make walking stick staff for fall

     This is an update on a post making a fall leaf walking stick or staff.  The image below is a Douglas fir walking stick with a fall leaf adhered to the wood.  I took the bark/outer skin of word for this walking stick project to give an even smooth surface and color contrast 

How to Make Leaf Fall Hiking Stick

    You will notice a slight shine on the wood and leaf. I used a semi-gloss finish  which brought out the natural color of the leaf and wood.  The leaf has lost some of its fall colors. I first tried to use a maple leaf but they were too brittle.  Next fall I will collect more leaves and use non-dry ones to see if I can retain the colors better. 


     It's very important not to rush when putting on the leaf. When dried they are very brittle and easy to break. Only one portion of the leaf as glued at a time. Also, the glow was allowed to soak into the leaf a bit to soften it up a bit. This walking stick making project is great for beginners and experienced hiking stick makers. 

Hiking Stick Making Leaf collecting

   You do not need to wait for the fall to collects leaves to make your hiking stick.  Yesterday I noticed a tree dropping some very colorful leaves.   It almost summer here in Miami and some of the Tropical trees are shedding a few leaves. We have a Tamarin tree in the front of our house and it sheds leaves 2..3 times a year.  In wooded areas just about year round you can find a few colorful leaves for your walking stick project. 

   Also, its a good time to collect wood from tree trimmings too.

 

Rainbow eucalyptus Make walking stick

     Making a walking stick from exotic wood such as the rainbow eucalyptus collected after the hurricane.  Hopefully, the hurricanes are done for the year and new we can get back to our businesses, families and hobbies.  Presently, in SE Florida there are piles of broken trees, limbs and other wood waiting to be picked up. It could take months to pick everything up which means I have time to collect wood for walking stick making.

   South Florida is a place to find many exotic woods and plants for walking stick making not seen in any other part of the USA due to our Tropical climate.  One exotic species is rainbow eucalyptus with its multi-colored outer stick that sheds its outer skin in layers.  The leaves of the eucalyptus can be crushed to use as insect repellent or the wood pulped for paper.  The colorful out skin of the wood is only a few layers deep and its these layers that at shows green, browns, reds and other colors. Its a beautiful wood and I recommend to leave as much of the outer layer alone when making your hiking stick if you are lucky enough to get a hold of this exotic wood!

    I was able to collect about  6 branches. A couple of the branches are thicker than I would normally use but its an exotic wood so I will take what I can get.  Presently, the wood is curing before I work with to make some hiking staffs. I did spray them with a thin coat of clear shellac to help preserve the color and prevent any further skin peeling. You need to do a bit of research when collecting exotic wood for hiking stick making projects. The wood is very light but strong and carves well.

   I collected other wood too while walking my urban jungle. I hope you do not have a hurricane in your area but if you have a storm it may be a great time to collect wood for walking stick making.

Make walking stick update and hilking stick making ideas

Yes we are back up in Miami after the Hurricane. Walking stick making material has been abundant in the streets due to down trees. I collected may exotic tropical wood while helping friends and family clean up after the storm. last year we collected fall leaves in New York and this past few weeks prior tot he storm we made some walking and hiking sticks with the leaves.

 

Fall leaf project walking stick making- New way!

Making walking sticks is great hobby for all ages.  This fall leaf hiking stick making project is great for beginners. The leafs were collected then dried between paper for 6 months prior to working on walking stick making project.  The hiking staff stick wood was prep by taking off the bark on part of the stick and sanded smooth.  Look in the hiking stick making guides for more details on types of wood, wood preparation and additional projects.

Walking stick making fall project

We purchased a jar of Mod Podge and put a thin coat on the wood. Once it was dry we selected our leaves and used more Mod Podge to adhere them to the walking stick wood. We did not adhere the whole leaf at one time. We did half and once it was semi-attached we glued the rest to the walking stick making project.

