Making your own walking stick is a labor-intensive process that can easily be individualized. A simple walking stick can be made in a day. Getting creative with a walking stick includes carving, wrappings, painting and even accessorizing your stick. Strong, lightweight wood is ideal for the project and can be anything from a long, straight stick found outside to a broom handle modified for the purpose. Once you have the actual stick, it is up to you to decorate it to your liking.
Instructions
1. Choose a wooden stick for the project by looking for a stick that's about an inch in diameter and half-foot long above where you would hold the stick with your hand and your arm would be at a 90-degree angle.
2. Wearing work gloves, peel off any bark by taking your knife and inserting it under the bark. Using a downward motion, lift the bark in strips from the wood. You do not have to remove the bark if you want it on your walking stick. Likewise, if you are using a wooden stick with no bark you may skip this step.
3. Sand the stick until smooth using sandpaper. Use long strokes down the stick in order to smooth the wood surface.
4. Carve symbols, names or images into your stick if you desire by using your knife to dig into the wood. Carve away from yourself.
5. Stain the wood if you desire by painting the wood with a chosen stain. Let the stain dry at least 24 hours and reapply if needed. If you decide to stain your stick, make sure it is dry before continuing.
6. Paint symbols, images or accents on the wood if you wish. Let the paint dry for 24 hours before continuing.
7. Cover the stick in polyurethane if you want a smooth finish and gloss. Allow the coat to dry before continuing.
8. Wrap a section of the stick with wrapping material for an easy place to hold the stick while walking. Any strong material such as leather, rope or cloth can be used to wrap around the stick. Piping can be used if the section of pipe can fit over the wood. Secure the wrapping along the top and bottom of the wrap with the brass tacks.
Tags: walking stick, before continuing, stick with, your stick, hold stick
