Coolest Homemade Garden Fairy Costume

This year, my daughter wanted to be a fairy because a friend of hers was also going as one. So, with less than a month till Halloween, I got out all my fabric for the yearly costume creation.

Fairies generally seem to have an untamed look – their dresses seem to flow or at least move when they move and their edges are uneven and raggedy. Fairies also tend to have links with nature, so I decided on repeating something from a plant in the costume.

I ultimately decided on a leaf; I drew the said leaf on 9×12″ tracing paper, cut it out and used that for a pattern template for the skirt pieces. I had this lovely fabric that was light and flowy, so I decided to use it for the pieces. Half of the pieces were of one color of the fabric and the other half of the other color (blue/purplish and pinkish). I had to line the pieces with something because the fabric is transparent, so I chose a white cotton (which is also thin). As always, I made sure there were straps for the corset top (another pattern piece made by me) because little girls generally can’t hold strapless things up.

No Homemade Garden Fairy Costume is complete without a wand, so I had to pick up a wooden dowel from the hardware store (I already had the ribbon, moonstone and silvery rose bead). I also decided to make her a chainmail coif. Many of the silver jump rings I already had but not the violet/blue ones; those I had to mail order from Canada.

Coloring metal is never safe in an apartment. I used 5-in-1 Japanese sheet for the squares, 1-in-1 chain between them and then sterling silver twisted chain (all the silvery parts are sterling silver). The post office, of course, took longer than expected to mail the jump rings and I was afraid I would never finish the coif but I did.

The skirt has the top row sewn together on the side and folded/sewn on top by machine, next row sewn on the sides by machine and remainder hand sewn. The pieces where the costume has to open/lace, I used a punch and grommets and had to reinforce with leather. I added beads (raindrop-colored and shaped) on the corset for a little interest and a button on the skirt. I made the wings out of copper wire, panty hose, beads, glue (also used on the wand, of course) leather, grommets and ribbon.

So, her costume was complete with the homemade pieces of: wings, skirt, corset top, wand and coif and the not-so-homemade pieces of: under top, tights, shoes and stretch shorts. She was the belle of the ball for yet another year! Next year, she wants to be a Geisha! (She saw a Walmart employee dressed as one and just has to be it next year.)

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