Craftiness, Thrifty

Easy Toddler Wings Craft

8 November, 2012

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.

How to:

  • 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!!

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  • lizzysfairytale 8 November, 2012 at 7:08 am

    Oh yeah! Loving this crafty number. Brook rocks out in his wings frequently!!

    • lulastic 8 November, 2012 at 12:09 pm

      I still haven’t made Ramona her own pair yet, she so needs some! x

  • Liz Burton 8 November, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    These are so so gorgeous! Might make myself some. x

    • lulastic 8 November, 2012 at 11:03 pm

      Yeah! I totally need some!

  • Jenny 8 November, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    What a brilliant idea! I want some for myself!

    • lulastic 8 November, 2012 at 11:03 pm

      Let’s make a grown up brood…

  • Patch 8 November, 2012 at 6:47 pm

    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.

    • lulastic 8 November, 2012 at 11:05 pm

      For an older one you could get a specific maybe, like hawk or eagle wings, that’d be awesome…

  • Mammasaurus 8 November, 2012 at 11:54 pm

    How cute!

    • lulastic 9 November, 2012 at 12:14 pm

      You should see these kiddies flapping them, even cuter 🙂

  • Timpop 9 November, 2012 at 7:17 am

    Forget just the wings, you obviously need to make yourself a whole chicken outfit. I did laugh reading that first paragraph.

    • lulastic 9 November, 2012 at 12:14 pm

      I do, my life would be COMPLETE with a whole chicken outfit!

  • Sian 9 November, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    Everybody needs wings : )

  • Sarah 9 November, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Love em.
    Sarah

  • Lakota [Faith hope and Charity Shopping] 9 November, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    Oh so so so cute!

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