Generally, tools can be
consecrated and made ready for use any way you like, as long as it basically involves pushing away
negative energy and past associations and imbuing it with your own energy and the energy of
Nature.
Simply put, you can do this just by pointing your athame (or if it is the athame you're consecrating or you just prefer it, your finger) at the tool and/or running it along/around the tool and "pushing" the energies away. Then you might rub it with salt and water and/or a combination of other elements/spices/herbs/oils you find appropriate for their use (for instance, you might use female-oriented oils or herbs to consecrate a Goddess-symbolizing tool in the name of the Goddess).
You might bury the tool in the earth, or if it's appropriate, carry it around with you for a day or two, put it on your altar, or carve symbols on it that mean something special to you. The formal "consecration" might be in a ritual, if you desire, inside of the circle. You would place the tool on your altar and do what I already said (pushing away negative energies and binding it to Nature).
To help align the tools with their correct element, it is good to "dedicate" them first, then formally consecrate them afterwards. The dedication of a tool can sometimes take a while (if it involves burying it or doing something to it every day for a month), but in essence, dedication is different than consecration because it is an attempt to "tune" the tool to its proper use rather than to specifically cleanse and attribute it. Here are some ideas for what you can do for various tools, for dedication purposes.
The athame or sword: Knives are generally a symbol of the God (male energy) and the sun. Therefore, do whatever you're going to do at sunrise or noon, a time of great meaning for the sun. Go outside and rub the blade with a fire-oriented herb, like basil, rosemary, or oak leaves. Stand toward the south (Fire's cardinal point) and lay the blade on the ground, then circle it tossing appropriate herbs onto it from above. Then pick up the blade and ask the God to infuse the blade with His strength. (Remember, the athame and the sword are both symbols of the God.)
The bolline: The magickal working knife can be aligned with its purpose by taking it out in nature and rubbing it on the leaves of a healthy plant. You can also use it to carve a sacred symbol on a candle, in the dirt, or in some sand--the suggestion is a pentacle or the sacred symbol of your tradition--and focus on the awareness that its work will be done for the working purposes of the Craft.
The wand: The wand is male-oriented and aligned with the east and the element of Air. Go out sometime in the morning--the east is the direction of beginnings and sunrise--and turn to its cardinal direction, rubbing it with air-oriented herbs (such as mint leaves, lavender, or eucalyptus leaves). Raise it up and ask for the will of the God and the blessing of the Goddess.
The pentacle: This consecrated plate of the Craft is aligned with the Earth and the north. Put it down flat on the bare ground and cover it with some earth-oriented herbs, such as parsley, patchouli, mistletoe, or jasmine or honeysuckle flowers. Face north and sit in front of the pentacle and visualize a pentacle pulling in the energy of the Earth. Then scatter the bed of herbs or flowers to the four quarters, starting and ending in the north.
Censer (or incense burner): Burn incense of rosemary, frankincense, or copal for about an hour before you first use it. Because it is a tool aligned with the Air and the eastern direction, you can do this inside a circle with the tool at the eastern point, or you can simply place it in the easternmost spot in your house or hold it facing east as you do this.
The cauldron: A tool of the Goddess, it is aligned with water and the west. Bring it to a natural water source and fill it, then put your hands on either side of it while it rests on the ground. Face west, close your eyes, and then open them to look into your reflection in the water. The cauldron is a tool of mystery, and you should feel the dark feminine energy running in to infuse the water with the Goddess's presence. Ask it to be your tool of holding offerings and connecting you with the mysteries and the female parts of life, and drop an offering into the water (either a Goddess-oriented herb of some type, or even a coin or a stone). Bury the offering when you're done and take the cauldron home.
The chalice or cup: Anoint its base with a water-oriented oil, possibly gardenia, rose, or violet oil. Then fill it up with water in the same way as the cauldron's dedication above. It's also good to take it outside at night, filled with water, and catch the moon's reflection in it. This cup will hold toasting beverages to both God and Goddess, so you can ask for the God's blessing too.
The broom or besom: Brush it with cleansing herbs and ask for its nature to be turned toward repelling negative energy. You can carve a crescent Moon or other Goddess symbol on its handle if you wish, and ask that it be bound to your energy and that of the Goddess.
The crystal ball or scrying sphere: On a full Moon night, rub the sphere with mugwort and take it outside. Hold it up to drench it with the light of the Moon. Look through it at the Moon . . . you can do this three times a year to keep it correctly dedicated.
The Book of Shadows: Sew leaves of vervain, rue, bay, or willow into the book's cover. The leaves should have been placed under the light of the Moon. If your book is not such that it can have anything stitched into its cover, just rub it with the appropriate leaves and possibly keep the book in a bed of them, wrapped up in a cloth.
Your robes: If you wear one, you should store it with sachets of lavender, vervain, and cedar. You can also sew rosemary or frankincense into the hem while you're making it or resizing it.