As well as making handmade Christmas ornaments for the tree, the children and I have made a conscious choice to try to make all of our Christmas gifts this year. It’s totally liberating to learn that we can make beautiful things. It takes time and effort, of course, but we have discovered that we have both of those gifts. So, for the girls in our family, who all happen to believe in fairies, we have made Flower Fairies.
To make the Flower Fairies, we needed the following supplies:
* white pipe cleaners
* embroidery thread
* silk flowers (which we dismantled and used as skirts)
* round wooden bits to be used as heads (they must have a small hole… if yours don’t, drill one)
* yarn for hair
* small pretty beads
* my glue gun
Mark the pipe cleaner into thirds. Cut off 1 third. Leave the other 2 thirds intact.
Bend your larger section of pipe cleaner in half.
Twist it until about half way down. This forms the body and legs of your fairy.
Put the smaller section of pipe cleaner in place for the arms and twist them around the body to fasten them.
If your round wooden bead (fairies head) doesn’t have a hole in it, drill one. (As we couldn’t find our wooden heads, I took a round nut from a packet of potpourri and drilled a hole into it)
Put a little glue from your hot glue gun onto the neck end of your pipe cleaner and push it into the hole in the head.
Dismantle the silk flowers by pulling the petals apart.
Thread the pipe cleaner legs through the hole in the middle of the flower petals.
Push the flower petal ‘skirt’ up into place at your fairies waist.
Isn’t she starting to look like a fairy?
Thread two more petal skirts for a wonderful ruffled look.
Choose a long length of embroidery floss in a color that compliments your fairies skirts and wind it around her upper body for a bodice.
Wind it around her arms for a little sleeve too.
I loved watching the concentration on Kitty’s face as she made her fairies yellow top.
Now she is really starting to look like a fairy!
You can make different hair styles for your fairy. One of our fairies has a lovely long braid. One has beautiful loose locks but Kitty’s favorite has a pretty pony tail. We made this by looping yarn together 6 or 7 times and tying a knot at about the third-way mark.
We then cut the ends off the loops on both sides.
We stuck the shorter end onto the fairies head with our glue gun and then stuck on more hair, winding some yarn around and around her head until we were satisfied that she’d be happy with her hairstyle.
Teddy and Kitty chose little glass beads for our fairies hands and feet.
Doesn’t she look sweet in her glass slippers?
Here they are, ready for the Flower Fairy Ball.
Dressed in their pretty ballgowns.
17 Responses
I love this idea! Thanks for sharing! ; )
absolutely adorable!!!!!! talented family ;) il definately make some of these with my girl!
I’ve thought about making these so many times. This sure makes it look simple enough…. Maybe in Spring…
I love these. I think we will have to make some too!
thanks for sharing,
julia
Great idea– I think this just might be our craft for Friday. And thanks for such pretty, clear instruction photos!
They’re wonderful. I love the way they look as though they’re dancing!
um, could your fairy children be any more beautiful! no wonder they make such beautiful things.
Your tutorial makes this so easy! We haven’t made these in a couple of years. Thanks for the inspiration! :)
So sweet, easy and fun!
those little fairies are adorable! & thanks for the reminder that getting outside is possible, even if it’s frigid.
Darling! These look like lots of fun to make.
This is adorable!
Thanks
Vicki
I LOVE these! I just shared this on my facebook page. My daughters would love this one. Hmmm… perhaps a great one for my girl scouts too!
Lovely!
Thanks for the tips on the pipe cleaner bodies! I think they may be easier to work with than big fat clothespins! I’ve linked to you with the results!
These are beautiful! I will be trying my hand at this.
I have made these before, with my daughter. We are now revisiting this project to make as angels to give as Christmas ornaments. Thanks for sharing your idea!