How to Make Costume Wings

Co-authored by Alina Bokovikova

Last Updated: July 29, 2024 References

Making your own wings is a great way to save money on a Halloween costume. In addition, children and adults can customize the wings with various art supplies such as paint or glitter to make them unique. To make wings, all you have to do is get background material such as cardboard or wire hangers, make them into wing shapes, then decorate.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Crafting Angel Wings

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Wings can be made from simple cardboard you have around the house or from the container of something you ordered from a store. The cardboard can be decorated later, so it doesn't matter what color it is, but white foam board or poster board are also good choices. ^{[1]
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2
Cut out the wings. Feel free to trace the shape of the wings before you begin cutting. The shape of the wings is up to you, but one way to do it is to make them almost comma-shaped. Start at one end and begin cutting a rounded shape. Cut further into the cardboard, making the top ridge of the wing curve downwards to where it meets the bottom cut. Use scissors or an exacto knife.
- The length of the wings depends on who will wear them. Make them long enough to stick out a few inches beyond the shoulders or make them longer and set them against the wearer's back so they point downwards instead of out.
- You can fold the cardboard in half in order to cut both wings out at the same time, but if you do them one at a time, don't worry if they're not identical.
- You can trace the shapes of wings using a writing utensil before you cut, but the wings don't have to be perfectly symmetrical. Your decorations later will cover the imperfections.
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If you're designing the wings for someone else, hold them up against the person's shoulders or else try to judge your own shoulder width. You'll need to make a couple of holes where the wings will stay secure against the shoulders without feeling tight.
You can use scissors, a screwdriver, a pen, or another household implement to make the holes. Put one hole on the top portion of the shoulder part of the wing. Place a second hole farther down. Do the same with the other wing.
5
Run ribbon through the holes. The string will form loops for your arms so you can wear the wings. White ribbon is a choice that matches the color of the wings. The amount of ribbon you need is determined by how much shoulder space the wearer will need. Wrap the ribbon around that person's shoulder before you cut, providing some extra ribbon to be knotted. Place each end of the ribbon through the holes from the back side of the wings. On the front side of the wings, tie the ribbon together.
- Less fragile string can be used and is especially good for children who will move a lot while wearing the wings. Use shoe laces or elastic cords.
6
Decorate the wings. The way you make the wings look more angelic is up to you. Feathers are an obvious choice for angel wings, but coffee filters and toilet paper also work. Use tape or glue to stick the material to the backs of the wings. ^{[2]
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- You can paint the cardboard white before you add the fluff. This may help prevent brown spots from showing through, but often you can cover the entire back side of the wings with enough white decorations.
- Glue or tape the feathers at their bases as they point downwards to create an even, orderly appearance.
- Squeeze squares of toilet paper from their center so that they form a points, then glue them onto the cardboard.
- Try folding coffee filters in half and filling in the wings from the outside-in, keeping the folds of the first filters on the edges of the wings.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Forming Butterfly Wings

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1
Shape hangers. Take four metal clothes hangers and stretch and bend them to make the outlines of wings. The top two wing sections will be thinner and bigger on top while the bottom two will be shorter but wider. ^{[3]
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- Posterboard is a good substitute material and can be cut into wing shapes, covered with felt, and decorated later.
2
Cover the hangers with felt. Black adhesive felt or tape sticks to the metal. Take pieces one at a time and wrap them closely around the exposed parts of the hangers. This also softens any metal edges sticking out so they don't puncture decoration material later.
- Alternatively, stretch a knee-high stocking over the wire frame to make your wing.
Take one or two trash bags per wing. Pull them as tight as you can over the wings. If the material bunches up at the end or hangs loosely, you can trim the open end until they cover more securely. Tape the bags together around the front side of the hangers.
If the wings are for a child, they can enjoy decorating too. Using scissors, cut shapes out of colored felt and then glue them onto the backs of the wings. Vary your shapes and lay them next to each other to create patterns like those on a monarch butterfly. ^{[4]
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Finish decorating by adding spots to the black edges of the wings. This hides the trash bags and adds variety. One way to do this is to add gold and white office stickers of varying sizes, but you can also use an alternative such as paint.
6
Attach with Velcro. Two strips of Velcro are enough to secure the wings. The sticky sides of the Velcro attach to the inner side of the wings and to the back of your clothes. To put the wings on, push the Velcro sides together and you're done.
- Arm or thumb loops can be sewn onto felt-covered cardboard. Wrap the material around the wearer's shoulder or thumb to measure the material needed. Hold the material in loops on the wings, then use pins or a sewing needle to bind them together and to the wings. ^{[5]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Creating Fairy Wings

