Once you have a basic pair of wings, you can embellish them to create many different costumes.

Tools and Materials
Kraft paper
18-gauge steel wire
Black tape
Butterfly wings template
Duct tape
Panty hose
Colored Halloween hair spray
Plastic gems
Glue gun
Clear elastic (1 foot)
Black headband
Black pipe cleaners

Butterfly Costume How-To

1. Download and enlarge butterfly wings template; trace onto kraft paper.

2. Wrap 18-gauge steel wire with black tape.

3. Form traced shape with wire by bending with hands. First form the top shape, then the bottom with another length of wire.

4. Join the top and bottom shapes with a piece of duct tape.

5. Cut a leg off panty hose. Slide over the bottom of one wing. Pull taut and tie a knot in the back of wire structure.

6. Repeat for the bottom of the other wing, then the tops of wings.

7. Using colored Halloween hair spray, spray one wing orange and one wing black.

8. Glue on plastic gems to the back and front of the wings.

9. To make the harness, sew the ends of 1 foot of clear elastic to the front of the knot in the middle of the wings, one by one.

10. To make antennae, wrap a black headband with black pipe cleaners.

Special Thanks
Special thanks to Danskin, Lands' End, and American Apparel for providing all the clothing items featured with today's winged costumes.