CostumeCon32 – Making Wings

• To keep wings on use copper tubing for a base for wings, and make a harness out of straps or balsa wood
• Sliding the tubing through rings on the harness and secure with copper tubing rings

• Can also put an eye pin thru (drill a hole in the copper pipe) to keep wings from sliding/flapping
• Can remove wings easily by lifting the copper pipes out
• Can also tuck wings into a corset by making a wire wing frame and a U shaped bit that dips down the corset back securing faerie wings etc.

• Use at least 5m of fabric for a good harness
• Use tote bag strapping ‘cause it’s wider, softer and a bit padded
• Want straps over shoulders, with an X on the back, and a security strap around the chest, and waist

• Can do between your legs too if your wings are large/weighty
• Make wings from 2mm craft foam – buy by the roll at Michaels
• Diamond mesh frame for feathers – also called metal cloth for feather wing base
• If feathering, work bottom up and make sure to look at pictures of how real birds feathers lay
• com, johnbead.com, aliexpress.com – all good places to get feathers
• Cannibalize feather boas
• Can trim feathers
• Can modpodge foam or treat it to stiffen it, then paint it
• Freeze feathers overnight to kill any nasties/bugs/etc. on them
• You can dye feathers using acid or sharpie dye like wigs
• Can use the gift basket clear cellophane for see through wings – make a wire frame and put frame two pieces of cellophane then heat to set and make it firm
• Use fluffy feathers for the tops of wings
• Get foam sheeting by the roll at Michael’s craft store – comes in black or white (I think)
• L200 foam is a good wing base – can use it as is and strengthen it with a top coat, or sandwich it between two pieces of thin wood
• L200 foam can be heated up and molded
• Make sure that the harness and base structure are strong enough to support the wings
• Make wings as light as possible
• Can seal/stiffen/strengthen wings using mixture of ½ ModPodge Soft Coat and ½ Gesso
• Can also use Flex Seal or Clear PlastiDip Spray to seal/stiffen/strengthen – available at hardware stores

Tried your hand at making wings? How did it go?

It Takes A Village To Cosplay!

Earla Alara