Not for beginners but excellent in its execution m. Loved the techniques and pictures. I highly recommend. Super fun book for woodworking.

This books is not for the unexperienced in the craft of wood sculpting. The explanations are alright at first, but then it gets too complex for the regular book reader. I'm sure I'm not the right audience for the book, but in case anyone can follow the tutorials and offer these wands as gifts, then please do sign me up because they are so, so beautiful.

Compendium of Wooden Wand Making is, by far, the coolest book that I have read in a long time. It’s filled with step by step guides on making gorgeous and detailed wands! The book begins by explaining the different types of woods you could use to make your wands and their properties! It goes on to list the lengths and properties of many famous wands! The step by step guides seemed easy enough for even beginner wood-workers, like me, to follow and the wands that were created were beautiful! I’m looking forward to trying my hand at making some of the wands!

Full disclaimer: I am not a woodworker nor a witch. Be that as it may, this was a fascinating book about the art of making wands.

The start of the book goes into details about the different properties of woods (all appear to be European trees), which segues into a look at some of the more famous wands in film From there, the book explores the different techniques to make wands by hand, on a scrollsaw, on a lathe, or by using powercarving. There are plenty of different wand tutorials for each technique, along with full size templates and detailed photographs of the steps.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Honestly, I read this book for the eye candy. I’ve never carved anything.

There as some seriously gorgeous wands in this book. Easy to understand directions. Some seem far more advanced than others but some do seem beginner friendly. I’ll have to buy this one, already recommended it to someone who makes wands and they bought it.

It inspired me to start buying supplies to try wand carving myself.

Full disclosure--I've never read a woodworking book before. I have, however, hand-carved my own wand. I'm guessing most woodworking books don't ponder the metaphysical properties of the wood you might consider using. This one does. Then they proceed to use blanks rather than found wood (probably for consistency but I'm fussy about this). This witch of the woods isn't going to get into it here about using found wood but...minus one star.
So, into librarian mode. Brief section on famous wizards and their wands (Harry Potter, Gandalf, etc.) Pages to sketch out your own ideas. The book is divided into four sections covering four different techniques. Each section is accompanied by a list of tools and safety advice. Instructions are clear and concise. Excellent, detailed illustrations throughout. You can get everything needed online and delivered to your door tomorrow (especially if you're going to use basswood blanks instead of wandering around gathering branches). And, best of all, this book made me feel like I could manage any of the techniques described.

This book contains a wealth of information for those wanting to make their own wooden wands! Sections in the book include: wand wood properties and personalities, wand inspiration, wand sketchbook, hand carving, scroll saw, turning, and power carving. Readers learn about types of wood, specific wands from the world of Harry Potter, and methods for making their own wands. This book is for those with experience working with wood and who possess the necessary tools, like a scroll saw or lathe. However, the hand carving section maybe achievable for determined beginners who are careful with their cutting tools.

I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to develop their wood-working talents and create something beautiful!

This is a really awesome book but some of these look extra hard to do. I made some wands out of sticks, hot glue, and clay, but these definitely need more skill than I have.

For what it, it is very good and very detailed. I requested this on a lark and I found it fascinating to look into. Especially because I almost know nothing about woodworking.

I found this book very interesting because not only does it pull inspiration from movies where ones are popular but real life religions that hold wants in esteem. It talks about the different types of wood and what they bring to the wand. It gives you the ability to plan out what type of wine you want to do. Then it shows you how to hand carve and paint your own wand. It goes through the tools you will need and then it starts showing wands from beginner up to difficult and intricate. A very interesting book.

--The Book I Didn't Know I Needed--

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, and here are my thoughts:

Before I saw this book, I never gave much thought to making my own wand, but now after reading this, I'm definitely giving it some thought.

In addition to giving instructions on how to make several types of fantasy-inspired wands, the book gives an overview of the characteristics of different types of wood, as well as how to use the tools you'll need.

This could be a great introduction to woodworking, and it could even be the beginning of your new career as a wand maker. I thought it was well illustrated, and that the instructions were detailed enough that I could give a stab at making a wand...despite my lack of previous woodworking skills.

