The Crafts

Pagan Projects and Crafts



Here are some fun Pagan Crafts you can make at home. I have tried a few of them myself, and they are lots of fun! If you have any crafts you like to share, or pictures of crafts you've completed, send them in to me at Thyme@iamawitch.com!


  • Hand Dipped Candles
  • Sacred Soap
  • Wand
  • Sacred Circle Necklace
  • Pentacle Dreamcatcher
  • Magick Belts
  • Guardian Angel Baskets


    Hand-Dipped Candles

    From Lady Morgan Crystal Moonstone's Book Of Shadows


    Supplies:

    2-4 pounds of Paraffin Wax (the kind used in canning) or beeswax (which is usually expensive).

    Candle wick (available at most hobby and craft stores)

    oils and herbs (for scent and magickal goals)

    candle dye (also expensive) or crayons (for color)

    wax paper

    a wooden spoon

    a double broiler



    1. Begin by melting the wax in a double broiler. If you don't have one, you can use a large pot filled half full of water and a large coffee tin with the wax in it, sitting inside the pot. Heat the water to boiling first and cut up your wax so it will melt quickly. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down and place the tin of wax inside of it. Keep the water hot enough to keep the wax melted but not so hot that the paraffin catches fire (which it has been known to do over high heat).

    2. While the wax to melting, stir with a wooden spoon (never use metal) & make sure it all is completely melted.

    3. Also, while the wax is melting, mix the herbs (if more than one) in a small bowl.

    4. After the wax is completely melted and been checked, break the crayons up and put them into the wax. Keep stirring until all of the crayons have melted and the color is even and smooth, with no streaks. Keep in mind that the candle will be a shade or so lighter when dry. The more crayons - the deeper and richer the color, so experiment.

    5. Next, add the herbs to the wax. Empower with your energy and magickal intention while mixing the wax. Stir with the wooden spoon until it is thoroughly mixed. Next add 10-20 drops of essential oil (please, no synthetics when making candles for magickal or ritual use) to the wax until it smells strongly of the fragrance intended. Now your wax is ready.

    6. Start with a long piece of wick - twice the size of your desired candle length plus 3 inches (you will be making 2 candles at once). Bend the wick in the middle and hold it by the bend. Dip the wick into the wax and then lift back out. Getting started is the hardest because the wick will float on top of the wax until it has enough wax on it to weigh it down. Allow it to get completely cold between dippings when you first start.

    7. After your candle has started to take shape you can speed up the process a little. I keep a pan of cool water nearby and dip the candles in the water after each dipping in the wax. While this speeds up the process a little, candle making is a slow process but very well worth the time and energy you put into it.

    8. Keep dipping the candles and allowing them to cool & then dip again. When you have achieved the proper size, hang them to dry until the wax has set but the candles aren't too hard. Then roll them on the wax paper to smooth out the shape. Once the candle shape is too your liking, dip 1 or 2 more times to make sure your candle is smooth. Trim off any excess wax to make a bottom with a sharp knife. Cut the wick and hang your candles to dry. You are done!

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    SACRED SOAP
    (I think this one is from Library of the Magickal)
    by popular request


    To give credit where credit is due, research for these instructions came from "The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews" by Scott Cunningham, "Back to Basics" by Reader's Digest, and the good old trial-and-error testing technique.

    INGREDIENTS
    CASTILE SOAP - I use Kirk's brand, but any bar of Castile should work except one already scented or those green ones made with olive oil (unless you're using a scent that goes well with olive)

    SCENT - I used 1 dram of 100% lavender essential oil per 4 oz bar of soap last time. This makes for a powerful nasal wallop. If your oil is "cut" you may need to use more. Also, I've heard of using herbs, other smelly things, etc. but have not done so myself. If you try it, let me know how it works.

    KNIFE - to cut up the soap

    WOODEN SPOON OR STIR STICK - to stir with

    DOUBLE BOILER - sounds intimidating, doesn't it? I half-filled a frying pan with water, put the soap in a heat-proof ceramic bowl, and put the bowl in the frying pan. If you've made candles, you known how to do this. The idea is to heat the soap slowly and to not allow anything to boil. Got it?

