Making wings for a costume can be a fun and easy project, and it’s a great way to show your creativity and have a unique costume.
Whether you’re dressing up as a fairy, angel or dragon, these step-by-step instructions will help you create beautiful and durable wings that will last through all your cosplay conventions.
How to Make Wings for Costume
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies and Find a Pattern
You will need:
- A pair of wire coat hangers
- Wire cutters (or you can use the sharp edge on your pliers if they are strong enough)
- A roll of 22-gauge wire
- A needle nose pliers
- duct tape or gaffers tape
You can buy a wing pattern from a costume store, an online retailer, or you can draft your own patterns from a photo or from a drawing.
Step 2: Cut Two Pieces of Wire to Create a Frame for Your Wings
Using your wire cutters, cut two pieces of wire about 4 inches each. You can adjust these measurements if you want your wings to be bigger or smaller.
Step 3: Tape the Seams of Your Wire Frame for Structure and Security
Using your pliers, mold the two pieces of wire into a heart-like shape with concave sides. Once making sure that they fit together nicely, tape the seams and any of the wire that might be peeking out.
You can use duct tape or gaffers tape to do this, but if you’re looking for a more elegant look, try floral tape. Floral tape is less adhesive than duct or gaffers tapes, so it won’t ruin the finish on your wings when you remove it.
Your wireframe should now have a sturdy cardboard-like structure to hold its shape. Once you’ve added all of this tape, your wings will be more durable and less likely to break or lose their shape with heavy use.
Step 4: Add Ribs for Strength and Flexibility with Wire Mesh
Using your pliers and wire cutters, cut a strip of wire mesh about 1 inch wide and about 15 inches long.
This step is optional: you can add ribs for extra strength and flexibility by cutting four 2-inch pieces of wire mesh, bending them in half with your pliers to form an accordion shape, and pushing them through the middle of your wireframe.
Now cut two pieces of wire mesh about 12 inches each and push them through the outer edges of your wireframe. This will strengthen your wings, so they are less likely to break or lose their shape after repeated use.
You can also use floral tape to cover these seams and any other sharp pieces of wire that might be sticking out.
Step 5: Cover Your Wings with Duct Tape or Gaffers Tape for a Long-Lasting Finish
Using your pliers, cut long strips of gaffers/duct tape and wrap them around the ribbed sections of your wings. If your tape tears easily, you can use floral tape to strengthen it.
To give your wings a more elegant look, try covering them with gaffers/duct tape first. Duct tape has a more textured finish than floral tape, but if you want to decorate your wings with patterns or designs, the floral tape is best for this purpose.
Step 6: Add the Finishing Touches and Create Hinges for Flexibility
If you plan on wearing your wings with a costume, attach your wings directly to your clothing. You can do this by using D-rings or metal grommets to reinforce the corners of your wing structures where they meet your body. This is best for costumes that have sleeves because it allows you to wear the costume over the wings.
If you plan on wearing your wings without a costume, you can make the entire wing structure out of wire mesh and attach hinges to each section of your wings. This is best for costumes that don’t have sleeves because it allows you to easily take on and off your wings.
Once you’ve added D-rings or grommets, either with duct tape or floral tape, you’re finished! Now all that’s left to do is attach your wings to a backpack or belt.
Things You Need to Consider While Making Wings
When it comes to making lightweight armor and costumes, one of the most important things is using the right kind of materials. For example, if you plan on making a full-scale suit of armor with steel and leather, you’ll need to spend a lot more time and money than if you were to make it out of foam.
On the other hand, wings are not as difficult or expensive to make as a full-out set of armor; however, they do require some specific materials in order to make them lightweight and wearable.
There are several other useful tools that can be used when constructing wings, but this list should get you started. Feel free to experiment with other types of wire or adhesives if you want; however, I’ve found that this list is the most useful.
In Conclusion
If you’re trying to make wings for the first time or if you don’t have much experience with wire mesh, now would be a good time to practice making smaller things like bracelets and rings using craft wire mesh.
Ask your local hardware store for some extra pieces of wire mesh and practice making smaller things. If you can make some small stuff, it will be much easier to make larger items like wings.
Another thing to keep in mind when making your wings is balance. Since they are attached directly to your body, they need to stay within a certain range of weight. Or else it’ll put too much stress on the muscles in your back and eventually lead to a lot of pain.
It can take a long time before you start feeling serious pain, which makes it hard to notice at first. So, make sure you practice good posture!
On a side note, if you’re looking for a collaboration opportunity, be sure to get in touch with SnowDragon on Instagram. He always has room in his schedule and is excited about new partnerships.