 The leafs are brittle so you need to take care when gluing. Do not rush it or they will break. Next season we are going to try the project with fresh non-dried leaves to see if they retain the color better over time. 

Fall leaves will lose some of their color when dried. I already have two walking sticks ready to make with fresh leaves which we will collect in Northern Georgia next month. We will not let the leafs dry and we will see how it turns out in a couple months.

The image to the left shows the material I used to create this Fall walking stick.  This project, along with a previous fall leaf project (carving leave) with more images will be added to the walking stick making guides as a special bonus. 

This project would make a get scout hiking stick project. It does not require any special skills and you can even obtain fall leaves online on eBay if you do haev any in your area.  When collecting you leaves for this hiking stick making project remember to get plenty of small leaves. Most hiking sticks are 2" to 4" around so a large leaf will not look good.  Glue them on in sets of three.  Have a great end of summer@

 

 

How to make Wood Hiking stick or scout stick

    Adding details to your hiking stick making project, such as a web handle, is an easy addition when you want to customize your walking stick.  Adding the walking stick web handle is the last step, however, determining the height of the hole should be considered at the same time as your high adjustments.  Also, check the height or your walking stick before selecting the wood. 

     The hiking stick staff should be approximately the height of  your chin or if you are making a staff as tall as you.  Determine the comfortable height of where you want to hold the walking whiling stick when in use. The webbing material used for the handle attachment point will be higher than you hand placement.

   
       Webbing material for your walking stick making project comes in many varieties and styles. Webbing is a polyester material which is easy to use but very durable.  The image to the left shows a few we use and the tool we use to sew the webbing together. No you do not need the special tool to make your wood hiking stick - use a heavy / think needle instead.  Do not use regular sewing thread. In the walking stick making guides it details thread material what to use (yes, most home already have the thread we use but its not called thread) that is both very strong, durable and water proof so it will last many many years.

       The walking stick making guides gives complete details on the how to add the webbing, the correct height of the hole when making you walking stick, how to prevent fraying of the material and alternative material for you handle including weaving your own using para-cord for you hiking stick making project.

       Once you determine the location of hole when you make your walking or hiking stick go ahead and drill it.  Smooth the hole and hole edges.  Now go ahead and work on other details of your walking stick making project including adding wood burning images, carving, painting and finishing the wood all detailed in the walking stick guides.  Then at the very end of the project attach the handle when making hiking stick from wood.

Making magic wands and inserting crystals in walking sticks

Inserted quartz crystal to end of a walking stick or wand

         Several people have asked about inserting crystals on the end of their walking stick making projects. In the walking stick guides it shows how to prepare the wood and several ways to attach items to the end of walking sticks.  Making a magic wand uses the same methods as making a hiking stick or walking stick. I have inserted crystals, rock cabs, rough rocks, compasses, and other items  to a walking stick or magic wand.


        It's important when adding anything to the end of a hiking stick or magic wand is that its secure.  the walking stick guides shows step by step how to insert objects and secure them in a couple different ways. In the image above a crew is used to secure the quartz crystal in the wood.  The natural quartz crystal is about 1/2" into the wood and provides a unique tip for a walking stick project or magic wand.

Several finished magic wands made using the information in the walking stick guides

       If you are making a magic wand for your children make it a weekend project. Choose the wood together and work together ti give them an experience to remember.

       Also, it promotes a learning experience on how to use tools properly and planning a project from start to finish. In the second image it shows several wands almost finished. After the image was taken I aged the wands look using a darker stain wash (similar to a white wash but with a dark wood color).  Noticed I added cooper wire on then to give them a extra appeal. The darker crystal in one of the wands is a tourmaline crystal.

       The wood used in these magic wand making project is aspen left overs from making a hiking staff.  Other great wood for walking sticks and wands are willows found along streams. Make sure you cure the wood as directed in the walking stick making guides before carving to prevent future cracks and problems when working with the wood.


