk in the park, looked around for a good, solid fallen branch. Found one that was pretty straight, not too heavy. Hauled it back home.
Then came the cleaning part. It was covered in dirt and bits of bark. Spent a good hour or so just scraping and sanding it down. Wanted it smooth enough to hold, but still look like natural wood. Took longer than I thought it would, my hands got tired.
The Icy Bit
Now for the top, the ‘ice’ part. This was the tricky bit. What even looks like ice but isn’t, you know, actual ice?
- I tried messing with clear plastic bottles first, cutting them up. Looked rubbish, honestly. Too flimsy.
- Thought about casting resin, but that seemed like a lot of work and mess. Plus, never done it before.
- Ended up finding a big, chunky acrylic crystal thing online. Yeah, maybe it’s cheating a bit, not making it from scratch, but it looked the part. Clear, faceted, kinda like ice.
Getting that crystal thing attached was the next headache. The branch wasn’t perfectly flat on top. Had to saw the end off level, then drill a hole. Used a ton of that strong epoxy glue to fix the acrylic crystal onto the wood. Held my breath hoping it wouldn’t just fall off.
Making it Look Frosty
Okay, staff + crystal. Looked okay, but not very ‘icy’. Time for paint and effects.
I grabbed some white and light blue acrylic paints. Started dry-brushing the white onto the crystal edges and parts of the staff near the top. Wanted that frosted look. Didn’t want to overdo it, though. Layered it slowly.
Then I mixed some white glue with water and brushed it on parts of the staff and the base of the crystal. While it was wet, I sprinkled on some glittery fake snow stuff you get for Christmas decorations. Made a bit of a mess, glitter everywhere, but it added that frosty sparkle I was going for.
Finishing Touches
It still felt a bit plain. So, I wrapped some strips of old white cloth around the handle area. Made it look a bit more used, and actually made it comfier to grip. Just tied them off simply.
I thought about adding lights inside the crystal, but decided against it. Seemed like too much hassle with batteries and wires for this first attempt. Maybe next time.
So yeah, that was basically it. Took a couple of afternoons. Sanding, gluing, painting, sprinkling glittery stuff. It’s not perfect, the crystal’s maybe a bit crooked if you look close, and the paint job isn’t professional. But standing back, it looks like an ice staff. Pretty happy with how it turned out, considering I just sort of winged it. It’s sitting in the corner of my room now, looks kinda neat.