    CHEESECLOTH - You can probably find this in your grocery store - even the hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop-shop in my neighborhood has it. It's usually by the dish soap, gloves, mops, scrubbies, etc. Also available at hardware stores and auto supply outlets.

    SOAP MOLDS (optional)- These are small molds, often wooden, in which you pour or press molten soap to make bars. You can find them in antique stores or craft shops. Or make your own. You don't strictly need them (I don't use them, for instance), but some people like them.

    CONSECRATION - Now, I'm not going to tell anyone how to "charge" or "bless" or otherwise consecrate this stuff - use something from your own tradition. You can either bless tools and ingredients prior to starting or bless the finished soap. Either way seems to work fine.

    Instructions
    STEP ONE: Get everything laid out in your kitchen. Get the double-boiler read on the stove, have your soap and scent on hand, your knife ready, etc. Cut the cheesecloths into pieces about 6 inches square. This is real approximate. You can just make one huge bar out of this, or many little ones. I usually make four, 1 oz balls of soap.

    STEP TWO: Chop up the soap. I recommend you start with just one bar for your first time, and in any case working with small batches seems to work better (at least for me). Chop the soap very fine. Mince it. Crumble it. Don't worry about mess - the dust will wipe up later with water and clean your kitchen table at the same time.

    STEP THREE: Put the soap in the bowl part of your double-boiler. Turn on the heat. Now watch carefully. You don't want the water to boil, just get hot, and you certainly don't want the soap to boil. The soap crumbs will slowly melt into a clear liquid with bubbles in it. You don't have to melt the soap completely, either, although it doesn't hurt. You can stir the soap to make sure it heats evenly.

    STEP FOUR: Remove bowl from double-boiler when soap is molten. Be careful, it's hot! At this point add your scent(s) and stir thoroughly. As the mixture cools the soap will start to become stiff and more opaque. When stiff enough to not ooze back into the trail your spoon makes when stirring it is ready to be molded.

    STEP FIVE: You can either do as I do, pick up a lump of soft soap and roll it into a bar, then wrap it tightly in cheesecloth, or use a soap mold. In any case, you need to let it cool off, dry out a little, and harden in a dry place (I use my pantry).

    Notes
    Although you can use this immediately, after a few days of drying it has a more solid feel and won't leave ooze marks on whatever you set it down on. This sort of soap dissolves easily - don't let it sit in a puddle in your soap dish or you'll get a pleasantly scented puddle of ooze.
    You should also be able to scent liquid Castile soap by adding scents and stirring very thoroughly.
    ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS: Please use a little caution. Some oils are irritating to the skin (cinnamon oil), some toxic, and some people are allergic to even the most natural and pure of substances. If you or someone who is using this soap has sensitive skin please do a "test wash" on a small area to be sure there will be no bad reactions.

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    An Easy Way To Make Your Own Wand (Library of the Magickal)


    Stick from a tree*: This should be approx. 8"-12" long, or whatever feels most comfortable to you. (I get mine off of the ground, there isn't any need to harm the tree if you don't have to.) Glue: Tacky, Super, or Epoxy (Read bottle for best application.) Decorations: such as crystal points, stones, ribbon, paint to draw runes or symbols.

    This is your wand, so decorate it however you feel fit. This is how I decorated mine: I found a stick in the woods that I felt comfortable with, (believe me, I went through a lot of them before I found one I liked.) I sawed off each end, then I drilled a hole into the tip of it and attached a crystal point to it using epoxy glue. Then I wrapped the body of the stick in thin leather and stitched it together using fake sinew. I painted small symbols and runes on it, and attached a crystal sphere to the end of it. I think it really looks nice :-)

    *Wood you can choose from for your wand:


    Balsa: Psychic awareness
    Cedar: Healing, purification, protection
    Cherry: Love
    Ebony: Protection, magickal energy
    Elder: Spirituality, protection
    Eucalyptus: Healing
    Maple: Love, money
    Oak: Strength, health
    Pine: Money, healing, exorcism
    Walnut: Health
    Willow: Psychic awareness, blessings of the Moon


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    Sacred Circle Necklaces
    By: SpiderWomon

