The Sorcerer's Book of Fun Things
to Make and Do

When I was but a lad, Mumsy and Dadsy would take to visit my maternal grandparents.

Now, visiting relatives is a good thing, but, in this case, a bit boring. Grandmother and Grandfather were old school. They firmly believed that children "should be seen but not heard," a concept which has today given way to the equally incorrect idea that children should be allowed to be as annoying as they can be.

Anyway, to slip back into my multicolored memories of the past in the overly garrulous way that old guys have, these visits to the grand's usually consisted of me getting dressed up in horrendously uncomfortable "good" clothing, and sitting motionless on the couch for five or six hours. I know this sounds attractive, but those days of motionlessness were not nearly as thrilling to a young man as they seem like they ought to be. In plain words, I was bored out of my gourd.

I suspect that I would have been inclined to commit suicide at the ripe old age of eight had it not been for two things.

1. That would have required that I take some kind of vigorous action, which was forbidden, and
2. I discovered lurking in a dusty and obviously seldom used book case The Boy's Book of Fun Things to Make and Do.

Actually, The Boy's Book of Fun Things to Make and Do was a series of sections in an old encyclopedia set. The articles included such diverse projects as building a simple wooden box and constructing an actual flying model airplane. It was here that I believe I first discovered my lot in life.

I was doomed to be a maker of things

In order to inflict that same curse which has pursued me my whole life on others, I am adding this section, The Sorcerer's Book of Fun Things to Make and Do, to my website.

I have lots of ideas that I think people would enjoy trying. I'm going to try to keep these on a level where a person with no experience and few developed skills, can, with a minimum of tools, construct items of magic and wonder.

In the future, as I get photos shot and directions written, I will include instructions to make items such as: wands/staffs, a stick -handled athame, a small tile topped alter with a firepot, and etched metal amulets. Check back often!

If you end up enjoying any of these projects, please take a moment to thank Grandmother and Grandfather for boring the socks off me when I was young and impressionable. I know they'd appreciate it....

Click on the image to go to the article.

Project 1:
Rustic Candlestick Holders to
Decorate Your Home and Altar

Project 2:
A Black Mirror for Scrying

Project 3:
An Etched Metal
Talisman or Amulet