These are some simple steps to making your own beautiful ribbon wands, perfect for gifts, Christmas stockings, weddings, parties or just backyard fun! They are also a great way for kids to practice hand-eye coordination and burn energy without making any mess.

What you will need:
Ribbon (double sided satin or silk) 2 x 2m lengths (I prefer to use contrasting colours for effect)
Wooden dowelling rods (cut about 30cm long)
Eye screws (from the hardware shop)
Drill and drill bit (the drill bit needs to be smaller than the eye screws)
Fishing swivels (fishing shops or camping stores sell these in a packet)
Pliers
Glue
Small jingle bells
Matches/lighter

What to do:

1. Pre drill top of dowelling in the centre with drill bit

2. Put in one eye screw by twisting it into the hole (someone with muscles is handy for this bit!)

3. Add a fishing swivel and bells by threading it onto the inserted eye screw – use pliers to press the eye screw together making a solid loop so the fishing swivel/bells can’t fall off.

4. Burn the edges of the ribbon gently to prevent fraying.

5. Tie both lengths of ribbon to the end of the fishing swivel. Us ea dab of glue so the ribbon knot doesn’t come loose.

6. Put glue down the length of the dowel rod and wrap with ribbon, or alternatively you could paint the dowel with glitter paint.

7. Once dry, wave and twirl with your new ribbon wand!

NOTE: Adults can also be found twirling and swirling with these lovely ribbon wands when they think no-one is looking. They are lots of fun!

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This guest post was written by Sweet Blessings. Sweet Blessings is full of gorgeous and pretty things for little girls.

To view the full range, head to the Sweet Blessings website or Facebook page.

Organic New Baby Gift Set – Little Sew and Sews

Bib & Softie Set – Marjorie Handmade

Memory Game – Mollydag Made

While You Sleep Tee – My Arkadia

Designed by Amy Sampson, the Sassaby Style is more in keeping with a Vintage and Handmade feel. The digital products are created using images of real paper, fabric and ribbon, and a great effort has been made to keep as true to a theme as possible, whether it be Vintage Circus or Alice in Wonderland.

Sassaby Products have also been created to be as user-friendly as possible, so all you have to do is Purchase, Edit and Print ~ It’s that Easy!

It’s a Retro Style Christmas at Sassaby!

Invite your friends and family to your Fabulous Christmas Party with the Editable Retro Christmas Invitation and Matching Envelope.

You will have the best looking Christmas Party Table in town with Sassaby’s Retro Christmas Party Labels, Party Circles and Drink Bottle Labels, along with Christmas Bingo to entertain your guests. Hang the editable Christmas Banner, put the printable Place Cards in place, and you’re all set to have a very Merry Christmas!

For more information, please head to the Sassaby website , facebook page, or blog

But we decided to get creative to fill the house with Christmas cheer and rejoice about not needing to clean up after the messy tree. It started with a handmade Christmas tree and some carefully chosen decorations and soon segued into stockings, advent calendars, wreaths and bunting. And as the kids were young enough to be involved in the creative process, they loved the time spent thinking of kooky tree replacements. So in the end, the allergies were the beginning of a new kind of Christmas – one filled with sustainability and creativity. I still miss the smell of the real tree though…

All images from Pinterest

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Guest Post written by Karina Reyne, co-partner of Handmade Emporium, the hip new handmade market. Check out the best of handmade at Handmade Emporium

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RRP $25-$40 per cushion depending on size.

Available from the Squiggle and Stitch online store