Hair combs and thin wire anchor the brightly colored butterflies to hair; additional insects can alight on your hands and arms via lengths of coiled seam binding.

Tools and Materials

• 5 dozen artificial butterflies in various sizes, floraltrims.com
• Wire cutters
• Black 24-gauge wire, artbeads.com
• Hot-glue gun
• 3 hair combs, rickysnyc.com
• Skin-colored seam binding

How to Make the Madame Butterfly Costume

1. Remove original wires from butterflies. Cut lengths of wire from 8 to 12 inches; hot-glue to butterflies. Wrap wires around combs (16 per comb), with one wire between each prong. 

2. Cut two 40-inch lengths of seam binding. At the end of each, make a loop for your forefinger, and glue in place. Glue butterflies to seam binding at random intervals (12 per arm). 

3. Slip forefinger through loop. Pull binding across hand toward pinky and coil around arm, finishing under arm; repeat on other side. Tie seam binding pieces together at the back of the neck, halter-style. 

4. Place combs in hair, and arrange.