How to Make a Princess Wand Craft Easy



Wands are super fun projects that you can easily make yourself and the bonus is that you can customize them to really coordinate with a little girl's princess costume or outfit for dress up play and Halloween.

This step by step tutorial shows you how to make a yarn wrapped princess wand which I think is better than the standard ribbon wrapped ones we always tend to see and it's easier to neatly wrap the yarn around the wood too.

To make a really gorgeous looking design, I used some variegated yarn which changes color from raspberry pink to candy to pale and then cream. It really gives a beautiful effect to use a yarn which changes color or why not try a solid shade that has flecks of glitter or sparkle in.

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How to Make a Princess Wand Craft Easy

Making a princess or fairy wrapped wand

What You Need for This Project
  • Wand base - I used an old wooden knitting needle that was going spare but you can also use dowel. If choosing dowel, you want approx 1/4 inch dowel width cut to your preferred length. Anywhere from 12-15 inches is normally good depending on the size and age of the child.
  • Some pretty yarn. Acrylic yarn is fine - I opted for a variegated color yarn.
  • A glue gun. You could use a different choice of adhesive but a glue gun will stick the yarn down almost instantly and that's what you need for this craft. 
  • Ribbon and other decorative elements like some beads. 

Variegated pink candy yarn wrapped around wooden knitting needle

Step 1: As mentioned in the materials list, you can use 1/4 inch dowel rods cut to size but since I had some old wooden knitting needles going spare I decided to make use of those instead since they work just as well. You may have something similar like some thin bamboo cane and the knobbly and uneven surface on that will give a different look to the finished piece.


If you are using a hot glue gun, do be really careful (these should be used by adults only) because the glue is very painful if it makes contact with your skin. You can get low temp glue guns instead which are a little safer to use.

I do recommend a glue gun for this though because they stick almost instantly and this would be a really tedious project if you're having to wait for glue to dry all the time.

Start off by placing a small drop of glue at the top of your dowel, cane, stick or wooden knitting needle. I placed my adhesive just below the rounded end of the knitting needle - the opposite end to the sharp points. Quickly stick the end of your chosen yarn into the glue to attach it to the wood.

Attaching yarn to a wooden stick with a glue gun

Step 2: Once the yarn is secured to the top of the wooden rod, take hold of the yarn in one hand and the rod in the other.

To wrap the yarn around, you just need to keep slowly twisting the rod in the same direction and pushing the yarn with the other hand so it neatly sits together and covers the wood.


Every so often you need to add a tiny dab of adhesive to the wood and wrap the yarn over the top of it to secure it in place. I did this every 1/2 inch or so all the way down. You want the wand to be fairly kid proof after all and up to being played with.

Red Heart Soft Yarn, WatercolorsLion Brand Yarn  545-201 Landscapes Yarn, Boardwalk


Since you don't need much yarn, you can get away with using some leftover yarn or wool from another project. Or you can use the exact same technique to wrap something else round such as embroidery floss or ribbon instead.

Pink color change yarn to make yarn wrapped wand

Step 3: Here's the really fun effect of using variegated yarn. I really loved that candy striping I got down the shaft of the wood. It looks so pretty close up.

Because I used a knitting needle which had a pointy end, I took care to cover over the potentially dangerous point by wrapping it over. Later I wrapped it some more to make a nice handle.

You would not need to do that with a dowel rod or stick. With those just wrap until the end, secure the yarn with glue and snip the rest off.

Fancy pink ribbons and a stick covered in yarn

Step 4: If you're making this for a child that you know (daughter, grandaughter, niece etc.) it's nice to get them involved and ask what ribbons they like to tie to the end. My daughter chose these cute ribbons - one which has fine fringing or feathering which gives a great texture.

Shappy 50 Yard 1 Inch Shimmer Sheer Organza Ribbon, Rainbow ColorsJimess 1/2 inch Rainbow Pom Pom Balls Fringe Pompom Lace Tassel Pompom Trim Ribbon Apparel Fabric Cord DIY Craft Sewing Supplies


The ribbons can make the wand look very princess-y and they are a lot of fun for kids to swish about. You should tie them on somewhere near your chosen spell-making end, the bit that makes all the magic as my little girl proudly told me!

Make sure you secure ribbons really well with adhesive from the glue gun to keep the knot in place and attach them firmly to the wood. I placed my ribbons up against the topper end of the knitting needle (the end opposite to the pointed one) which stops them coming off easily.

Detail of pink costume kids play wand with ribbons and beads

Step 5: You can see the end of the wand here with the ribbons tied on and secured in place. I used a pink Sharpie pen to color the top of the knitting needle and then stuck a few cute beads on with the glue gun.

Note that you need a decent amount of glue to fix beads in place and even then they are prone to being knocked off at times with any rough play. As small parts, they may not be suitable for toddlers and preschoolers. If in doubt - leave it out!

Pink and cream wand with ribbons and beads attached

Step 6: The last part I did was to add a nicer section for my daughter to hold onto by wrapping more yarn over one end to create a soft handle area.

This was achieved by wrapping yarn down from one end to about 3-4 inches and then coming back over the area to pad it out. It makes a quick handle which is nicer to hold in the hands. You can add on other decorative elements as you wish.

Girl dressed up in a pale pink princess costume with matching hat and wand

I hope you've enjoyed reading my justhalloweencrafts page today, thanks for your visit. Any little princess shall go to the ball with a swish of fairy magic.

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Articles are accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.