Beautiful Butterfly

Total Time Needed:: Afternoon Or Evening

Let your little one choose craft foam, fabrics, and boa trim in her favorite colors, then use our printable templates for the wings to make this costume take flight.

Materials

Craft knife and scissors
4 (12- by 18-inch) craft foam sheets
Large and small circle-shaped craft punches
Fabric glue
Sheer fabric in 2 colors (about 2 yards total)
Double-sided carpet tape and duct tape

6 (19-inch) lengths of 18-gauge wire
3 yards of marabou boa
Measuring tape
Adhesive-backed Velcro
Headband
2 (12-inch) extra-thick pipe cleaners

Instructions

Wings: With a craft knife, cut the craft foam into 2 identical sets of wings (so both the left and right wings have 2 layers) and 2 connectors. (See diagram 1 at left.)
Use the craft punches and knife to make cutouts in the wings, making sure the holes in both layers are aligned. Working on the bottom layer of each wing, glue sheer fabric over the cutout areas, then use the carpet tape to attach the bottom wings to one connector and to affix the wires.
To make the straps, lay 2 lengths of boa across the connector. Apply carpet tape between them and on either side. Add more carpet tape around the wings' edges, then top with the second layer of wings and the remaining connector, pressing them firmly together. Have your child try on the wings, then tie and trim the straps.
Skirt: For the skirt's waistband (see diagram 2 at left), measure and cut a piece of duct tape a little longer than your child's waist, then lay it out sticky side up. Cut a matching length of boa and 2 rectangles of sheer fabric, then affix them to the waistband as shown.
Cut the fringe (to prevent fraying, we brushed on lines of glue first, let it dry, then cut along the lines). Add adhesive-backed Velcro tab closures at the waistband's ends.
Headband: Using the fabric glue, affix boa trim to the headband and glue one end of each pipe cleaner to the underside of the headband. Then glue a tuft of boa to the other ends of the pipe cleaners and twist them into the desired shape.