How to Make Easy Cellophane Wings

Here's a simple tutorial on how to make your own cellophane wings for your favorite costume!



Please check out my other tutorials, and vote for me int he Halloween Costume Challenge!



For more of my costumes please visit
www.littlewingsdesign.com/costume.html

My store
www.etsy.com/shop/fairystitchfactory

Photos by M.G. Norris Contemporary Photography
www.mgnorris.com

Step 1: Materials

What you'll Need!

1. Galvanized steel wire I tend to use 12 gauge.
Something stiff enough to hold it's shape but easy enough to cut and shape.

2. Floral tape, I tend to use black, but you can use different colors depending on the color wings you are making

3. Wire cutters

4. hot glue gun & glue

5. Spray bond sprayable glue, you can get it in the quilt section of the fabric store.

6. Cellophane roll you can get fancy with multiple colors.

7. heat gun, Iron or stove burner.

8. long matches, incense, or a wood burning tool.

Step 2: Making Your Frame

This part is really about your personal vision.

Cut a long strip of wire to be your main frame and bend it in a u shape,
Then bent the pieces to the desired shape of your main wings.

Cut strips of wire and bend to make your wing veins.
Wrap around them with floral tape and use the tape to secure them onto the frame.
Cover the whole ting over with the floral tape and you should end up with something like this.

(I design my wings to slip into a corset or a bra so I don't bother with straps,
but if you like to you can add loops onto the frame to pass ribbons through.)

Step 3: Cut Our Your Cellophane

Again this step is a bit about how you want your wings to look.

Lay your one side of your frame down and trace the basic outline of your wing
(don't fuss overly about the shape, you will refine it later)

Then cut out the shape.
You will need 2 sheets for each wing.

Step 4: Gluing on Your Cellophane

Lay down one of the two sheets of cellophane you cut out.
Spray it lightly all over with spray adhesive.

Lay your frame on top of it, and then carefully lay the next layer of cellophane over top of it.
(this part is a tricky bit, you may have to pull them apart and redo this step once or twice
to prevent folds and wrinkles between the layers)


Use your fingers to press the cellophane layers to each other smoothing in between the veins.

Step 5: Getting Fancy

If you want to get fancy with your wings, you can cut out some cool
shapes in a second color of cellophane, I like to do this before I
sandwich the layers together so the color is even on both sides.

apply them with the spray glue just like you would the cellophane layer, and then
add the second layer on top.

Step 6: Gluing Down on the Frame

Now trim the cellophane along the main wire frame so that you have about 1/4 to 1/2 inch
of cellophane hanging over.

Apply hot glue along the wire frame and fold overhang over the frame and glue down.
This will give you a nice finished edge.

(be careful not to let the glue get to hot, I burn my fingers frequently in this step.
Be careful!)

Step 7: Heat Gun!

Once you have the cellophane all glued lightly go over it with the heat gun, or iron.
This steps takes a bit of trial and error, if you heat it too much the cellophane it will
make holes and tear or pull too much. Be sure to hold it far enough away from the wings
to just shrink the cellophane tight to the frame. Do this on both sides of each wing.

If you are using an iron, put a light cloth between the iron and the wings.
Set the iron on low and go over the wings. I haven't had much success with this
method myself, but lots of people use it.

Step 8: Refining Your Shape

For this step, you can use incense, a long match, or I myself like to use a wood burning tool.
Burn the edges of your wings into a natural interesting looking shape, I like to burn some holes into the
wing itself to make them more interesting and fairy like myself, but it's all about taste.

Get creative and try new things.

Step 9: Finished!

tah dah

you have a wonderful pair of fairy wings.
From here you can get fun and creative. Add glitter, leaves flowers, ribbons,
whatever you like. You can also coat them with resin to make them more durable.

Your imagination is the limit!

For more of my costumes please visit
www.littlewingsdesign.com/costume.html

My store
www.etsy.com/shop/fairystitchfactory

Photos by M.G. Norris Contemporary Photography
www.mgnorris.com

Comments

[apythia]

Thank you so very much!! How do you put this in a corset/bra? I will be wearing a corset, I am just not sure how you go about slipping this into one.

[anya.okhmatovskaia]

A while ago I did a pair of similar wings using clear self-adhesive. It will make the wings slightly heavier, but it is so easy to work with (I had lots of troubles with different spray adhesives). To cut down the weight:
- use cellophane as a second layer
- use wire for the outer frame only; the lines inside can be traced with thread: it sticks easily to the film, there's no need to hurry while you're doing it, and it's easy to correct the lines if they turn out wrong

[RuthM53]

Do you have pictures of wings with thread?

[AshleyB17]

Im so excited to make a pair!! I'm going to comic con in september , it's my first convention and my first cosplay! Any tips for heating around the frame? I hope I can get my hands on a reasonably priced heat gun in time, the iron makes me nervous

[Janel Norris]

I got mine at michael's craft store for something like $15. You don't want a really hot gun so the ones for gift wrap are just fine.

Good luck!

[graska]

WHERE can I buy cellophane?

[Janel Norris]

Michael's crafts, JoAnne Fabrics, Hobby Lobby? or do an online search.

[tenchi400]

Wow! Great job!

[anin carmelittes]

i so much love your costumes,especially the blue ones.....

[Janel Norris]

zymurgeneticist Great Job! they look adorable!

I use basting spray for fabrics. I think they one I am using right now is Aleen's brand.

[Chloe J.A]

This is EXACTLY the tutorial I've been searching for, thank you!

My hairdryer gets pretty hot, but not as hot as the embossing gun [I USED to have :-(]. Do you think it would work for the heat shrinking step?

[HazelL1]

Thanks for the easy instructions...we will be making our tinkerbell and friends wings for our party this October....thank you so so mucho!!!!

[Tor2011]

I'm in the process of making a pair...or two for my niece absolutely fascinated by her fairies and my daughter. However if I may ask is there better or worse resin materials out there that people have worked with? maybe even flexible since my little one is only 2.5 shes bound to smack and smoosh them on things :) its that or I was thinking of going lameo for her and go with the flat thick vinyl with padded sewed edges like the Tinkerbell costumes sold at department stores but I know once she sees her cuzies shes gunna freak!

[lasunmoonstars]

Thank you so much for posting this!!! These are the best looking wings I've found. The instructions were easy to follow and the supplies were easy to find. They will make my daughters fairy costume perfect.

[Janel Norris]

You are welcome!
I hope she has a magical Halloween!

[JuneBug19382]

I just made these with my daughter and we love them! Thanks! Any tips for how to lash them together/wear them?

[Janel Norris]

I make mine to slip into a bra or corset, howeer you can make loops in wire and floral tape them to the frame, make sure the wire wraps around the frame at least once for stability, and then tie ribbons through the loops for straps.

[justjimAZ]

Thanks for posting such a great instructable!

[Janel Norris]

you're welcome, thank you for enjoying it!

[duhpicksee]

I am curious how to do the resin coating? Could you tell me how to do that? What kind of resin do you use? Epoxy or fiberglass? Do you brush it on?