I know, I know. A fairy wing tutorial? On November 1? I'm a day late and a dollar short. Because Halloween was, like, yesterday.
Yes. Halloween was yesterday. I woke in the morning with a random plan to be Rollie Fingers for Halloween. (I was a huge Brewer's fan as a kid and this guy's mustache has always been a source of strange fascination for me.) But my own kids were freaked by the idea of their mother in a baseball cap and a wool handlebar mustache. And then I couldn't find my baseball cap and the whole plan unravelled. I had to be something else.
But what? My costume stash is pretty lean these days, consisting of a too-tight-for-me-now wedding dress, a pair of cowboy boots and an Amish straw hat. And that combination was scarier than the mustache, so I needed a plan-B. A fairy! Of course. But Lupine's wings were too small.
I searched Pinterest for ideas and came across two useful tutorials (this one and this one.) I read them each over once, got a little overwhelmed, and just went for it on my own.
And they were so easy. Ridiculous. And because of the amount of glitter I used, extremely satisfying as well. (I don't know what it is about glitter. I wish I could put it on my food I like it so much.)
These wings took me less than two hours from start to finish (including a trip to Walgreen's for nylons when I realized that I simplified all of my tights right out the door last spring).
So easy and so much cuter than a handlebar mustache.
Here is what you need:
Four metal coat hangers or equivalent amount of other strong wire
Duct or packing tape
2 pairs of tights or nylons, mine were size large-ish and full length, though in retrospect thigh-highs would work great.
Fine glitter
White glue or Mod Podge
1. Shape each of the four hangers into a wing shape. My top and bottom wings have a slightly different shape giving a distinct top and bottom, but go with whatever you like.
2. Cut off the hooked part of each hanger and tape together your left and right wing pairs, as above.
3. Slip a nylon leg on each wing segment and cut it off at the appropriate length. Knot on the back.
4. Tape together the left and right wings to make a connected set. You're almost done!
5. Using diluted white glue (1:2 water to glue), paint the edges of your wings and sprinkle with glitter. Paint designs on the wings and add more glitter. Knock extra glitter off onto a tray or newspaper and reuse. Don't rub the glitter into place or you may smear the glue. Allow to dry while you admire your work.
Your house. Will be full. Of glitter. But that's okay. Because now your house is magical instead of messy.
6. Hide your packing tape under ribbon or fabric. I simply wound a long piece of velvet ribbon around the center until all of the tape was hidden and secured it with a straight pin. You can do something more permanent but I was under time constraints and didn't want to get glue on my coat. Fabric glue (Tacky Glue or some such) would work well.
7. Attach a super long length of ribbon (the long cream-colored ribbons below) for straps. Cris-cross over your chest and tie in the back or at your side.
Tie them on and say to your reflection, "You are so cute I can hardly stand it. Mwah!"
Edited to add: if you're looking for other clever costumes, how about this knitted bluebird hat? (Thought I'm a bit partial to the gnome hat...) Or maybe a crown is more your speed.
