The manipulation of optical energy in structures smaller than the wavelength of light is key to the development of integrated photonic devices for computing, communications, and sensing. One-dimensional nanostructures with near-cylindrical geometry and large dielectric constants exhibit two-dimensional ultraviolet and visible photonic confinement (i.e. waveguiding). Conventional micromanipulators are used to produce a novel nanowire-ring geometry which is found to have significantly different lasing behavior compared to its linear counterpart. We have further explored the properties and functions of individual ultralong crystalline oxide nanoribbons that act as subwavelength optical waveguides and assess their applicability as nanoscale photonic sensors. In addition, infrared optical trapping is used in the assembly of ribbon waveguides with nanowire light sources in an advance toward building nanowire photonic circuitry. Finally, the applications of subwavelength, non-linear optical nanowires will be discussed in the context of wave mixing and second harmonic generation.