Fairy Costume

The fairy costume is very popular with girls and has hundreds of variations. This costume is time consuming. But that's part of what makes this costume so fun to create! Use your imagination to create your own look. Check your local thrift shop for certain items.

• Any color leotard or Spandex tank top and pants
• 1 1/2 yards of tulle
• 1/2 yard of sheer material to match leotard (sheer curtains work great!)
• Can of spray glitter
• Body glitter
• Dress shoes (flats)
• Tights
• Florist wire (wrapped)
• Packing tape
• 1/4 inch diameter dowel
• Aluminum foil

Wings:
For the fairy wings, bend the florist wire into the shape you want. A butterfly shape works well, but your wings can also be oval, round or pointed. Be sure to have a center wire that will run along the child's back. Tape the ends of the wire together with packing tape. Next, wrap the tulle around the wire, filling in the gaps and criss-crossing your direction to make a nice pattern. Tie the tulle off. Cut two small slits or holes in the tulle near the center wire. Run another piece of tulle through the slits, making a tie that will hold the wings onto your child's back (make the slits high enough to support the weight of the wings). Spray with glitter and let dry.

Fairy Skirt:
Take the sheer material and fold it in half length-wise. Measure your daughter's waist and then multiply that number by two. This is how many inches long your material should be (cut excess material off). With the excess material, cut a 2-inch-wide strip the length of your daughter's waist measurement, plus 5 inches. Put aside. Sew a seam 3 inches down from the fold all the way across the main material. This procedure is similar to the seam you put in a curtain for the curtain rod, only you have equal amounts of fabric on each side. Once you've completed the stitch, cut an uneven fringe-like pattern along the bottom of the material (cutting both pieces) to make the bottom of the skirt. Spray with glitter and let dry. After skirt is dry, string the strip of material through the tunnel you created at the top of the skirt. Pin a large safety pin to the end of this strip to help thread it through. Wrap it around your daughter and even out the gathers. Tie the ends of the strip together in front.