In general, fairy costumes are very popular with children on Halloween. Because there are so many of them, get creative and make a unique costume! You can buy costume supplies from a craft store and make the main components (the tutu and fairy wings) on your own in a few hours. Making your own costume will not only allow you to customize it with your favorite colors, but will also save a bit of money, as buying merchandise at costume stores can be very expensive.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making a tutu
Step 1. Buy the items
To make a no-sew tutu, you will need 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide ribbon, tulle, and scissors. The tulle can be of different colors or a single color, and you will need enough to fill the entire waistband of ribbon and achieve the desired length.
- To determine how much tulle you will need, measure your waist with a tape measure. Then measure the length of the waist towards the point on the leg where you want the tulle to fall. You can buy the tulle by the yard or by the meter. However, it will be easier for you to buy spools of tulle, as they usually come in 6-inch widths, which is good for making tutus.
- You will need 2 to 4 meters (2 to 4 yards) of tulle for about every 1 inch (3 cm) of the waist, depending on how thick and fluffy you want the skirt to be. 6 inch (15 cm) reels generally come in 25 yards (22 meters), so you will probably need about 3-4 of them. If the tutu will be long, you will need more tulle. In case you want a shorter tutu, you will need less tulle.
- If you are not sure how much tulle to use, start by buying a spool of tulle, and if it is not enough, you can buy a few more.
Step 2. Cut the ribbon
After you've measured your waist, take that measurement and add 50 inches (120 cm) to it. Then cut the ribbon to that length. That way, you will have a lot of leftover ribbon to tie a bow at the back of the tutu. If you want a smaller bow, you can always cut it off after tying it.
For example, if you are making a costume for a little girl and her ribbon is 20 inches (50 cm), you would cut 70 inches (170 cm)
Step 3. Cut the tulle into strips
To make the tutu, you will have to cut it into strips according to the desired length. Take the measurement of the length of the tutu and multiply it by two. Then cut strips of that length leaving a width of 6 inches (15 cm). If you want the tutu to be about 12 inches (30 cm) long, you will need 24 inches (60 cm) long strips of tulle because you will be folding and knotting them.
Make sure to spend a lot of time cutting the tulle. You may need to wear 75 to 100 yards (70 to 90 m) of tulle depending on your waist measurement. Plus, it can take a long time to cut those strips! However, don't stress about making perfect cuts. Because the tulle will be tight, it will not show if the cuts are not perfectly straight
Step 4. Fold the ribbon in half and knot it
Before you begin adding tulle, you will tie knots in the ribbon so you know which section to add the material to. Fold the ribbon in half, bringing the ends together. Next, take your waist measurement and divide it by two. Also, use that measurement to mark a point on the tape from the fold. Then tie a knot on that side of the ribbon to that extent and follow the exact same step on the other side of the ribbon.
Basically, if your waist is 30 inches (80 cm), you will divide that measurement by two and end up with 15 inches (40 cm). Next, you'll start at the folded part of the ribbon and measure 15 inches (40 cm) down. Mark that point on the ribbon and tie a knot on each side of it. When you unfold it, it will measure 30 inches (80 cm) between the two knots. There you will add the tulle
Step 5. Add the tulle to the ribbon creating slip knots
Take the two pieces of tulle and line them up. Then, fold the tulle in half and place the folded part under the waistband. Work your way up to the fold of the ribbon and grab the ends of the tulle. Pull them along the ribbon and pull the tulle until you have created a knot around the ribbon.
Holding the tulle will simply allow you to gather it up so that it is easier to tie it around the ribbon. If you wish, you can do one piece of tulle at a time. However, you won't create such a drastic color. It will be easier to tie two pieces at once because you won't have to double knots
Step 6. Fill the ribbon with tulle
Once you have created the tulle knot, you will slip it to one of the knots and continue adding tulle until the tutu is filled. If you are using three or more different colors of tulle, you can space them around the ribbon in whatever pattern you like.
- Each time you complete a tulle knot, slide it into the previous tulle knots. This will avoid gaps or holes that you probably left between the tulles.
- If you have difficulty tying the tulle, you can tie the ribbon around the legs and tie the tulle to the ribbon that way. This will allow the tape to stay in place and stay snug while you work.
Step 7. Try on the tutu
Once you've added all the tulle to the ribbon, you can try it on! Straighten it up to make sure it goes in the right direction, and wrap the tutu around the waist. Then tie it at the back with the excess tape. For a smaller bow, cut the ribbon to the desired size.
Part 2 of 3: Make Fairy Wings
Step 1. Gather your supplies
For the fairy wings, you can make realistic cellophane wings or pantyhose costume wings. The second option is straightforward, so to keep the project easy, you'll need two pairs of sheer pantyhose, four metal or wire hangers, scissors, heavy-duty tape (not Scotch tape), hot glue, tape, and paints or glitter..
You can buy skin-colored pantyhose, although if you want the wings to be a specific color, it's easier if you buy skin-colored pantyhose. For example, if you want pink wings, buy two pairs of pink pantyhose
Step 2. Shape the wire hangers into top wings
Start by straightening the hangers so that each one forms a long piece of wire. Next, take two hangers and form the tops of the wings. Take each hanger and shape it into a teardrop, with the ends at the top of the teardrop. Then, secure the design by twisting the ends of the hanger, leaving 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) sticking out towards the end. Then, leave the teardrop shape or shape the hanger for the desired brim.
