Wings

[jbelson]

Anyone make any? Any tips?I want to make some yellow, Von Dutch wings for my back for halloween.

[Angry Butterfly]

Arg! I made some! I also own two pairs that I bought, I hate to admit this, but for the price/availibility of materials vs the cost/variety of wings on the market these days, you might be better off buying them, the haloween stores and party city have a good selection, plus, even if you build thm it is worth checking the commercial ones out, because many are well made and quite clever.

[jbelson]

I've looked online and a couple of halloween stores. The problem is that I'm a guy, and all the wings I've seen are very feminine.
What I want is pretty specific too (plus I want to add some glow wire later).
Where did you find the wire for the frame of the wings?

[Juju]

I commissioned my sister to make me a pair a few years back. The total cost was around $15 and they're really cool.

Mine are a bit on the rounded side, look kind of like dragonfly wings. They're made of florist's wire covered in white pantyhose. We cut up a ton of holographic stars into diamonds and hot glued em on the edges in an overlapping pattern. The wings attach to a piece of sturdy fabric and have elastic straps over the shoulder. To make sure they don't slip down, they clasp across the chest (we used the back clasp of an old bra).

I'm working out the designs for a green pair for next year. Try using a bra as a base... you've got a built in support structure there already.

[Angry Butterfly]

I used aluminium for the ones I built for a friend, they were welded, super strong! The harness was made of an old backpack frame. You can get some pretty decent wire at OSH. I would stay away from armature wire because it is too soft.

[Angry Butterfly]

I commissioned my sister to make me a pair a few years back. The total cost was around $15 and they're really cool.

See, that is the thing, I paid $12.99 for each pair I have, and one has red feathers, and I figured out that it would have cost about $30 to $50 build the fethered pair, so I just went ahead and bought them, I actualy have spent as much money maintaining them as I did on them originaly! LOL. The other pair has airbrush work on it and I don't own an airbrush, so I figured it was worth it to buy them. I also Know that it is SUPER hard to find the pantyhose nylon by the yard, and the nylon ones I have are really big. (BTW if anyone knows where to get it, I would love to know ) I like the bra Idea. I made a pair out of paper a long time ago and they looked really good but poked people, so I couldnt dance. Cheap shower curtains also make awesome wing material and are alot more durable than the nylon. I made a really cute bat costume with one once and it only took me about 45 minutes.

[Kinetic]

I've looked online and a couple of halloween stores. The problem is that I'm a guy, and all the wings I've seen are very feminine.
What I want is pretty specific too (plus I want to add some glow wire later).
Where did you find the wire for the frame of the wings?

When your 6'4", 255, you need a serious set of wings. That's my problem...everything is scaled for the kids or females, and even the adult ones are not really what I had in mind.

So like most good BM projects I'm thinking I'll tackle this myself. But where to start? I know the material I want to use...KC Carnival supply has some irridescent material that looks fantastic, and should hold up to abuse well. I'm just not sure on wing shapes, what to make the wing frame out of, and most importantly how to mount the wings so I can wear it. At BM I made a simple set of fairie wings at fairie camp that were made out of clothes hanger wire and saran wrap...while they are not exactly the prettiest I liked them. I hooked those to my camelbak as they were attached to a wood block and it slid inside some of the straps on the camelbak just fine.

I also need something that is flexible so if I go to a club or out on Halloween I can fold them back to get into tight places or through crowds.

Does anyone have plans or specifics they can offer? The bra mounting idea makes sense, but I need something that I can wear out...and a bra won't work. The wood block is out as it wouldn't look right. This is going to be interesting but I've just gotta have my wings!

[Angry Butterfly]

I could build you a custom pair, but it might be expensive, the last pair I built cost $200 in materials alone, and I am never doing anything like that for free again in the interest of self preservation.

I WOULD SHOW YOU PICTURES BUT *SOMEONE* DIDN'T GET ANY! ALL I WANTED WAS A PICTURE!

That is how I got my name, BTW.

Funny, as angry as that whole project made me, I cant help but think about how to build them for you and what I would do differently next time, I am obsessed.

[antron]

the nicest wings i saw on the playa this year were a pair of leather bat wings. they were about 4 inches wider on either side of the wearer. because they were soft leather. and it felt like getting a gentle tap on the shoulder when we bumped into eachother dancing.

[RebA!]

I made a pair of wings, well actually a friend made the frame work. She took a heavy guage wire and twisted it by inserting it into the end of a drill and the drill twisted the wire into a nice weave. We then bent them into a wing shape and tied them together.

My apologies for now knowing how better to describe how she did it. I tied ribbons around mine.

[Steven bradford]

Kite shops with supplies for making your own, have loads of good wing materials.

[jillicous]

If anybody is interested my friend and I actually make custom designed wings. Contact us and tell us what your thinking and we can give you an estimate and create the wings of your dreams.

Our email is: cjlandingpad@yahoo.com

You may have seen our wings cruisin the playa this year - 4' wide, 3' long, glowing with colored wire.

[jillicous]

If anybody is interested my friend and I actually make custom designed wings. Contact us and tell us what your thinking and we can give you an estimate and create the wings of your dreams.

Our email is: cjlandingpad@yahoo.com

You may have seen our wings cruisin the playa this year - 4' wide, 3' long, glowing with colored wire.

[Isotopia]

Uh-oh...

Incoming!!!

[Angry Butterfly]

it was asked so an ad id ok, and they listed an email, not even a web site, so I think it's Ok us greative types gotta make a living you know.

[Angry Butterfly]

man my typing sucks.

[Kinetic II]

For those who might be struggling with their wings, that's a post that will be welcome.

I might have to take that route and get help but I'm going to try and make my own first.