DIY – Maleficent Staff

Every year there is some major Halloween costume project that I undertake, and then question why I started. This year it’s the DIY Maleficent Staff. My younger daughter is going as Princess Aurora for Halloween from this years Maleficent movie. She is what I like to call the easy costume child. I found a nice Coronation scene Aurora dress (thank you Target) and there’s her costume.

My older daughter on the other hand wants to be Maleficent. But not just the “store bought I look nothing like the movie” Maleficent costume, but exactly like Angelina Jolie did in the christening scene where she curses baby Aurora. Long dress and complicated molded butterfly collar to match.

And yes I showed her the store bought costume and she was like “Yeah Mom that’s not what it looked like in the movie.”

Good times.

She’s lucky I absolutely love Halloween. But she’s not lucky in the sense that I cannot sew to save my life. So I am currently modifying a long witch gown to try and make it look like a child’s version of that iconic movie scene. But along with the dress comes the headpiece and the staff. Now, we ordered a pair of light up horns for the costume because she didn’t want to wear a headpiece. Totally cool. But the staff (a.k.a. walking stick) that she loved is another story.

Why a DIY Maleficent Staff vs Buy?

The problem was that the glowing version sold in stores – the one worth carrying around on Halloween night – is around $30-$50. Last year because of bad weather, trick or treating lasted 20 minutes. Even if at best case scenario they’re out for an hour, $50 is a lot of money for a walking stick. That’s not happening.

Mind you if YOU want to spend that on your costume, Amazon is your friend. Spend your DIY time making glow in the dark jello shots for the parents walking around like zombies.

Here are 2 versions they sell (affiliate links):

I decided to make a kid friendly one that lights up, and takes a bit of charm from the old Maleficent staff from Sleeping Beauty.

Here is how you can make one – what you need:

• A stick
• Black duct tape
• Black shelf liner
• A green glowing bouncy ball from the dollar store
• An measuring cup from a cold medicine container (yes I cleaned it well)
• Twine
• Black spray paint
• And my glue gun

STEP 1 – Though the photo should be pretty self explanatory.

I glued the medicine cup onto the stick, and then the ball onto the cup.

After trying several high tech methods of gluing this ball to the stick, including insane amounts of super glue that just did not hold.

I must have had old containers because I swear by E6000, so I wound up using my glue gun and went to town. Pick whatever super permanent, adhesive glue you love, and use that.

STEP 2

I cut out the duct tape and taped it all around the bottom of the ball. Forming what I call a respectable looking duct tape base for the ball.

Then I cut the shelf liner into sharp, leafy shapes and glued them around the ball and the stem.

STEP 3

Then I wrapped all of the above in even more duct tape, and the stick with twine.

STEP 4

Spray painted it black and let dry. Crow all sticker not included.

Or hang on, what was his name in the movie? Diavel.

And when you hit the stick on the floor like an actual walking stick, it lights up at night.

Which if you’re 7 is the coolest thing ever.

Total cost (because I owned the spray paint already) was around $5.

That’s a budget I can handle for trick or treating.