To make a spell packet for use with Force Bolt, you’ll need the following:

• A yard (or more) of a thin, stretchy fabric
  • Elastic fibers like spandex are especially good for this, though if you want it to be biodegradable you may need to hunt for a particularly stretchy cotton knit fabric.
  • The fabric should preferably be in a bright color to make them easy to find after a combat’s over.
• At least a liquid quart’s worth of bird seed.
  • Smaller seeds are better; never use large and pointy seeds like sunflower seeds.
• Small rubber bands, one per packet

If you’re making a lot of packets, you’ll likely want more materials than this, but that amount will get you started.

Once you’ve got your materials, you can begin construction:

1. Cut out a 5.5- or 6-inch square of your fabric.
2. Take a shot glass or medicine cup, fill it with bird seed, and dump the seed in the middle of the square of fabric.
3. (If you have a second cup, stuff the center of the fabric into that, and then dump the seeds in, to make it a bit easier to contain them and reduce the risk of spillage.)
4. Pull the four corners of the fabric square up over the center of the square, keeping the pile of bird seed in the middle.
5. Tie a rubber band around the base of the tail of the packet you’ve made, just above the bird seed; you want the band to be as tight as possible so that the seed can’t leak out.
6. Squish the packet between two fingers; if your fingertips can almost-but-not-quite meet, it’s just right.
7. If you can’t squish it at all, pull the rubber band a millimeter further up the tail, giving the bird seed a bit more room to move around.
8. If your fingers meet easily, it’s too loose and you need to push the rubber band further down the tail of the packet, tightening up the fabric and making the bird seed a bit more compact.
9. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until you achieve the correct amount of squish.
10. (Optional) Toss it at a friend to practice your aim!