The most asked about part of our costumes at the LOJ Masquerade Ball (and the easiest way to find us in the crowd!) was my magical, glowing D20 Staff of Awesomeness! Here's how I made it:
Step 1: To the Etsy! I knew I wanted a big red D20 to light up at the top of my staff, and I wanted it to be able to glow. After a brief search, I found this D20 Lampshade on Etsy - it was perfect for this project!
Step 2: It's Curtains for You, Rod! I've used curtain rods for almost all of the staffs I've made for various costumes.You can find them cheap, lightweight, adjustable, and at various levels of fanciness. They are really the perfect base for staffs! And the finials come in handy, too. A friend of mine sawed off this finial (below) for me, and I attached it to the bottom inside of the D20 Lampshade (above) with some E6000. The lampshade then became a finial, and was perfectly, securely attached to the staff!
Step 3: Roll for Painting – The lampshade was awesome, but the numbers were hard to read. I also wanted my whole costume to look as if I walked through dragon fire and survived, so I wanted to give the staff a weathered look as well. I got out my mini-brushes and painted in the numbers with black paint, and then drybrushed on some char marks at the corners of each plane. It turned out pretty badass!
Step 4: LED There Be Light! Next, I had to find a way to secure the LED light inside of it. I bought one of those floatable pool globe lights with the umpteen light show options, because I wanted the light in the staff to look like it was pulsing. I deconstructed the globe, pulled out its innards, and attached it to the finial with some sturdy velcro so I could take it out to recharge it whenever I needed to.
Step 5: Nat 20 for Reflection – The lampshade was open at the top, so I decided to make a "20" panel with a reflective underside to make the light bounce around extra well inside of the D20. I painted the 20 on a piece of bristol paper and lined the back of it with gold reflective contact paper that I had left over from my She-Ra headpiece. I tried making a packing tape hinge for it, but it wouldn't stick to the 3D printed plastic, so I hot glued it onto the top of the staff the day of the ball. The glue peels off easily and I can always reattach it in the same manner when I want to use the staff again.
Step 6: I Cast Embellishment – The ajustable curtain rod was two separate pieces that I needed to secure together to get it the correct height. I taped them in place, and then wound several layers of jute cord with hot glue around it to create a grip. I used the extra dice left over from my necklace creation to decorate the staff, and voila! Quick and easy badass D20 Staff of Awesomeness!
