How to Make Fabulous Fairy Wings for Kids
Everyone knows fairy dust has magical powers. But when you’re fresh out, all you need is a pair of DIY fairy wings to transform your child into a perfect little pixie—whether for Halloween or everyday dress-up.
Lane Huerta, founder of Lovelane Designs, which offers creative, hand-sewn costumes for kids, walks parents step-by-step through how to make a fantastic fairy costume for kids in her new book, Superhero Sewing. “The power of playing dress-up is its ability to further empower the imagination,” she says. “When we create a product kids will want to play with over and over, the more likely it is that they’ll choose the adventure over something less active.”
So grab your kid and your craft kit, and create something truly enchanting. Here’s how.
- Four pieces of different colored fabric
- Construction paper (optional)
- Water-soluble fabric pen
- Scissors
- Twill tape
- Needle and thread
Layer the four pieces of fabric on top of one another. Using a template for the wings (you can find one in Superhero Sewing or create one out of construction paper), trace the shape with a water-soluble fabric pen and cut it out with the scissors.
Sew two pieces of twill tape to the second fabric layer, placing them near the top, center edge of the wings. Create a small loop out of twill tape (about 2 inches long) and sew that to the bottom of the second layer, again toward the center. Stack the four fabric pieces neatly on top of one another again.
Sew all around the edges of the wings to fasten them together, then stitch decorative circular patterns into the wings as desired. Using the scissors, cut out the center of several circles. For some, you’ll only want to cut away the top fabric layer, revealing the color of the second layer underneath. For other circles, you can cut away the top two or three layers for additional color contrast.
When you’re ready to put the wings on your child, thread the two twill pieces through the bottom loop to create shoulder straps. Adjust the length to size, then tie the twill pieces into a knot at the base of the loop.
Published October 2017
