Make some magic with this craft! Transform an ordinary stick into your own celestial wand with simple supplies like felt and ribbon. In this project, we explore shapes, pattern making, and self expression to create a starry wand perfectly crafted for its true beholder.

Materials:
Stick (wand base)
Felt
Scissors
Washable marker
Glue (craft, fabric, or hot glue)
Fabric ribbon
Cotton stuffing (or fabric scraps)
Thin dowel (or chopstick, pencil)
Acrylic paint and paint brushes (optional)
Glitter and/or sequins (optional)
Beads, Googly Eyes, Pipe Cleaners, Stickers (optional)
Embroidery thread and needle (optional for advanced crafters)

Before You Begin: Find your wand base by choosing the perfect stick from outside! Make sure to brush off any dirt or debris. You may want to sand or remove any noticeably sharp points.

Step 1: Cutting the felt star topper. Using the washable marker, draw a star on a piece of felt. Before cutting, be sure to adjust the size of the star as needed to scale it to the size of your stick. Cut out your first star.

Place your first star on a second piece of felt and trace. You can also fold the original piece in half with enough space to fit the star template; you may want to temporarily secure this using a piece of tape or a paperclip. Cut out your second star.

Step 2: Join the stars. Turn your felt stars right side out; any markings should remain on the inside. Join the stars using either glue or carefully sewing the pieces together. Leave unjoined at the bottom of the star, between both bottom arms. Add stuffing to this, using the thin dowel to reach the corners of each arm. Allow for some slack.

Step 3: Adding the ribbon. Cut to length each ribbon, allowing for extra length by wrapping around the top of the stick one or two times. Adhere desired ribbons to the top of the stick with glue. Let the glue set before moving on to the next step.

Optional Decorating

Star
This may include embroidering, adding felt pieces, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, beads, and/or sequins. You can also draw or paint a design on either side of the star. Please be mindful that sewing the felt pieces may affect your design, especially on the arms of the star.

Wand Base
Use acrylic paint to dip or create designs on the stick base of the wand prior to joining the star and ribbons. Glitter may be added for an added sparkly effect. Allow any wet materials to dry before proceeding.

Ribbon
Add beads to the end of one or multiple ribbons for added flair.

Step 4: Complete joining the star. Line the hole of the star up with the top of the stick. Continue either gluing or sewing the felt pieces of the star shut around the stick, ideally obscuring the ribbon.

Further Learning and Discussion Questions:

Discussion questions for reflection:
– What other celestial shapes can you use as a wand topper?
– What other glues could you use to join your pieces? (i.e., hot glue, Krazy Glue, craft glue)
– What other fabric materials could you use for the star and/or the ribbons? Could you upcycle an old t-shirt?
– What colors are stars in real life? Are they limited to just yellow and white?
– What kind of tree is your wand base? 
– What would your star topper look like if you used a specific sewing method, such as a blanket stitch or a running stitch?
– Can you add an element of sound by adding additional beads to your ribbons? What about tiny jingle bells?

Further Learning
Observe real stars: Look closely at the night sky outdoors or in photographs. Notice all the different sizes, colors, and even shapes of the stars. See how some seem to twinkle. You may see some different celestial objects as well, such as planets. Design your celestial wand topper inspired by what you see. 

If you cannot get outside, whether due to timing conflicts or uncooperative weather, you can still observe the night sky through the European Space Agency’s Stellarium sky map online. 

Further night sky exploration can be conducted through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Hubble Sky Map online.