 

Making a walking stick from a christmas tree

       The holidays are over and now the time to go around your area and collect a couple pines or firs Christmas tree for you walking stick making project. I usually go to a tree lot and go through their pile of branches and tress they did not sell.  The tress that did not sell are usually thinner or not as full so making into wood walking sticks is easier.  This year I picked up three long skinny trees with very few branches that were not sell-able as Christmas trees. In fact, the people at the lot held them for me (I talked to them in November). They gladly accepted a tip and I received some great firs for my future hiking stick making projects.

       When you go out to collect your trees make sure they are not too fat at the bottom otherwise you will spend many hours thinning down the trunk.  You you can keep it thick to give you more walking stick carving room on your hiking staff. However, the thicker the trunk the heavier the stick.

      While you are out collecting wood for your walking stick making project look for thick branches to wood carve other things.  I always like to carve wooded knives which friends love to receive as gifts. Other projects I do with thick branches are carved wood flower vases (see the walking stick making guides), wooden knives, create a wood tree forest (see making walking stick guides), stick picture frames and more one afternoon projects.

      Once you collect the wood you will need to strip/cut of the branches as close to the trunk as possible without damaging the trunk. The closer the cut to less sanding you will need to do in the future. Yes, you can strip the bark off the trunk too. I usually leave the bark on because I like the way the stick looks with the branches removed (light areas) and the contrasting darker pine or fir bark.  I only strip the part I plan to carve when making the hiking stick or staff.

Making walking stick or hiking stick rope handle cord

     Para cord is a very useful survival tool. When making a hiking stick  think about it as a complete survival tool by adding special finishes that includes giving your wood walking stick more versatility.  Many people think about inserting a compass on top of the walk sticks or drill a hole for fishing lines/matches. Others make walking sticks with rope weaves to give better grip hand in water and for emergency rope usage. The walking stick making guides gives you all that plus more. One section includes complete details on using para cord to create hand non-slip holds or ropes on your walking stick.

    The walking stick guides use para cord which comes in a large array of colors and strengths. We use the para cord 440 because of it durability and strength.  The above image is on way to weave a pattern using the para cord on your wood hiking stick making project. The cord is 100% removable for emergency usage and while its on the wood walking stick it provides great hand gripping power.   when wood gets wet it tends to be slippery so with the cord around the wood it serves a duo purpose: grip and emergency cordage .

  The walking stick guides walks you through making these weaves and others in an easy step by step method. Plus, it has a section creating cord or nylon handles and much more.  

Carving how to make a wood hiking stick

Carving is a whole different hobby into itself. You can spend years and years perfecting your carving skills. The walking stick making guides will get you started with simple designs and progress to wood spirits. Do not expect your first few projects to look as great as the ones you see on book covers.

        The above image is a basic elk carving using an existing branch on the end of the walking stick as the antlers. 

        The how to make walking stick guides will review the tools needed, basic usage of the tools and recommendations. Plus, it shows how to do two simple carvings (relief carvings) before you tackle harder projects.  Please be patient with yourself. Wood carving is a true art form. Do not move to the Eagle or Wood Spirit carving areas unless you have completed a few basic carvings projects.

    Safety is a major concern when doing carving projects. Read all safety precautions and labels from the manufacturer of your tools. Always wear safety protection for your body parts. Do not assume that your will not be cut – assume you will and use the needed protection to prevent serious injuries. Please note you agree by using this blog or the guides not to hold my company, staff, associates and me liable in any manner for any damages, injuries or other accidents that may happen as the result of these guides or any other advice given whether in the guides, in the blog, by email or in writing whatsoever. 

How to create a fall leaf walking stick making project

   Now is the time to start working on the wood collected last fall for your walking stick making project. If you did not strip the bark off the hiking stick at the time when you collected it,  you will find its much harder now.  It is always best to strip the bark off at time of collecting when the wood is still moist. One great project that we are giving away as a bonus with the walking stick making guides is a fall leaf design project that combines may of the techniques in  the stick making projects in the guides.

