Flower Fairy Tutorial

You will need the following materials to make ONE fairy:

1 ½” wooden bead (approx. 12 mm)

1 12” thin pipe cleaner, skin tone of your choosing

2-4 silk flower petals 2 ½ - 3” in diameter in complimentary colors (bottom row)

1 silk flower, 1 ½” in diameter with four petals, or one two-petaled hydrangea segment (top row)

Wire cutters or large nail clipper

Hot glue gun or quick drying craft glue

Craft glue

Small Paint brush

Ultrafine glitter

Colored pencils, pink and black

Top row: good for bodice

Bottom row: good for skirts

PART 1: MAKE THE FAIRY BODY

Use your wire cutter or nail clipper to cut one 7” segment (for the frame) and one 3” segment (for the

arms) from the pipe cleaner. Bend a small loop on each end of the 3” wire to form little hand buds. Fold

the 7” wire in half (it should look somewhat like a hairpin):

Now, lay the arm piece on top of the hairpin piece, about ½” down from the top (fig. 1). Fold the top

bend of the hairpin piece down over the arms (fig. 2). Wrap back up through the legs to return to the

top (fig. 3):

Your fairy body has been built. Now, a few adjustments:

1. Pinch the “waist” tight to make way for the dainty skirts to follow.

2. Use your clippers to cut the looped “head” in two from the top. Then, remove one of the stalks

by clipping close to the base. The remaining stalk is where you’ll attach the head later.

Figure 2 Figure 1 Figure 3

PART 2: DRESS THE FAIRY

You will now be layering the fairy’s skirt by adding the silk flowers, one at a time. Start by threading the

“legs” through the hole in the center of your smallest skirt flower. Push the flower up to about ½” from

the arms, to create a midriff. Continue to thread flowers until you’re satisfied with the look. Use a dab

of hot or craft glue under and above the “skirt” where the petal meets the pipe cleaner to help keep the

frock together.

Now you’re ready for the bodice. Take your 1 ½” four petaled flower, or your two petaled hydrangea

segment and put it over the neck stem, through the hole in the center of the flower. Using your glue,

fasten the front petal to the pipe cleaner frame. Do likewise with the back petal. The hydrangea

segment will give you a “sleeveless” look. For the four petaled flower, use a small dab of glue to pinch

the side petals over each of the arms to form a sleeve.

Dry fit the bead to the “neck” to be sure that the pipe

cleaner does not overextend the hole. If necessary trim

so that pipe cleaner does not protrude. Using a bitty dab

of glue on the pipe cleaner neck, attach head.

PART 3: EMBELLISH

Using your small paint brush and a good craft glue, paint a hair-cap (back, sides and top) on the fairy.

Sprinkle with ultrafine glitter and allow to dry.

Now you can get creative by adding little embellishments like tiny flowers, crowns, wings, etc… (the

plastic centers from the silk flowers make sweet little crowns).

Using colored pencils or acrylic paint, add a face to bring your fairy to life. Don’t forget to pose the arms

and bend the legs (don’t forget the feet) to add movement and whimsy.

Want to make a bunch of fairies, but

don’t know what to do with them? Make

a Fairy Mobile: Find a pretty branch,

paint or leave it natural. Attach fairies

with fishing line or thread and you have

yourself an enchanting little mobile to

hang above a bed.