The Leaf Faerie Headdress is inspired by the Russian Rusalka Myth. Rusalka came out of the water in the spring to transfer life-giving moisture to the fields and thus helped nurture the crop. However, Rusalka had a dark side, and if you came to close to the river, they might drown you. The headdress transforms from a whimsical and magical garland to an eerie glowing headdress in the dark. Much like the light and dark of the Rusalka.

Make yours today: No soldiering needed!

Step 1: Gather What You Need

Fiber optic fabric
Two coin cell batteries
Two LEDs
Heat sharing tubing
Dried flowers, moss, and shells
1 headband
Fabric
Crystals
Copper Wire
An emery board
hot glue gun

Step 2: Start Decorating the Headband

You will want to wrap the headband in fabric. Just cut it in long strips and then put glue on the inside and wrap around the headband.
Once it is wrapped you can start glueing flowers to it.
Next glue on a few shells. The long ones can be glued best by filling their opening with hot glue and placing a wire inside, then wrapping that wire around the headband.
Finally wrap a crystal or two in copper wire and then wrap that around the headband.
This part is up to you and how you want to headdress to look.

Step 3: Now You Will Make the Fiber Optic Fabric Work

First cut a couple strips of fiber optic fabric. Make sure to cut along the plastic lines. Those carry the light, so if they are bent or cut the light will stop.
Gather the ends of the plastic strips for each piece and tape with electrical tape around the base. clip the wires so the are even at the end.
Now get your heat shrink tubing and place it over the wires. Place the light end of an LED in the other end of the tube. Make sure you leave enough room for at least half the length of the LED legs to stick out the end of the tubing.
Heat the tubing and it should conform around the shape of the wires and LED.
Place a coin cell battery in-between the legs of the LED and tape it. The longer led of the LED is the positive side. Tape that.
You should walk into a dark area and you should see some light illuminating through the fabric.
Do this for each piece of fabric.

Step 4: Putting It All Together

wrap your fabric around the headdress and weave it through everything.
Make sure the batteries are each at one end of the headband. They should hang down behind your ears.
You can glue the ends of the fabric or wrap it with the copper wire to stay on.
Go into a dark room and check how it looks. Make sure you can see the light.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Depending on how you want the garland to look, you can take an emery board and carefully sand pieces of the fiber optic fabric. As it gets distressed those pieces will glow more brightly. Be careful not to break the wires though, or the fabric will rip and the light will stop there.

Have fun wearing your new Faerie Headdress!