     The image to the right is a partially complete fall leaf project. The copper wire is being added to give the stick more character.    The copper wire is anchored into the hiking stick by drilling a small hole and inserting the wire into it with a small amount of epoxy on the wire tip to help it hold.

     The next step will be a hand woven hand old area with a strap cord. We use para-cord for all handles because it is durable plus in an emergency you can unwind it and use for many survival uses.

      Just before I was ready to put the clear shellac on it uses a wood burner to write the type of wood and were collected with date towards the bottom of the hiking stick. Making your own hiking sticks and walking sticks is a great way to bring back memories of favorite trips.

     The last step is to put the finished waterproof coat of shellac or similar finish of your choice. When this walking stick making project was finished I added a small compass on the top of the stick.

  


  

    

walking and hiking stick making insert design ideas

    Making a walking stick is a great hobby. There are may things you can do to a walking stick  to make the staff more useful and decorative.  Many people want to insert compartments into the top of the walking stick such as a compass, emergency tools, etc. It's not a very difficult addition but you need to start with the right walking stick wood.  First you need a stick that is straight for the complete top portion of the compartment you plant to add. Adding compartments to a wood hiking stick works best with sticks towards the thick side (2" to 2.5") across the top.

    Also, select light wood weight for your hiking stick project because each thing you add to you hiking stick making project make the stick less usable on long hikes due to excessive weight.  the preferred wood I use for these type of hiking stick making projects are aspen, fir or pine (in the order presented).  Yes you can use hard woods however due to their weight you may want to make a smaller compartment and switch to one that is 1.5" thick  (3/4" compartment). 

    When you make your hiking stick compartment make sure you leave 1/4" around the edges. If the walking stick is 2" then you use a 1" to 1.25" drill to make the hole.  The walking stick guides has instructions on how to add items to the tip of the walking stick.  Make sure you drill straight down. Do it slow to avoid costly mistakes. Before you make your hole determine what you want to insert into the compartment and also what you plant to use as a cap to the walking stick. Making a hole too big for the cap material (rock, piece of metal, door knob handle etc.  -see the walking stick making guides).

  

Great time to make walking stick and collect wood for projects

The holiday season is a great time to start walking stick projects.  Wood collected for hiking stick making during the early summer should be cured by this time and the cooler weather gives you a reason to sit outside and work on your walking stick making project.

 Also, if you have a holiday Christmas tree remember to retain the thick lower branches for other wood working projects beyond making hiking sticks.  Fir and pine tree wood are great for quick wood whittling projects such as making wooded spoons, wood carved knives (my favorite), or practice wood carving eagle heads.  The main part of the holiday tree can be uses to carve wind spirits or spend some time making the thick part of the trunk thinner for a walking stick.  Yes, it takes some time because the Christmas tress tend to be very thick but with a little patience they will make great future walking and hiking sticks.

If you plan to retain the whole tree, I would take off the bark right after the holidays before it gets too dried out and and whittle 50% of the wood away. Then set aside the wood for a few months to dry out before continuing the hiking and walking stick making project.

If you self collect wood I prefer firs over pines for walking stick and carving projects. On firs collected (2" diameter) I usually leave the bark unit I'm ready to make the walking stick.

Fall great time to start you hiking stick making project

     Fall is the beginning of 90% of make hiking stick and walking stick making wood collection period.  The saplings and limbs are starting to flow less sap and when the leaves fall you can see the limbs for walking stick making easier.  It's always best to collect hiking sick wood such as willow, aspen,  ferns, popular and others when they still have some moisture flowing in the limbs if you plan to strip them.

     Once the limbs dry out it becomes very difficult to stripe the bark from the walking stick making wood you collect.   If you plan to leave the bark on to carve then you can until later Fall and even into winter before the trees get their first coating of snow/ice.

