DIY Fairy Wing tutorial

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

Hello, lovelies!

Before we dig in on today's post I want to let you know that beginning this week I'll be sharing a LüSa Organics giveaway and/or coupon most Saturdays here on Clean. Check back tomorrow to see what I have for you. I promise to make it worth your while!

And big thanks to each of you who have chosen to support our small business as well as coming here to read my words. It means so much. (More thank you know.)

One more bit of housekeeping – it has become much harder to stay in touch through Facebook (my standard way to share with you in the past). It's time to subscribe to my blog!

Subscribing simply means that when I write a new post it will show up for you in your email. That's it. No spam, no silliness, just an email of new posts. Simple.

Sign up here.

Don't miss another post!

x Rachel

~ : : : ~

DIY Fairy Wing tutorial

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

I'm betting a few of you are still getting ready for Halloween. (We sure are!)

I made these wings a few years back and I loved them so much I could hardly stand it. The tutorial is as simple as can be, and start to finish they take under two hours.

For. Real.

So grab your glitter and some hangers and let's get crafty! (If nothing else it's an excuse to use the word "panty hose" again.)

Here's how.

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. Okay, not really. But unlike most adults I actually adore the stuff.)

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.

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

Here is what you need:

Four metal coat hangers or equivalent amount of other very strong wire

Duct tape (packing tape also works in a pinch but isn't as strong)

2 pairs of nylons of preferred color, mine were size large-ish and full length, though in retrospect thigh-highs would work great.

Fine glitter

White glue or Mod Podge

Paint brush

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

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. (Feel free to call them "pantyhose" if you'd like to channel my grandmother during the process.)

4. Tape together the left and right wings to make a connected set. You're almost done!

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

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. I did simple swirls and dots and allowed the excess glitter to add to the design. Remember: it won't be perfect, and it is a law of physics that glitter will not stay where you put it. Knock the surplus glitter off of the wing and onto a tray or newspaper and reuse.

Tip: Don't rub the glitter into place or you may smear the glue.

Allow to dry while you admire your work.

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

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 and hold the ribbon in place with glue and a safety pin hidden on the back.

7. Attach a super long length of ribbon (the long cream-colored ribbons below) for straps at the center point. 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 magical I can hardly stand it. Mwah!"

How to make gorgeous fairy wings in under two hours!

 
Originally published in 2012.
 

5 thoughts on “DIY Fairy Wing tutorial

  1. Sage says:

    Yes! Thank you so much. I now know what I’m gonna be for halloween. As always, Rachel, I love your posts. I don’t think I’ve ever commented, but there’s always a first for everything.
    Stay bright, shiny, and magic.
    Much love to you and Pete and Sage and Lupine!
    Love,
    Sage.

  2. Silvia from Italy says:

    Thank you! I always read you, I love your point of view and style of writing and… being a mum!
    These wings seem so easy I could even make them… but I don’t know how to cut the hooked part of each hanger. Do I really need to go buy an object that I would probably never use again any more? Isn’t there some kind of “magic trick” for cutting it without that..?
    Thanks again, I’ll keep reading your blog with pleasure and gratitude every day!

  3. Rebecca Brown says:

    Beautiful, I love them; and as my three year old daughter is sitting next to me as we look at them, she can’t stop exclaiming over them too! 🙂

Leave a Reply