Making some fairy wings is a great way to save on Halloween costume or to make a nice gift for kids. To be able to do this follow these instructions.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Method 1: Cartoon Style Wings
Step 1. Get four to eight coat hangers
You can get them for free from your local dry cleaner, as they often try to recycle the hangers or even throw them away. Metal hangers entirely covered with flexible plastic material are easier to handle when you fold them.
- To make four separate wings you will need at least four different coat hangers. However, if you want to make them very rounded, in a circle, you may need to double the thread to make the shapes resistant; later on you will have to put stockings on the structures created with the thread, which could crush them, giving them a more flattened shape than you want.
- Alternatively, you can also buy thick thread. A wire of about 2 mm in diameter allows you to get a more manageable shape to work with.
Step 2. Straighten the wire of the hangers
Straighten the hooks, unwind the twisted line in a spiral, make the cable segments straight, and flatten the folds with pliers.
Step 3. Model the first upper wing
Use one thread if you want an elongated shape, two if you want a rounded shape. Fold it into the desired shape and when you're done weave the tops together, letting any excess wire come out, so you can attach the other wing later. Try drawing inspiration from photos or illustrations of butterfly wings. You can also make dragonfly wings by simply modeling them with long oval shapes.
Step 4. Model the second upper wing
Simply shape the wire using the first wing as a reference. When you're done, wrap the buds together, like you did before.
If you only want to use one piece of wire for each wing, you can make both wings at once; if you want to use two threads, however, make them separately, as it is not easy to fold four threads at a time
Step 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the lower wings
The lower wings should be smaller than the upper ones, and therefore it may be necessary to shorten the strands.
Step 6. Join the four wings in the center
First of all, put the ends so that they protrude from each wing and overlap the threads that form the surrounding wings; you may need to bend the threads further to do this. Then, clip the wings together by wrapping them, and tying them tightly with a string or ribbon.
Don't worry too much about what your central thread weave looks like, because you'll be covering it later on
Step 7. Unfold and tie one sock leg around each wing
The fabric of the socks will act as the material of the wings, so choose a color / pattern that gives the desired effect (but if you want you can also decorate the fabric later). Simply insert a wing into the sock, unfold it over the center point, cut it to the required length, hook the open end on the other side and tie it over the center of the thread. Repeat with the other three wings as well.
Note that stretching a sock over the wing structure could stretch its shape; return the yarn to its initial configuration after you have finished stretching the sock. (The tighter you wrap the sock, the tighter the wing shape will be.)
Step 8. Cut two long pieces of white tape
As these will be used to tie the wings, make sure not only that they match the stocking, but also that they are long enough to wrap around the torso (i.e. around each shoulder, with an X across the chest, and so on; it depends on what looks you wish to confer).
Step 9. Tie each ribbon around the center of the wings
Make sure to orient the knots inward (i.e. towards the spine), as this will make the wings easy to put on.
Step 10. Decorate the wings if you wish
For example, you can spray paint on the edges, paint designs in the center, paint the front and back sides in different ways, paint the top and bottom of the wings in different ways, or any other combination you can think of. You can also apply glue with a brush and sprinkle glitter on the paint for a sparkly look.
If you prefer to make angel wings, add feathers. You can do this by applying store-bought feathers to the wings with strong glue; just put a bit of glue where you would like to apply a feather; then stick the end of the feather into the glue and sock for a strong hold. Start at the bottom, so the next row of feathers will cover the feathers of the row below. For a more realistic effect, put feathers longer at the bottom and shorter at the top. Keep in mind that you will need to feather both sides of each wing to give them a complete look
Step 11. Finished
Method 2 of 2: Method 2: Realistic Wings
Step 1. Find a design for your wings
Search nature books, or internet images to get basic black and white outlines to create butterfly or dragonfly wings. You will need the basic shape and also the sections (smaller shapes contained in the main structure) in order to create a sturdy structure for your wings. Once you have found the design, print it on one or more sheets of paper, depending on the size.
It will probably be better to create the two wings individually, as it will be easier to manage than working on the overall set
Step 2. Trace the design onto the cardboard
Get some thick paper (or several layers of thick sheets glued together) and place the wing you printed facing up on top. Trace the contours of the lines firmly with a pen so that the trace is traced on the cardboard.
Cardboard can be any color, but black is recommended for more realism and also because the wings will be easier to see
Step 3. Cut out the outline
Cut out the outline using a sturdy cutter. Make sure you do as clean a job as possible, since the structure of the wings itself will be very visible.
Step 4. Glue the frame onto the cellophane
Use spray glue on both sides of the frame (put scraps or newspaper underneath), obviously making sure it doesn't stick to anything. Take the newly covered structure with glue and place it on a cellophane sheet.
- Make sure you are using cellophane and not shrink wrap.
- Colored cellophane only has color on one side. Then, it will be that side that you want to glue, so that it faces or is in contact with the structure. Test to identify the two sides by using alcohol on a scrap piece or in the corner. If the color comes off, this is the side that needs to be attached to the frame.
- If you want to use glitter, paint or something like that, do it after gluing the structure to this first layer.
Step 5. Glue the second cellophane layer
Put it on the other side of the structure than the first one. This will close the structure itself and whatever you have added in the subsections, such as glitter, paint, and so on.
Add some glue if you weren't quick enough to do the previous step and if the second layer doesn't seem to stick together
Step 6. Iron the cellophane
Set your iron to the lowest possible temperature and wipe each side a couple of times. Be careful not to overdo it and at the temperature, you risk ruining your wings.
Step 7. Cut the excesses
Once you've finished gluing and ironing, cut off the superfluous cellophane from the edges of the wings.
Step 8. Create a rear attachment
Take an iron hanger and open it to make a single thread. Wrap it to create a ring with hooks, or with the shape of Ichthys (one of the symbols of Christianity). The hooks should be at the correct angle. Finally attach your wings to us.
Step 9. Put on your wings
You could cut a hole in the costume or insert the wire ring through the hole. Secure the wire with an elastic band and that's it.
Advice
- To prevent the wings from getting caught and to make them easier to use, you can apply superglue or glitter glue along the edges where the thread comes into contact with the sock. Alternatively, you can steam the wings with spray starch or clear acrylic sealant.
- To save time, dye your tights and create different effects on them before stretching them over the hangers.
- A pair of pliers will help you hold the wires and bend them precisely.
- Any thread less than 1.3mm in diameter will not withstand the compressive force of the socks, no matter how easier and more comfortable you think it is to work with.
- Add some glitter to add shine.
