How to Make an Impression: Extraordinary Thank-You Notes  

Back to List

How to Embroider Your Own Book Covers for Back-to-School

How to Make Fabric-Covered Butterfly Wings

Wendy Sloneker, contributor

no recommendations

The fabric casing for the pair o' wings. Sew with right sides facing each other, then snip the excess fabric away to about 1/4 inch.

Wendy Sloneker

Snip ONE LAYER of fabric along the midline. Just cut an inch or so—that should be workable.

Wendy Sloneker

Estimate the length of wire you'll need for each side.

Wendy Sloneker

The fabric casing for the pair o' wings. Sew with right sides facing each other, then snip the excess fabric away to about 1/4 inch.

Photo: Wendy Sloneker

Add Comment
Print

I made a self-portrait doll in a class with Therese May years ago. I thought I'd bring her out and hang her up in my new space—and to share this technique for wing-making with all of you crafty birds out there! There's definitely more than one way to make a pair of butterfly wings—this is just one quick and simple technique.

What You'll Need:

• Fabric—two pieces slightly larger than the entire pair of wings you'd like to make (I used cotton quilting fabric in this example)
• Sewing machine
• Something pokey—chopstick, knitting needle, crochet hook
• 20-gauge craft or floral wire
• Wire cutters
• Embroidery floss, sewing needle, scissors
• Optional: Sketchpad and pen/pencil to design the pair of wings/pattern

These wings were created, ahem, on the fly...no pattern...I just sewed the shape on the machine.

Place two pieces of fabric right sides together. Pin the pattern—if you have one—to the two pieces of fabric and sew them together according to your design. Set your machine to a small stitch length to give support for holding the wire in place.

The fabric casing for the pair o' wings. Sew with right sides facing each other, then snip the excess fabric away to about 1/4 inch.

Trim the excess fabric to 1/4 inch away from the sewn outline. Around the tightest curves or angles, the excess could get bunchy when you turn the wings inside out, so snip out some ever-so-tiny V's around these angles if you'd like.

Fold the wrong-sided fabric in half lengthwise to determine the midline of the pair of wings. Pinch one layer of fabric, and make a snip along the midline 1 to 1-1/2 inches long.

Snip ONE LAYER of fabric along the midline. Just cut an inch or so—that should be workable.

Turn the wings right side out. Poke out the shape with your pokey instrument of choice.

Estimate the length of wire you'll need for each side.

Estimate the amount of wire you'll need for each side of your pair of wings. Start with a longer piece and then trim once you have one wing wired. Repeat for the second wing.

Bend the wire and manuever it into the fabric casing. You are the boss, yes, but be gentle and work with it to get it to look the way you want it to look. When the wire is snug, snip it with your cutters and work the other side.

Tack the wire to the fabric—for staying power!—with embroidery floss. Use just a few stitches as needed at the sharp angles.

Sew up the 1-inch cut along the midline with an invisible or whipstitch. Attach the wings to your project with this cut facing inside.

Sew a few stitches to secure the wire inside of the fabric casing.

Anchor the wings into place as you'd like—I chose several stitches at the nape of the doll's neck and on the body, just inside the waistband of the skirt.

Attach the pair at the nape of the neck and to the body, just inside the waistband of the skirt. Use simple stitches to secure.

This is just one technique. Attach these to dolls, sculptures, stuffed animals who need a lift, or ornaments. Your imagination can take flight!

My self-portrait doll—with wings!

Add Comment Print

Comments (1)

Eternal_Clouds writes: im going to try them without the person i mean leave just the wings because they look like butterflys already to me :)
Posted: 11:55 am on March 8th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.