Buzz
Creating your own fairy wings is a fun and cost-effective way to save on Halloween costumes or to make a delightful gift for children. The simplest wings can be crafted using cardboard, but you can also design more classical wings using coat hangers and nylon stockings. For wings that look more realistic, make the frame with poster paper or wire, then cover it with cellophane!
Steps
Using coat hangers and nylon stockings
Use pliers to cut the wire and detach the hooks from 4 coat hangers. Be sure to cut at the point where the hook starts twisting. Avoid cutting into the twisted section of the hanger.
- If the coat hangers have cardboard around the horizontal bar, use a craft knife to remove it.
- If you don't have coat hangers, you can buy 12-gauge wire. Cut and twist the wire into 4 large loops. The twisted section will be about 5-8 cm long.
Shape the wire into oval or circular loops. You'll need two pairs of wings that match in shape, one pair for the top and the other for the bottom. Don't worry about getting them perfect; you can adjust them later.
Twist the two sections together and secure them. Place the first pair of wings on a flat surface so that the twisted sections face each other. Twist them together, then use fabric tape to wrap them tightly. Repeat this process for the second pair of wings.
- If you don't have fabric tape, you can use electrical tape or floral tape instead.
Use additional fabric tape to attach the two pairs of wings together. Lay the pairs flat, side by side. Twist the glued sections together and wrap more tape around them to secure them in place.
- Don't worry if the wings overlap at this stage. You can fix them later on.
Adjust the wings into the desired shape if needed. Pull the top pair of wings up and the bottom pair down to avoid any overlap. If you're happy with the wing shape, you can move on to the next step. If you prefer, you can also bend the wire into a circular, oval, or other shapes at this point.
Stretch a knee-high stocking over each wing and secure it with tape. Slide the knee-high stocking over each wing, pulling it until the stocking stretches thin around the wing. Twist the end of the stocking and wrap tape around it to secure it.
- White stockings work best; they will take paint well if you want to add color. If you're aiming for a more edgy look, feel free to use other colors, such as black.
- If you don't have knee-high stockings, you can use tights—just cut off the legs from the thigh section.
Trim excess stocking material and reshape the wings if necessary. Depending on how tightly you stretched the stocking, there may be extra fabric below the tape in the middle of the wings. Use a sharp pair of scissors to carefully trim this excess fabric as close to the tape as possible. Adjust the shape of the wings if they appear misshapen.
Spray paint the wings, if desired. Take the wings outside or to a well-ventilated area. Place them on newspaper and lightly spray paint the wings, allowing them to dry. Flip them over and spray paint the other side if you prefer.
- Fabric spray paint or regular spray paint can be used for this task.
- You can paint the entire wings or just the tips to create a fading effect.
Decorate the wings with glitter and/or rhinestones. Use glue to draw some designs on the wings, then sprinkle glitter over them. Shake off any excess glitter and allow the wings to dry. To add more sparkle, you can also use fabric glue or a hot glue gun to attach rhinestones to the wings.
Hide the tape by wrapping it with felt fabric. Cut a strip of felt fabric in a color that matches the wings, approximately 5cm wide. Make sure to cut enough length to cover the tape in the middle of the wings. Wrap the fabric around the wire and use hot glue or fabric glue to secure it in place.
- If you prefer, you can wrap a cute ribbon instead of felt for a prettier finish.
- To further beautify the wings, you can attach a large artificial flower to the felt fabric.
Tie two long ribbons around the wire in the middle. Cut a ribbon long enough to match the design of the wings. Fold the ribbon in half and place it behind the wire in the center of the wings, leaving about 2.5cm of the folded end sticking out. Pull both loose ends of the ribbon through the bunny ear loop and tie them in a knot. Then, push the ribbon to the left wing.
- Repeat this process with the second ribbon, but this time push the ribbon to the right wing.
Use the tied ribbons to wear the fairy wings on your shoulders. You can tie both ends of the ribbons together and wear them like a backpack or cross the ribbons over your chest in an 'X' shape and tie them.
Use cardboard and ribbons
Sketch the fairy wings on a large sheet of paper. This will serve as the template for the real wings, so you only need to draw one side of the wings. Use large-sized paper such as poster paper or newspaper. You can also tape smaller sheets of paper together to create a larger one.