   Many people ask about exotic woods and tropical woods to make hiking sticks. I live in south Florida where popular, aspen, willows and other woods for stick making are just dreams.  I have experimented with various tropical woods and a very few are good candidates and most are poor candidates for hiking stick making projects.  Flamboyant is a good one but stringy.  Bottlebrush trees used in landing scaping here works well but is extremely hard wood.  Scrub oak is a poor choice unless you get it young. One f my favorites is cypress saplings which when dry extremely light but are very strong (supports weight).

   There are several different types of cypress and make sure you do not collect walking stick making wood from the everglades or other parks. It's best to see where building are clearing land and ask if you can get some of the limbs/sapling they are digging up to clear the land.  One plant that is a nuisance in south Florida is the melateuca tree. It's an invasive tree from Malaysia over 100 years ago to drain water form the land - needles to say this is a tree you can have as much as you want. It bark is lik paper and makes interesting walking sticks. 

Make a willow walking stick how to make a hiking stick

   The willow wood is perfect for making hiking sticks and walking canes.  Its a very recognizable tree species and is ready available in many parts of the USA. The willow trees love water and grow along rivers, streams and lakes.  the last willows I collected for walk-in stick making was in Utah and Colorado.  The best time to collect them is in the fall as their leaves fall so you see the limb size the best. You want to collect ones that have a diameter of around 1" to 2".  Its was not a weeping willow which its branches are too thin most of the time to make a hiking stick.

 The willow I collected he willow wood it had a red brown exterior which makes it a perfect wood for making a hiking stick with the skin/bark left on.  When I made the willow walking stick I left sections of the outer skin/bark on and carved several trout fish on the peeled away area.  Then I painted the fish and added some carved river rocks below the fish to make it look like it was swimming in a stream. The walking stick turned out great and now my father is using it when he hikes/walks.

  The walking sick guides has a fall leaf bonus project using willow  sapling. The walking stick and hiking stick making project has several fall leafs carved and painted. then a copper wire is added to the  give the walking stick now pizzazz.

Collecting wood for walking stick making - it's time

It's been a busy season and the northern states have been hit hard. I looks like the worst is over and it is time to go out and collect wood for walking stick making.  The heavy snow has given you the opportunity to collect a variety of wood for walking stick carving due to snapped limbs. When collecting wood for your hiking stick making project make sure you have permission from the land owners and know your local laws. Some trees are protected including limbs that may have been broken due to heavy snow or ice.

It's always best to collect wood when it has recently fallen for your walking stick project because the rotting process have not started. Collect wood now to make walking sticks in the fall. Do not start standing or carving the wood when ti is green. You need to give the walking stick wood time to cure (release water) which can take several months. We recommend to collect wood now and remove the bark when the wood is still green.  Willow, aspen and similar wood is a easy peel job to remove the skin/bark while the limb is green.  Once it start drying it's much harder.  No you do not have to peel the bark now if you pan to leave most of the stick in it's natural state.

When collecting wood to make your hiking stick or walking staff think about the end result; are you planning to carve the wood, wood burn images or other?  Look at the shape of the limb and see if it interesting or has a natural area for carving. Many people collect saplings and use the root ball in the walking stick design. We usually use limbs only because it does not destroy the whole tree. However, some types of trees are fast growers and if there is an over abundance of a tree type in an area thinning do wonders to allow light in for other saplings.

Walking stick making and carving woods and methods

Walking stick making has developed a great hobby for some and for others a part-time/full time business. They make great holiday gifts and specialized help for people who are not as young as they use to be. Making my own walking sticks and actually using it if one of my hobbies has given me many hours of enjoyment. 

 Relatives and friends continually ask me for help in making their own sticks over the years has been making hiking sticks for fun, gifts and my own use. I try to collect unusual woods over the years and even make a few out of Queen Palm fronds. The last one I make (two weeks ago) was from birch I collected over 3 years ago. I have birch, aspen, pine, flamboyant, oak, bottle brush, drift wood and other wood ready to work. Some of the hiking stick and staff making wood is over 6 year old. 

