Festival style - The right way ;)

It's come to that time when I've now booked all my festival tickets for this summer, and I. AM. SO. EXCITED!!!!
OK, so I say 'all', but truthfully I'm only going to 2 - and only one is a camping one. The one's I've gone for this year are: firstly, call me mainstream, but 'Wireless Festival' (can't miss that one out - not when it's Justin Timberlake's only performance in the UK this year!), and secondly a small, intimate folk-ie festival called 'Barn on the Farm' (line-up and tickets at http://www.barnonthefarm.co.uk/ - only £60 for a whole weekend of music - camping out and everything!).

Barn on the Farm last year (2012) .... I know ;)

Now realistically, I should be practicing walking in my enormous (for me) heels ready for my 16th birthday party in less than 2 weeks, but, although I am sooo buzzing for that, I feel myself getting so much more drawn into planning my outfits for the festival season than anything else!
I was reading my Girl-Bible (the one and only 'Company Magazine') today, picking out the hints of flowers and feathers dotted about in the up and coming S/S13 collections. Hidden between the remnants of knits that are managing to cling onto the style shelf for an extra few months before summer starts, and those cheeky hotpants creeping their way in early this year, there's definitely some hippy festival style pieces sneaking their way into the fashion spotlight. And this. is. Amazing.

But to be honest, I reckon these clothing and accessories companies are missing the point a bit. I saw this exact hairband showing in Company:

... Nice right? Don't know about you but I'm all in to the daring side of fashion that gets you noticed - but also with a really girly edge, so as soon as I saw this, I knew it was this was right up my street. So where's the problem? The answer to that, my friend, is on the price tag. you ready for this..? ............... 

£36.00!!!! What?! No seriously - see for yourself: *Click me to view ridiculously over-priced paper flowers weaved into straw* 

OK it's nice, but so is a galaxy bar - and you don't see me forking out over 30 quid for one, do you?! 

And this is where they're missing the point - this is festival gear. The people who make and price these have clearly never been to a festival. Because, you see, at festivals, things get trashed. What is the point in spending nearly £40 on a delicate arrangement of clean paper flowers to place on your head, when you know they'll end up in the mud? Or at least with a splatter of beer or two on?! And, to me, that doesn't look like something that could be cleaned easily! 

My advice? Make one! It can't be that difficult - a cheap alice-band from new look or accessorize, then a couple of £1.39 assortments of paper flowers from hoppycraft, a bit of glue and creativity, and Voila! You have your very own festival headpiece - and no one else will have one like it! That's got to be a better idea than an unnecessary payment of god knows how much for something that's highly unlikely to last you more than one summer.  

Have a look at these links to get you started: 

Well priced paper flowers from hobbycraft :)

The website with the over-priced hairband - use this for inspiration ONLY