Cut out the template, then trace it onto the cardboard. Cut along the lines of your drawing to create the template. Place it on a piece of cardboard and trace around it with a pencil. Flip the template over, like turning a page, and trace another shape on the opposite side.
- If you don't have cardboard, you can use poster paper instead.
Cut along the inside of the lines of the fairy wings. It's best to use a craft knife or box cutter for precision. You can use scissors if you're making the wings from poster paper. Be sure to cut inside the lines you just traced. This way, the pencil or ink marks won't be visible when the wings are finished.
Cut or fold the fairy wings in half at the center. Find the midpoint of the wings and then fold them. Use a craft knife to carefully make a shallow cut along the centerline. Fold the wings along the cut line and open them up again.
- If you're using poster paper, simply fold the wings in half and then unfold.
Paint the fairy wings a solid color if desired. You can spray paint the wings, use poster paint, or even acrylic paint. Paint one side first, allow it to dry, then paint the other side.
- If using poster paper, you can skip this step.
Draw details on the wings for a more realistic look. Look at pictures of butterfly wings and sketch the patterns on your cardboard wings with a pencil. Use a paintbrush and acrylic or poster paint to fill in the drawings.
- You can paint both sides of the wings, but be sure to let the first side dry before painting the other.
Use glitter glue to add designs on the wings for a sparkling effect. First, draw patterns with a pencil, then apply glitter glue. Iridescent glitter is the most eye-catching, but you can use other colors as well. If you don't have glitter glue, you can use craft glue (hold the bottle to draw), then sprinkle glitter on top.
- Check out illustrations of fairy or dragonfly wings for inspiration.
- You can apply designs on both sides, but allow one side to dry before decorating the other.
Decorate the fairy wings with other materials if you're feeling creative. The possibilities are endless! You can use basic craft supplies like glitter glue or paint, or try something unique like fake flowers or gemstones. Here are a few ideas:
- Use paint to create designs, adding some glitter for sparkle!
- Attach glittering gems to the wings with glue for added shine, and add decorative patterns with glitter glue.
- Glue coasters to the wings for a snow fairy effect.
- Decorate the wings with fake flowers or leaves to give them a natural fairy look.
Wait for the fairy wings to dry completely. The drying time for the wings depends on the materials used to decorate them. Paint usually dries within an hour, but glitter glue can take up to a day to dry. You can place the wings outside in the sun to speed up the drying process.
Punch holes along the fold/cut line, two holes on each side. Use a hammer and nails to create two holes on the left wing and two more on the right wing. The distance between all the holes should be equal and form a square shape. The punched holes will be about 5-8 cm away from the fold/cut line in the center.
Cut two strips of ribbon and thread them through the holes to make straps. Thread the first ribbon through the top hole on the left wing and the bottom hole on the left. Do the same with the second ribbon, threading it through the top and bottom holes on the right wing. Make sure the ribbons are long enough to drape over your shoulders and tie into a bow.
Tie the ribbon straps to wear the wings. Have someone help you place the wings against your back. Drape the ribbon on the left over your shoulder and tie a bow. Repeat the process on the right side.
Using wire and cellophane paper
Sketch the fairy wings on a piece of poster board. This will serve as the template for shaping the wire, so you only need to draw one side of the wings. Start with the basic outline, then add veins and/or spirals inside. Be sure to draw the veins/spirals extending from the bottom corner of the wings, where they will connect to the back.
- This wing design is intended to be worn with a corset or form-fitting attire.
Bend sturdy wire along the outline of the fairy wings. Place a strong wire (23-25 kg type) over the poster board. Bend the wire to match the shape of the wings you just drew. Leave an extra length of wire, about the width of your hand, at the bottom corner of the wings. Use pliers to trim off the excess wire. If needed, secure the outline with aluminum tape.
- Aluminum tape looks like metallic fabric tape, but without the prominent texture.
- You must use sturdy wire (23-25 kg type); otherwise, your wings will lose shape. You can find this wire at hardware stores.
Add inner shapes with thinner wire. You can use any thickness of wire, as long as it remains visible from a few meters away. Use the same technique as you did with the outer outline: bend the wire to fit the drawn design, then cut off any excess. Secure the ends of the wire to the outer outline with aluminum tape.
