I made these wings and antenna for my three year old niece, she is a tiny little thing, and all of the wings my sister found in the store were too big for her.
Materials Needed for this Child’s Lady Bug Costume –
Wings:
* Heavy-duty Wire (Mechanic?s Wire)
* Queen size White Knee-high Nylons
* Black Felt
* Spray Adhesive
* Red Spray Paint
* Red Glitter Glue
* Fabric Strip
* Zip Ties
Head Piece:
* Head Band (Stretchy or Plastic)
* Pipe Cleaners
Bend the wire to shape the shape of the wings. Keep in mind that the smaller the person wearing the costume, the smaller the wings will be. The wings should measure about shoulder to lower back. Make each wing separately, then twist the wires together in the middle (you will cover this later with felt).
Next, cover the wings with the knee-high nylons. Pull as tightly as possible without snagging or tearing them, and then secure the end to the middle of the wings with zip ties. Snip off any long ends as close to the ‘knob’ as possible (again, you will cover this later with felt).
Using the red spray paint, spray the wings until they are the desired shade of red (start with a light coat and continue until the wings are completely red).
Once the wings are dry, take the strip of fabric and secure it to the middle of the wings, making sure there is enough to cross over the shoulders, under the armpit, and tie at the back comfortably.
Using the spray adhesive, cover the middle of the wings, making sure to cover the wires and the ends of the nylons. Cut slits and feed the straps through, keeping the seam at the wearer’s back.
Cut circles out of the black felt and glue to the wings using the spray adhesive.
Use the red glue glitter and completely cover the red part of the wings. It works better if you spread the glitter glue around with your fingers or a paint brush. If you get it on the black dots, just wipe it off quickly.
For the head band, twist the black pipe cleaners around the head band. If you wish, you may use red ones at the ends.
A black shirt and black pants are all that is needed for clothing.
I think this is a great way to get the wings very light and airy like an inssect. I would just use a wire hanger to shape the wings and use red nylons. I had thought we might use Thule, but nylon is so much easier and no sewing required to cover the whole wing shape.