Tutorial : Walnut Shell Leaf Boat

Today I’ll show you how to make these sweet walnut shell boats. It’s such a fun craft, especially in the autumn when we can find all kinds of gorgeous fallen leaves to use as the masts.

You will need :

•  – a walnut shell
•  – a stick mast and a blob of beeswax
•  – a pretty Autumn leaf

First, you will need to warm the beeswax so that it is easy to work with. You can work with it in your hands until it is soft and flexible or you can use a fairy trick to make it pliable. The fairies put the beeswax against their skin, in the little nook under their arms, so that the beeswax is touching their warm skin… the warmth of their body warms up the wax and it is soft when they are ready to work with it. You can try this too.

While the wax is warming against your skin, let’s make the mast for our boat. Go out into the great outdoors and collect the most beautiful autumn leaf you can find. With the point of a stick, make two little holes in the leaf. You will thread the mast stick thorough these holes for the mast.

The wax is going to help us stick the mast to the hull of our boat. Roll the wax in your hands to make a round ball and press the mast stick deep into the ball.

Now, press the base of the wax ball onto the hull of your walnut shell boat so that it sticks fast.

Now your boats are ready for sailing. Sometimes, you might need to readjust the position of the mast to balance your boat so it will float.

If there has been a bad storm and the mast breaks off your boat, you can repair it easily by removing the beeswax and drying it. Warm it, roll it into a ball again, insert the mast and stick it to the hull of your boat again.

Have fun sailing your fairy boats in the warm autumn afternoons.

NOTE : I have this craft available for purchase as a kit in The Magic Onions Shop. The package includes all the materials you’ll need to make TWO boats (and hours of fun).

Blessings and magic,

Donni