So, I got into making these ‘wyattsticks’ a little while back. It wasn’t anything planned, really. Just saw some interesting decorated sticks online, someone called them that, maybe after their kid Wyatt, who knows? Anyway, I thought, “Hey, I can do that.” Looked simple enough.
Gathering the Stuff
First thing was getting the sticks. Didn’t want to just buy some dowels, felt like cheating. So, I went for a walk in the park after a windy day. Found a decent pile of fallen branches. Had to pick through them, though. Needed ones that were:
- Reasonably straight
- Not too thick, not too thin
- Definitely not rotten or full of bugs
Brought a bagful home. Also needed some sandpaper, basic acrylic paints I had lying around from another project, some clear sealant spray, and brushes. Pretty simple kit.
The Actual Making Part
Alright, step one was cleaning them up. Took them outside, brushed off the dirt. Some had flaky bark, so I peeled that off. Then I spent a good hour just sanding them down. Didn’t need them perfectly smooth, but wanted to get rid of the really rough bits and any splinters. This part took way longer than I expected. My hands got pretty tired.
Once they were prepped and dry, I started painting. This was the fun bit, but also kinda tricky. I didn’t have a fancy plan. Just started painting simple patterns – stripes, dots, zig-zags. Tried a few different color combos. Some looked okay, others… well, let’s just say they were ‘experimental’. Holding the stick steady while painting evenly all around was harder than it looks. I ended up getting paint everywhere. On my hands, my clothes, the table… classic me.
I let the paint dry completely, which took overnight because I put it on pretty thick in some spots. Then I took them outside again and gave them a couple of light coats of the clear sealant. Just wanted to protect the paint a bit and give them a slight shine. Had to be careful not to spray too much in one go, or it would drip.
End Result?
So, what did I end up with? A bunch of colorful sticks. They’re kinda quirky. I stuck a few in a vase, looks alright, adds a bit of color to the room. Gave a couple to my neighbour’s kid, he seemed to like them. Didn’t turn out exactly like the slick ones I saw online, mine are definitely more… rustic? Handmade, you know.
It was a decent little project. Kept me busy for a weekend. Mostly just messing around with sticks and paint, really. Nothing groundbreaking, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need. A bit of simple, hands-on work. Yeah, that’s my wyattsticks adventure.