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Two to four hangers are enough to make wings, depending on how many you want. Bend two hangers in the shapes of wings, then lay them on top of each other to see if they are even. Adjust as necessary. These wings should appear rounded, but you can create two additional square wings to attach to the bottom like Tinkerbell from the Disney movie Peter Pan . ^{[6]
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2
Join the hanger hooks. Place the wings on a table, facing the hooks towards one another. These ends can be cut off so you can twist the resulting four ends together, but you can combine the hooks together by using a little strength to twist them around each other.
- Make sure the twists are secure with no sharp ends sticking out.
To avoid the twisted part of the hangers from jabbing into the wearer, pad the center of the wings. To do this, you can apply any sort of felt or fabric you have laying around the house. Wrap the fabric around the metal and then tape it secure.
4
Cover with tights. Cut the legs off a pair of tights. Take one of the legs and put a wing inside of it. Do the same with the other leg of the tights and repeat the process if you have additional wings. The loose fabric should be in the center of the wings. Wrap the excess fabric around the center of the wings. Tie it into a knot, then trim it so it looks neat.
- If you can, match the tights to the base color you want the wings to be. You can also spray paint the tights when the wings are finished to achieve flashier colors.
Cut the legs off a second pair of tights. Take one of the legs and wrap it around one end of the center part where the wings meet. Tie the ends of the fabric into a loop for your arms. Repeat this process with the other leg on the other side.
The wings can be customized as you please. One way to do this is to add a flower or puff from a craft store by sewing it or attaching it with a hot glue gun onto the knot where the wings meet. The knot may also look good in spray painted duct tape. Children can help with decorating by adding material such as plastic jewels or glitter.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Designing Bat Wings

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The amount of fabric you need depends on the length and width of the person's back. Measure the width wrist to wrist of the person who will wear the wings. Measure their length from their neck to their waist. Also measure their arm circumference and add this measurement to the length of fabric you need.
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Buy fabric. Using your measurements, get enough fabric that you'll be able to cover the back and arms of the person who will wear the wings. A good fabric is black and stretchy, such as spandex. You can cut this material without leaving frayed ends.
- For non-sewn bat wings, cut out the upper and lower sections of an umbrella, then clip off the metal pieces using wire cutters. ^{[7]
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From the right or left end, fold the fabric in half. Your fabric should be half the width of your original measurement. Now take the top end of the fabric and fold it downwards enough so that you can see the appropriate amount of fabric you need to create arm holes. Don't cut this folded fabric, but mark the lower end of the arm holder before you unfold it.
Where you marked the fabric, take scissors and trim the corner in a semicircle. The bottom of the circle will be towards the middle of your remaining fabric while the ends of the cut should be an even distance along the edges of the fabric. ^{[8]
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Fold the remaining top part of the fabric next to the cut you made. Bring it down enough so that it once again creates the arm sleeve.
Opposite from where you cut the first semicircle, begin cutting. Start at the corner below where you cut the first semicircle. Leave this corner intact but cut up and down next to it to create another semicircle. Keep going along the bottom side of the fabric, cutting further in to give the wings a slope.
Unfold the fabric. Take the top, uncut fabric and fold it over to create the sleeves. Sew the bottom parts of the sleeves onto the cape. Now the bat wings are ready to wear.

Community Q&A

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Question

What size should the cardboard be?

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Community Answer

It sort of depends on how long you want the wings to be. You don't want them too long, just enough to stick out from your shoulders a few inches and look real. Just get a reasonably large piece of cardboard. It would be best to ask for help from another person who can hold the cardboard up to your body and mark measurements where you should cut.

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Question

How do I make owl wings?

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I'd suggest you make them like the angel wings, but alter the shape a little. Look up pictures of owls online for reference.

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Things You'll Need

For Angel Wings:

Cardboard
Scissors or exacto knife
White ribbon
White feathers or other decorative material

For Butterfly Wings:

Wire hangers
Black adhesive felt
Trash bags
Paint, stickers, or other decorations

For Fairy Wings:

Wire hangers
Fabric scrap
Tights
Decorations

For Bat Wings:

Black spandex
Scissors
Sewing needle

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How to Make Costume Wings

Steps

Crafting Angel Wings

Forming Butterfly Wings

Creating Fairy Wings

Designing Bat Wings

Community Q&A

Tips

Things You'll Need

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References

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