October 5, 2016March 16, 2018
Every few years this project finds its way back onto our costume to-do list. This year Lupine is putting together a "winter fairy" costume, so we need ice blue wings. Obviously.
Since I was pulling this tutorial up for myself I thought some of you might enjoy it as well. So fast, so easy, and a costume with lots of play-value long after the candy is gone.
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.
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
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!
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.
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!"
Originally published in 2012.
