spread your wings & fly!
The most essential part of any fairy costume or persona is a really great pair of wings!
Fairy wings are good for costume parties, conventions, gatherings, street fairs, parades, Halloween, May Day festivals, stage plays and rainy days. Kids have a special love for fairy wings, so consider having a wing-making party for your child on their next birthday! This lens will show you how you can make your own wings easily, or help you find a ready-made pair if you are really in a hurry. The options for what your wings can look like will only be limited by three things: what you want them to look like, what you want to make them out of and how much money you can spend (and I've got some suggestions for how to do wings without breaking the bank!)Here are some gorgeous fairy wings worn by a colorful bicyclist I photographed at the Fremont Solstice Parade in Seattle in June 2011.
Types Of Wings
what sort of fairy are YOU?
Fantasy fairies can have any kind of wings you can imagine. Here are some of the most common shapes, styles and variations you'll find for wings.One of the biggest considerations for making your own wings is the size and scale of the wings. Fairy wings that don't go past your own shoulders can be worn just about anywhere and travel easily. Wings that stretch out as long as your own arms, go up over your head and down past your waist can be show-stoppers but they also present many concerns for moving around other people, going through doors and when sitting down.
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Angel wings - Large, fluffy white feather wings. The classic shape is like two arches over the shoulders with the wings folding down along the back.
Bat wings - Black, skin-like wings. These are often made of fabric and attached down the arms to unfold and wrap with arm movements.
Bird wings - These can vary to be feathered to match specific birds or can just be very feathery wings.
Dragon wings - Larger than bat wings, these are often very leathery. In older dragons, they can have ripped edges or torn holes in them.
Dragonfly wings - These wings are often iridescent and are very slender and long.
Butterfly wings - Large or small, these are often bright and patterned.
Moth wings - Rounder and paler than butterflies, these are often slightly translucent.
Fantasy wings - Make your wings any combination of the above as you wish!
Instructions for making your own Fairy Wings
Without too many supplies and a little effort, you can make your own fairy wings.
Deciding what to make your wings look like often takes longer than the actual wing-making part! You can make your wings look exactly like some type of real wings, or you can make up your own colors, style and shapes. It's best to work out your design ahead of time however, as that saves time and supplies when it comes to the actual crafting part of the process.For making wings, you'll want:
- 14g-16g galvanized steel wire. The wire should bend easily, but not too easily or your wings won't hold their shape.
- wire cutters
- duct tape or heavy electrical tape
- pantyhose or sheer material. Hose takes less sewing.
- scissors
- safety pins
- needle and thread
- ribbon, wide cording or elastic (to make ties for wearing the wings)
- wing decorating stuff = fabric paint, glitter, feathers, rhinestones, silk flowers, fringe, whatever!
To start, bend the wire into the overall shape of your wings. You can make a figure eight with the wire, or you can make two separate loops and attach them to each other. At that point, you can either leave the wings as round shapes or re-shape them as you wish. For large or elaborate wings, you make larger loops to have more material to manipulate. Use the tape to fasten the loops into closed shapes and/or to fasten them to each other. This taped part is the "spine" of your wings so make sure it's strong but not too bulky. Pay attention to how big your wings get. Too wide and you'll have problems walking around. Too long and you'll have trouble sitting down when wearing them. You can also take thinner gauge wire and twist two pieces of it around itself to make a thicker piece strong enough to use as a wing form.
Once you get the basic wings assembled, you then cover them. If you are using pantyhose, you cut each leg off the waistband/panty section and stretch it over the wires. Be very careful or you can accidentally put runs in your wings. Patterned or sparkly pantyhose can make the wings fancy. If you are using a flat piece of sheer material, trim the fabric to be the same shape as the wing form, but just about a 1/4 of an inch larger is size. You then wrap the slight edge over the wire and stitch the material onto the wing frame with hand sewing. Make sure to use the lightest material you can, so your wings don't get too heavy. Sewing material over the spine is optional, but some people like to use elaborate or heavier materials for this part when they choose to decorate it.
Next, add the straps for wearing. This way, you can still sew and bend the wings to shape without hurting any of the art. Most people like having four straps to fasten their wings: one going over each shoulder and one going under each arm, then tied across the chest. Don't make your wings tie across the front of your throat because you can hurt yourself if you snag your wings. Wings can also be sewn onto the back of clothing. Having a friend who can hold your wings in place while you work out the straps is very helpful! Whether these straps attach to the wing edges or the spine part is up to you. Which option do you think fits and/or looks best?
Then, once the wing shape is set and you can attach them to yourself, decorate them to your heart's content. Be careful again to not make the wings so decorated that they bend out of shape or make your upper back sore when you wear them. If you have bits of wing decorations left over, a thin wooden dowel can easily be made into a matching fairy wand.