The photos are great and inspirational. This would make a great present for both a teenager or an adult...basically anyone who is into Cosplay or has an interest in fantasy-themed props.

Very nice for the wood diyers and interested in making stuff like this. Some good techniques and a number of variations of wands with templates of each.

Pros: As a Harry Potter fan, I was drawn to this book. I thought it was going to explain how a library or teen book club could do a craft to make wands--I should have read the subtitle! Although this book wasn't what I thought I was going to read, it was such a pleasant surprise. The artistry and woodworking skills in this book were fascinating. My dad does woodworking as a hobby, and although I don't see him making a wand, I think he would learn new woodworking skills from this book. I was impressed with the detailed instructions and photography to guide the reader in his/her wand making.

. . . And I do think Harry Potter fans would have a lot of fun with this book (e.g., learning about wand wood personalities, seeing the different wand inspiration from Harry Potter characters, looking at the Wizard's sketchbook), even if they didn't have the woodworking skills to turn or carve a wand.

Cons: I think some people might misunderstand the contents of the book if they don't read the subtitle. I thought it was going to be more about a simple craft project than real artistry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book!

This book was pretty fun to read. There are many selections in this book that I'd like to try to make...unfortunately, I currently don't have the extra time or equipment needed to actually work on these.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so cool! Inspired by the wands in Harry Potter, this book shows how to carve wands with step by step pictures. The designs are beautiful and the steps are clear, succinct, and easy to follow. This book would be well suited to both the novice or well seasoned artisan who is interested in making wands for fun or cosplay.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

Loved flicking through this and I have ordered some tools so I can give it a try!

Very informative and the illustrations are great! Probably not for a beginner but still lots of fun tot try

I wasn't certain what to expect with the Compendium of Wooden Wand Making Techniques. The cover is definitely compelling enough to make me want to take a second look. I have to say, I was not disappointed. While the book does give a nod to blockbuster movies with wands in them, the authors (Al Baggetta, James Miller, Barry Gross, and Tamera Seevers) went above and beyond with this book. They walk you through step by step several different processes for wooden wand making. Whether you are hand carving, using a scroll saw, using a lath, or pulling out a dremel, you will find engaging instructions and photos to show you exactly what you need to do. The only complaint I have is my lack of more expensive woodworking tools to make some of these super cool wands. I will have to stick to the instructions for some of the more simple techniques for now.

A guide to creating your own wooden wands. Definitely leans into the Harry Potter angle, with photos of various characters and discussions of their wand techniques, but this is not just for making fan art. Includes descriptions of different types of wood and their properties. Step-by-step instructions with photos for making different wand styles, from very basic hand-carving to more elaborate painted styles. The authors make this friendly for those who believe in the magical properties of wands, but also for hobbyists who want to learn a new skill.

I was able to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I gave it a 3/5. Not every beginner-friendly, you need a lot of expensive power tools and the instructions seemed really difficult. Perhaps the author should consider making an instructional DVD.

I really enjoyed this book. It has five wand designs for each type of wand-making technique: hand carving, scroll saw, turning and power carving. The wand designs look great and the instructions for each technique are thorough & easy to follow. They include tips on tools and safety measures, as well as finishing & painting the finished wand.

Unfortunately, since I got an advance copy of this in the form of a secure eBook, printing the scroll saw designs was blocked. So, I couldn't try any of the designs for the scroll saw (my particular hobby/interest), I'm not an expert on the scroll saw (I'm a dabbler/hobbyist, not a pro), but the scroll saw designs aren't complicated and would be easy to complete. I think even someone who is new to the scroll saw would be able to complete those five projects.

I really want to try some of these scroll saw designs so I pre-ordered the book! I may even try hand carving a wand.

Overall, I give this book 5/5 stars for excellent photography, detailed tips & instructions, and a good variety of wand styles to try.

I received an advance review copy of this book in eBook format from NetGalley and the publisher, Fox Chapel, in exchange for my honest review. I honestly think it's great. I can't wait to try some of the scroll saw designs