Need ideas for feathered wings

That's about what I did for wings for my DD a couple years ago. I used spray glue on the fabric then quickly stuck the feathers in there. Went much faster than using normal glue.

I found bags of feathers at Wal-Mart. Can't remember how much they were. I know they were smallish bags too, I had to get around a dozen. But they were cheap. Like $.50 or so...I remember that part because I was thrilled to find them so cheap. :) If all else fails, you can use rows of maribou instead of feathers.

HTH

Sharon

Be careful as theis lot may be too heavy for the wire.

I would just get the maribou and tack it onto the wings. It would be easier than trying to sew down hundreds of individual feathers and since you wouldn't have to cover so densely, it would be lighter. But I wouldn't use muslin as a base. I would use two or three layers of heavy netting. It would make it easier for tacking.

You might look at fly tying suppliers, if you have any in the area. The feathers there will be a bit more expensive but the quality is better than the craft stores and you might be able to buy just one bag of feathers. There are a number of sources on the net for feathers if you don't mind ordering. The little bags of feathers you can find at Michael's don't go very far and aren't very high quality. Here is a source I found with a quick google search using "feather" and "retail" for the search.

've never ordered from them, no association, etc. Good luck with the costume. It sounds like fun.

Marilyn

I would not use maribou feathers around a 3-month old baby. They are a serious choking hazard.

Karen >

Why don't you take a look at

You can buy a cute little set of angel wings for $4.95. Each side of the wing is two parts and since this child is 3 months old you could scale them down by using a top or bottom half of the wing. This will eliminate futzing with wire, harness attachments, feathers and the like and a lot cheaper than what you could do it for yourself. If you are set on having wings lovingly produced by grandma's own hands they also have bulk feathers at a very good price.

Since this child is 3 months old she will have to be in the arms of Dad the whole time, at least I've never seen a 3 month old of hanging onto the hand of an adult and trotting along the sidewalk to Trick or Treat, so you need to think of how all this stuff is going to be attached to baby so Dad can keep a reasonably secure hold. Maybe you should rethink this and make Dad a stork costume and let him haul the kid around in a pink blanket sling, perhaps a bit more appropriate *wink, wink*

Val

No one locally has any

I made myself some wings about 4 years ago with coat hangers, pantyhose, purple turkey feathers and glue and thread.

I shaped the wires, pulled panty hose over them, which made them look pointy like devil wings (I aimed for that effect). Then I glued and sewed hundreds of purple turkey feathers on and made a harness of some shiny black ribbon.

Just make sure they are not too heavy for the little one! I ended up taking mine off. Then again 4.5 feet of wings are very heavy!

If you take a look at the wings in the stores most of them use elastic harness type things. I would model it after those.

Best of luck!

Which reminds me, I have to make costumes for three.......Better start soon!

Michelle Giordano

I have one more idea. I was reading some of the replies and noticed alot of people were concerned about weight and feathers choking the baby. I was wondering if tulle wings sprinkled with silver glitter might not be cute as well? If you really have your heart set on feathers you could make a head wreath (what are they called?) with maybe white roses and feathers?

I made them for my kids when I got married. I found some flowers that were all in a line, kindof like a mini wall swag, and they could be attatched to other strings of flowers, so I just put two together in a circle, added ribbon and voila!!!!

Michelle Giordano

I have looked at the replies you have so far and can't help wondering if simpler (and lighter) would be best in this situation.

How about using nylon curtain mesh (shear material) and use the plastic coated 'springy' wire used to hold up shears to give it shape.

Cut out the wings to the desired shape, hem the edges (leaving the ends open) and then slide the wire into the hem. The 'springiness' of the wire will hold the material taut and give it shape. The ends of the wire could be coated in hot glue, plastic dip, electrical tape or have vinyl caps fitted to ensure they don't poke into the baby.

The wings can be sewn to a suitable dress or could be held on with velcro strips or even ribbons so that they could be removed easily if the baby gets restless or needs to sleep.

Just my 2c.

Larry Green

I wouldn't use any feathers or glitter around a 3 month old. Why not make the wings out of a fabric that has it's own sparkle. That to me would be the safest. Juno

I wouldn't use litter neat a baby either: silk chiffon painted with non-toxic fabric paint would be the way to o for me. Anything fluttery or flapping loose near a baby that age would be a no-go area.

Thanks for all of the advice. I had not thought about the choking hazard...but in this case I don't think its going to be much of an issue as I am talking about at most 10-12 inches from tip to tip, and since the wings will be on her back I don't think she will be able to reach them.

However, that having been said, I think I may go with some white material I saw at wal-mart...it was white but had multiple colors reflected from it depending on the angle of the light hitting it. Safer, faster and lighter than what I was thinking. The next issue is going to be attachment that still allows her to be carried the whole time. I'm also thinking the wire, while not being too heavy for such a short length, does pose a serious poke hazzard and may go with some kind of foam rubber/plastic. Lighter, flexible and no poke...especially for dad. Maybe just use a few of the very straight feathers I saw, only at the tips/lower edge for effect.

For a child this age, I'd skip the feathers, the wire, and the weight. Dad doesn't need an impediment to hanging on to offspring, so the most I'd do would be minimal wings, cut out of something like needlepoint canvas (plastic would be fine), and maybe fill it with something like leaf stitch (rotate this diagram and it'll look more like feathers):

canvas can be stitched directly to the CB of the costume. You can find 14 mesh plastic canvas if you look -- coarser are more easily available.

>

I once saw a Halloween costume that had wings made of white satin with stitching to give it some detail. It was stuffed so it was a couple of centimeters thick at the centre. On the little tyke it looked great. Much easier and less problematic than messing with feathers.

Mike

And... I would also not use wire, especially not coat hanger wire. This is a little baby we're talking about. I'd draw the wings out on a sparkly fabric (as mentioned), and cut them out in a feather shape, adding seam allowances. Then sandwich a layer of batting in between, and quilt the feather shapes in. Put a soft elastic tummy band on the center back, and have it big enough to go around baby + whatever she/he will be wearing. Done.

You can get really crazy doing costumes, but the KISS system is still the best--Keep It Simple, S------.

Karen >

Kay wrote:

I'd experiment with holding and manipulating a large baby doll (or a cylindrical sofa pillow) before spending a bunch of time and cash on an elaborate project that may be completely impractical (but that's just me). Seems like a 3-4 month old is held upright with head over adult shoulder, facing forward cradled in arms, or lying down cradled in arms. Any obstructions attached to the baby's back would impede handling and safety. Forget about choking the kid; think about dad getting entangled in whatever sticks out from her back. Other pertinent considerations: is your local Halloween cold? rainy? dark? How extensively are the wings likely to be viewed and appreciated? (Certainly not by the kid. Presumably this is just for photos to sit on DGM's mantle, and to embarass her by showing to her boyfriends in 2020.) If this were my project, I'd check out what's available at costume places for the basic design. (Last year I picked up a set of adult wings made from gauzey stuff printed with butterfly/dragonfly-like detail, with a casing along the edge containing a long piece of flexible boning-like tubing. Simple velcro straps not unlike a backpack, easy to slip on and off.) I sure wouldn't sew anything to the baby's clothing. The time I went to Fiesta in San Antonio, the beauty queens appeared in the parade *not* wearing their 50lb capes. These were attached to their float supports; all they had to do was stand in one place, hang on, and wave. You might want to make wings that lie next to DGD to *look* like they are attached, just to take the picture. Anne Geddes photographer style. HTH

--Karen M.