Unroll cellophane paper, spray adhesive, and place the fairy wings on top. Pull out a section of cellophane that fits the wings, leaving a bit extra. Spray a generous amount of adhesive on the cellophane. Do not cut the cellophane just yet.
- Transparent iridescent cellophane looks stunning, but you can use other colors if you prefer.
- You may want to wear gloves during this step to avoid getting the cellophane adhesive on your skin.
Pull the cellophane paper over the wings and trim. Stretch the remaining cellophane to cover the entire wings and trim off any excess. Be sure to leave a border around the wings, including any folded sections.
Smooth out the wing, then trim the edges to match the wing shape. Use your hands to press the cellophane smooth, ensuring that both the edges and the middle of the wing are flat. If you notice any bumps, smooth them out. Finally, cut the cellophane following the wing shape, leaving a 2.5 cm border around the edges.
Place a stack of books on the wing and let it dry. Lay the fairy wing flat, then place a stack of books or boxes on top. Use the same technique to create another wing. By the time you cover the second wing with cellophane, the first one should be dry.
- Use the first wing as a template for the second one, ensuring they are symmetrical.
Cover the wings with paper before ironing on low heat. Place a sheet of paper over the wing, then use an iron set to dry (no steam) and press down for a few seconds. Gradually iron from one side of the wing to the other. The cellophane will shrink, wrinkle, and stick tightly to the wire frame. Never iron directly on the cellophane; always cover it with paper.
- If the lowest heat setting doesn't work, try increasing the heat slightly.
- By now, the second wing under the stack of books or boxes should also be dry.
Trim any excess cellophane, leaving a small margin around the wire outline. Avoid cutting too close to the wire to prevent the cellophane from peeling off. Leave a small margin of about 0.3 to 0.5 cm around the wing.
- You can remove the cellophane from the ends of the wire beneath the wing.
Finish the second wing. By now, the second wing should be dry. Remove it from under the stack of books or boxes. Use the iron to melt the cellophane (with paper on top), then trim the edges, leaving a thin border.
Secure the wings to a U-shaped wire frame, if desired. Cut a piece of sturdy wire (23-25 kg gauge) and bend it into a U shape, about 2-3 fingers wide and slightly longer than your hand. Attach each wing end to the edges of the U-shape. Wrap aluminum tape around the wire frame, securing it from one end to the other to hold the wings in place.
- The ends of the wire should be concealed within the tape, leaving only the wings protruding from the U-shaped wire.
Slip the wings behind the back of a corset or fitted top. If the wings have a U-shaped frame, wear the corset or fitted dress first, then slide the wings down behind your back. The corset or fitted top will hold the wings close to your back. If the wings do not have a U-frame but only wire ends, you will need to sew small pockets on the back of the top and insert the wire ends into the pockets.
Tips
- A pair of pliers will help you hold and bend the wire more precisely.
- Layer different colors of cellophane to create a unique design.
- Sprinkle glitter between the layers of cellophane to make your wings sparkle.
- If you can't find 12-gauge wire, you can use 14-gauge or 16-gauge wire. Smaller gauges won't support the weight of the wings.
- Color nylon and let it dry before using it for wings, so you won't need spray paint.
- You can substitute spray paint with acrylic paint or fabric paint, applying it with a sponge brush or a foam sponge.
- Look at pictures of butterfly wings, dragonfly wings, and fairy wings for inspiration.
Warnings
- Never spray paint indoors. Always perform this task in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside.
Essential items you need
Use hangers and stockings
- 4 metal wire hangers
- Wire cutters (heavy-duty)
- Adhesive tape
- 4 pairs of white or light-colored stockings that go over the knee
- Felt fabric
- Ribbon
- Glue gun
- Spray paint (optional)
- Glitter glue and/or rhinestones (optional)
Use cardboard and ribbon
- Pen
- Paper
- Cardboard or printed poster paper
- Paint and a paintbrush
- Craft knife or utility knife
- Ribbon
- Scissors
- Decorative materials (e.g., glitter, rhinestones, fake flowers, etc.)
Use wire and glossy paper
- Printed poster paper
- 23-25 kg gauge wire
- Heavy-duty wire cutters
- Aluminum tape
- Glossy paper
- Aerosol glue
- Iron
- Paper
- Scissors