    A Sacred Circle Necklace is a beaded necklace which holds special beads to represent three different aspects of Paganism: The Lunar Cycle, The Wheel of the Year, and the Five Elements. The beads which represent these aspects are chosen by the creator of the necklace. More than one necklace can be made with different beads for different representations. I have about 13 necklaces in all. Here is what you need and how to space the beads:

    13 beads to represent 13 moons (I use 13 of the same beads)

    8 beads to represent 8 spokes of the Wheel of the Year (Samhain, Winter Solstice, Candlemas, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas, Autumn Equinox) I use 8 of the same beads but you can find ones to represent each of the 8 spokes

    4 beads to represent the 4 elements (Spirit is the Fifth Element and is represented by you when you are wearing the necklace. Again, I use 4 of the same beads but you can find different ones for the different directions.

    Spacer beads to go inbetween - larger seed beads. Usually 7-10 in a row between segments. These will be the basic color of your necklace.

    The sequence for threading goes as follows:

    Direction Bead, Spacers, Moon Bead, Spacers, Sabbat Bead, Spacers, Moon Bead, Spacers, Sabbat Bead, Spacers, Moon Bead

    Repeat this cycle three more times and end with the 13th moon which will rest by the 1st moon (with spacers in between).

    Now, you can vary this and get as creative as you like. In some of my necklaces I let a sequence of beads represent the Sabbats or the Elements or the Moons. For example, in stead of just 0 representing a Sabbat, I might use three beads in a sequence to reprensent the Sabbat like this: o0o . I would use that sequence eight times around.


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    This was found in Llewellyn's 1996 Magical Almanac:
    Pentacle Dreamcatcher

    "A pentacle dream catcher is not difficult to make. It requires a circular ring; even a large curtain ring will do. You will also need some thread, string, or heavy crocheting thread to weave the design upon this ring. If you really want to be decorative, you can string tiny beads on the thread and attach little feathers where the string is wound around the ring.

    To begin, tie one end of the thread to the ring. Wind the thread around the opposite side of the ring three times at a slight angle from the original attachment, pulling it tight. This will be part of the left leg of the pentacle. Each time you attach the thread to the ring, wind it three times.

    Now wind the thread about the ring a short distance from the 1st tying. Your design should look like an inverted V-shape. Pulling the string to the let side of the ring, wind it about the ring a little more than half-way up the side. Adjust it until it looks like the lower angle of the cross-arm of teh pentacle. Now stretch the thread across to the opposite side and wind it about the ring. For the finishing angle, pull the thread back to the point of the beginning.

    If you carefully check the angle of the thread each time you prepare to wind it at another point on the ring, you can adjust the design. Make a small loop for hanging at the top of the pentacle.

    If you want to string beads on the thread, do it on each section before you wind the thread around the ring. I've seen one pentacle dream catcher decorated with a Samhain artificial cobweb and a tiny spider in the center.

    Dream catchers do work. They are symbols of personal control over dreams. And the subconscious mind which creates dreams only understands symbols."

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    Magick Belts

    Frugal magick - Belts
    Most people think that a belt is not magickal, but it can be found as a
    handy and valuable tool, especially when you have limited space.

    Herbs can be attached with a bit of yarn, your tools can be stored and hung
    in small pouches, If you just like the feel of this idea you can make one by
    simply braiding three colored cords threefold aspects of the goddess for example: red-black-white>

    You can also hang Goddess symbols such as seashells, feathers bells on it.
    Simpler still is taking a three lengths if string and knotting them together
    at intervals, between each interval you can add elemental images Finally
    this can be worn with your robe!


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    Guardian Angel Baskets
    (this, again, can be changed and streamlined specifically to your need

    Purchase a special basket with , or decorate it with ribbons and bells, when
    someone asks for assistance write his or her name down on a piece of paper,
    then holding it stand before your angel altar, ground and center and say the
    following:

    Helpful angles circle round
    Guardian angel, be near to me.
    I hold in my hand the name of a person who needs the help of the angels -
    say the persons name

    His - her problem is
    - spell out exactly what the problem is -

    Please call forth whatever angelic forces are needed to help this person
    In the name of the Goddess and the God,

    So Mote it Be

    You can light a candle or say the angelic rosary, place the paper in the
    basket and ring the bells to seal it. At the end of the week burn the papers
    and scatter the ashes in the wind.

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