Remember to cure your wood before making your walking stick and some wood such as diamond willow I would wait a good year before creating a handmade hiking stick. Why cure the wood?  Wood will shrink and even possibly crack so it you make your hiking stick from uncured wood you are asking for problems in the future.  Think about the time you will spend only to find out late that a crack has developed in the middle of your carved hiking stick.

My current project is using cedar limb and I’m carving the walking stick! Cedar smells great while carving but you need to wear a mask if you are using power tools!

How to make walking stick from unusual wood an material

Living in South Florida gives us the ability to make walking sticks and hiking canes using unusual tropical woods and unusual material. In south east Florida you an not go anywhere without see hundred of  palm trees of all different types. The palm wood is very soft and its not a candidate for making making sticks. However, the palm fronds are a different matter.

I have experimented with different large fronds form queen, silver and king palm trees. The one that seem the best suited fro walking stick making is the queen frond whihc gets over 8 feet long.  The fronds are not as frond as say maple or birch to make a custom hiking stick but they are great for short cane walking sticks.  You need to start with a large frond over 8 feet long and use the thick first 4..5 feet.

Once you select the frond to make your hiking stick strip all the leaves off. Then let the frond complete dry out before working it. the frond makes a very unusual walking stick and its a bit pliable when in use. I highly recommend that you put 3 to 4 coats of shellac on the frond before your self made walking using.

Yes the palm frond wood can be carved but make sure you have very shape knifes becasue its stringy.  it's not recommend that you make a hiking staff using the palm frond.  Its best for a short walking stick used in the woods.

how to make custom hiking sticks and canes

Hand made hiking sticks and canes s a great project  for all ages. Boy scouts have been making sticks and earning badges fro many many years. They use their hiking sticks to show their abilities to carve, paint and work wood.  Medallions are added/inlay on to the walking sticks to show where people have traveled.

Making your own walking stick for extra point of stability while hiking provides a great way to spend time with young adults and even a life long hobby. .Many hiking stick makers create great custom hand carved and accented wood walking staffs for themselves and friends. Yes, you can buy a hiking stick but what is the fun in doing that when you can do it all starting with collecting the wood on your next hiking/camping trip?

When making a walking stick add you own special touches. Start with simple sticks and then start adding details and you learn new methods that are simple to do with the making walking and hiking stick guides.  No you do not need fancy tools and gadgets to make your own walking and hiking sticks. Just the wood, whittling knife and some time. Thousands of people make their own walking and hiking sticks from self collected wood - why not you?

How to collet walking stick making wood Make hiking stick

Do you plan to make your own walking stick from self-collected wood? Before you start your walking stick project you need to collect the wood. First determine the correct size of the stick you need before collecting wood from a forest for a neighbors tree cuttings.

We recommend that you collect the wood for your hiking stick making project longer than what you need by about 12” if possible. This gives you the ability to cut off bad ends or to adjust the height before you add the ferrules.

First, look for fallen wood or wood  cut form the trees.  Check to see if the wood is stiff and will support your weight. Do not collected wood that is protected or in a place where it is not permitted.  If you are in a desert look for fallen cactus with hard skeletons that make great walking and hiking stick making projects.  In the forest, know you wood because some wood is very difficult to carve if you plan to cave on your hiking or walking stick.

The how to make walking stick making guides is a great resource on what type of wood to collect, how to get the right length, how to carve your waling stick, how to add  weave para-cord onto your walking stick and other aspects of walking stick and hiking stick making.

 If you are taking wood that is alive from a tree or a sapling for your walking stick making project try to get it from an area that is overgrown with the same type of tree. Do not collect rare or protected trees even if not in a nation forest. If possible, when collecting a sapling try to leave a portion of the sample intact so it can regrow.