Last Updated on March 13, 2025 by Audrey
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I LOVED dressing up as a kid. I also LOVE(D) crafts. These DIY fairy wings are the best of both worlds! I just love a craft with a purpose, don’t you?
If you have a little one who loves dress-up, fairies, butterflies, flowers, or any combination of these items, they’ll love these beautiful wings! Older kids can be involved in the creation process while younger ones will love wearing them afterwards.
My almost two-year-old girl loves putting on different items to wear around and show off, from rubber bands to grandma’s jewelry to her brother’s Buzz Lightyear wings! When these DIY fairy wings were finished, she wore them while we strolled around a nature preserve near our house.
Another wonderful thing about these is that they’ll last quite a while if the pressed flowers are allowed to dry completely and the wearer isn’t super rough with them! They would make a great accessory for a birthday child, photo shoot, craft party, or Halloween costume!
So if you need some DIY fairy wings in your life, here’s what you need!
Materials
- nature pieces (an assortment of flowers, ferns, leaves, etc.)
- contact paper
- scissors
- large piece of cardboard
- paint + paint brushes
- elastic band
- hot glue + gun
1. Collect and press flowers.
You don’t need to own a fancy flower press to get beautiful pressed flowers! Use this simple method with just heavy books and parchment paper.
Head outside to gather whatever nature pretties you want to use, then press away! To make sure everything is really dry, a wait time of ten days is recommended. I only waited one day with mine and some of them turned brown later (mostly the paper thin purple ones). So if you’re hoping to make these DIY fairy wings last a while, waiting just a few extra days is worth it.
If you don’t feel like waiting that long for your own pressed flowers, I’ve purchased these to use on several occasions with beautiful results! They’re a little bit more delicate so are probably best suited for older kids.
2. Cut out cardboard wings.
The second step for your DIY fairy wings is to sketch and cut out the outline. I freehand sketched these, but I used a natural fold in the cardboard box as the middle. After drawing one side, I folded it over and traced that onto the other side to ensure they would be symmetrical. After you’re satisfied with the sketch, use scissors or an exacto knife to cut everything out.
3. Decorate or paint DIY fairy wings.
If you want to paint a design on the cardboard, I would recommend doing it now! You may have noticed in the picture that I did this step last, but afterwards I decided it probably would have been better to do before adding the contact paper and flowers so you don’t have to worry about getting paint on that portion. This also makes it easier if your kids want to do the painting.
These are still super pretty even when they’re not painted, so this step is definitely optional depending on your preference!
4. Add contact paper and pressed flowers.
Mmmmk, now it’s time to add the contact paper and nature pretties to your DIY fairy wings! You’ll need to cut out eight pieces of contact paper total, one piece for the front and back of each wing opening. I found that it was easiest to do one opening at a time.
Trace around the outside of the wing opening onto the contact paper as much as possible. It won’t be exact, but you just need it to be larger than the actual hole so that it can be stuck onto the cardboard. Trim if necessary after you’ve placed the first piece over the opening.
Once your contact paper is in place, stick on your flowers and nature bits in whatever design you’d like! Make sure to keep in mind which side will be visible when sticking on the flowers!
I’ve found that adults think a little bit too much on this step that the random creations of kids almost always end up looking better than my perfectly planned out symmetrical design. 😂
Once you have all the flowers on, trace the area you need to cut with another piece of contact paper. This time it can fit exactly to the opening since it only needs to stick onto the previous piece of contact paper. Lay it directly on top and smooth it down starting on one side and working your way over. Repeat with the last three wing openings!
5. Add straps!
All your DIY fairy wings need now are some straps! Cut two pieces of elastic and hot glue them onto the back of the wings, and they’re ready to wear! Enjoy watching your little fairies frolicking around in their beautiful wings!
If you liked these DIY fairy wings, try out some more pressed flower crafts like these nature luminaries or these flower necklaces!
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