When I was a wee tike I was selected as part of the Royal Ballet Help the Poor South London Kiddies Scheme. It meant being bustled off each week to a cold, scary big hall and leaping from corner to corner and getting told off for not leaping gracefully enough by older ballerinas. I didn’t really like it much (what an ungrateful Beneficiary of Good Will!) and didn’t last very long. But before I had my last tussle with Mum about whether I could give up this opportunity I did get to perform in the Royal Opera House dressed as a giant chicken.
Despite being a rubbish, ungrateful ballerina I can remember being so proud on that stage, and feeling so full of fancy, so unlike my clumsy self, I felt that even my leaping met the grade, as a flapped my way from stage left to stage right. I think I was probably the last child out of my suit.
There is something about wings, even those wings of the inelegant chicken, that makes a child’s imagination soar.
After seeing some images of a child in wings on the internet a few times, I decided I had to give this craft a crack and discovered just how irresistibly easy it is and what delight they provoke in children!
It was such a simple craft, anyone could manage it with just some scraps of fabric and a sewing machine. It did take a while cutting out all those reams of looping feathers, and it is fairly monotonous sewing the lines – but I am sure you all have a much higher boredom threshold than me! I used up some upholstery samples, so I had fantastic, bold colours but really just too heavy for tiny arms to happily flap for hours.
- You need a base that reflect the arm length of the child. I did 30 cm x 30 cm (for a 1-2 year old, would fit up to 3) and cut a loose curve between them.
- I then cut lots of loopy strands, beginning at 36 cm and getting smaller as you sew up into the corner.
- My strands were around 5 cm wide, but these could be any width- wider if you are lazier than me and want less strands or much less wide if you would like lots and lots of feathery layers.
- Best to leave a loop hanging off each end and then cut the loop smaller once you are all done.
- I just sewed straight along the top of each strand from corner to corner, wriggling and doing tiny tucks as I went to accommodate the curve for the first one or two longer strands. For the short strands you can zip straight along.
- I then laid them out to make a half circle and so I could easily imagine where the ribbon needed to go.
- I then attached a long piece ribbon to the pointy corner of each wing, with a few centimetres between them, so that could go around the neck with a nice bow.
- I left the bottom corner to just hang, and tied a smaller bit of ribbon on the far end corners to tie around the ribbon.
- Hope that all makes sense!
As you can see, I didn’t use the ideal fabric and my cuts are wonky but it still turned out okay! Such a forgiving craft, my absolute favourite kind.
I made two pairs to send to my two toddler nephews in New Zealand. It is hard finding crafty present ideas for toddlers and children so I was REALLY happy when my sister-in-law sent a video of her darling boy having a major giggle, flapping about and dancing to Adele. These are now my present of choice for every child!!
Oh yeah! Loving this crafty number. Brook rocks out in his wings frequently!!
I still haven’t made Ramona her own pair yet, she so needs some! x
These are so so gorgeous! Might make myself some. x
Yeah! I totally need some!
What a brilliant idea! I want some for myself!
Let’s make a grown up brood…
Ooooo I know a small boy who might like them… He might be slightly older than toddler (5!) but he still loves dressing up!! Might have to give them a go.
For an older one you could get a specific maybe, like hawk or eagle wings, that’d be awesome…
How cute!
You should see these kiddies flapping them, even cuter 🙂
Forget just the wings, you obviously need to make yourself a whole chicken outfit. I did laugh reading that first paragraph.
I do, my life would be COMPLETE with a whole chicken outfit!
Everybody needs wings : )
Love em.
Sarah
Oh so so so cute!
[…] I request secondhand (both sets of Ramona’s grandparents are awesome at this) and I tend to craft things up to give. However, sometimes family members want to know what they can give your children for Christmas, and […]