One option for the upper wings is to form a heart on the teardrop shape by folding the lower part inward. You can also create a more elaborate and beautiful shape by making three curves on the brim. For this purpose, make two separate bends in the wire, which will create three mountains and two valleys. Repeat this same way with the other upper hanger
Step 3. Create the lower wings
Fold each hanger into a teardrop shape and twist the ends together, leaving 1 to 2 inches of wire as you did the other two wings. Next, fold the hangers into whatever shape you want to give the lower wings. For a lower brim, you can add a bend in the wire near the bottom of the brim for two bends, or you can make the teardrop shape more elongated.
If you are looking for more ideas on different types of wings, you can search the images online or think about the wing style you want for your costume. To shape the wings, you will probably find it helpful to use pliers
Step 4. Join the two wings
Take the two top wings and overlap the excess wire from one top wing with the other top wing. Next, take a piece of duct tape and attach one part of the wire to the other. Do the same with the lower wings until you have two pairs of wings.
You should have two wire ends on each wing. You only need to tape the end of each wire together, as you will wrap the other ends around the wings. This will prevent the joints from being bulky
Step 5. Join the upper and lower wings
Once you have attached the upper wings and lower wings, you will need to attach both pairs of wings with more tape. Take the section of the upper wings that is taped together and line it up with the section of the lower wings taped together. Then, tape both wings together. Then wrap the ends of the wires that are still sticking out around each wing to hide them.
You do not need to attach the wings in that exact order. If you want to join the upper wings to the lower wings first, and then connect both sides of the wings, you can. Do whatever gives you the best wing connections
Step 6. Add the wing frame
Take the pantyhose and cut it at the top of the leg, just before the two legs come together so that you have 4 separate socks. Then wrap a stocking around one of the wings until it is smooth on the wing. Cut off excess material that falls in the middle of it. Next, tie the open end of the stocking by pulling both sides of it and tying them in a double knot around the center of the wings.
Repeat the same procedure with the rest of the stockings until the wings are covered. Make sure you don't pull on them too far to break or bend the wire
Step 7. Wrap the ribbon around the center of the wings
Since the seam in the middle of the wings is not that pretty, you will need to cover it with some tape. Take a piece of ribbon and wrap it around the center of the wings, covering all the knots. Next, secure the tape with hot glue or craft glue.
It is recommended that you use thick neutral tape because it will cover the seams better. You can use thin tape, although you will have to use a lot to wrap it around the center of the wings, so the task may be more difficult
Step 8. Add straps to the wings
Wrap a piece of ribbon about 3 feet long around the left center of the wings and tie a knot in the middle of it. Then repeat the procedure with another ribbon around the right center of the wings. When you put the wings on, you will take a piece of the left ribbon and wrap it over the shoulder, while wrapping the other piece under the shoulder. Then, you will tie the ribbons in a loop to secure them to the back and repeat the procedure with the ribbons on the right side of the wings.
Make sure the knots are on the side of the wings that will touch the back when you tie them. That way, you can tie the strap straps properly around your shoulders when you're ready to wear them
Step 9. Decorate the wings
You can design the wings as you like. You can outline the edge of the wings with a thin layer of paint by adding flowers or glitter decorations, or adding veins to make them look more realistic. Once you've painted them, let them dry and try them on.
- You probably want the wings to match the tulle skirt you made so there is a bit of uniformity in the outfit. If so, use the same colors that you used in the tutu to decorate the wings. Another alternative is to make a more fun costume by using several different colors on the wings.
- To cover the back center of the wings, you can attach a bow or flower. This will give the bow a nice and pretty touch that will cover the ribbon in the middle of the wings.
Part 3 of 3: Adding the Finishing Touches
Step 1. Assemble the rest of the costume
Once you have a fairy skirt and some wings, you will need the shoes and top. You can wear a solid colored shirt for the top of the wing or a solid colored tank top. Try to match the top of the skirt so that it looks like a complete outfit. If you want the costume to be a mature fairy, wear a corset that matches the color of the tutu. For shoes, wear ballerinas or flats.
You will probably need to wear something under your tutu, so try to choose short cotton or spandex shorts that are light in color or a color that matches your tutu. You can add colored tights or pantyhose to the fairy costume for more pops of color
Step 2. Style the hair
For the fairy hair, you need to make it look a bit mystical and magical. Consider sprinkling some colored glitter on your hair to make it shine. A classy fairy look is to style your hair into a high bun with a flower crown. You can make a flower garland by sewing small silk flowers to a headband or by purchasing one.
Light colors like light blue, lilac, light pink, light green, or orange are great colors to spray your hair if you want the fairy look to be beautiful and feminine. If you want a dark fairy look, a great addition is purple, blue, dark green, dark pink, or blood red
Step 3. Create fairy makeup
If you want to make up like a very feminine fairy, use thin black eyeliner on the upper and lower lash lines. Also use glitter eyeshadows to match the outfit. Then create pretty swirls of sparkling glitter, colored eyeliner on the outside of the eyes near the eyes. You can also substitute black eyeliner on the bottom lash line with a shiny, shimmering eyeliner.
For a darker fairy, apply thick black eyeliner to the upper and lower lash lines. Use an eyeshadow in a dark shade (like plum, dark blue, green or red) and add a little glitter to it for a magical look. Next, take a black liquid eyeliner and add cat eyes by tracing the liner on the top lash line in a straight line, down the end of the lash. You can make your makeup look much darker or creepy by using dark eyeshadow under the eye
Advice
- All colors must match each other. Don't make them clash!
- Dress appropriately for the weather.