The dining room table at my house was always out of commission for the month of October while I was growing up. My mom had her sewing machine out and fabric spread over the table as she worked on my Halloween costumes every year.

There’s no shortage of options out when it comes to buying costumes these days, but try making these simple wings to add flight to your child’s Halloween costume without breaking the bank.

*Note: These wings are the ideal size for beginning walkers up to age 5. Make sure they won’t be too small if you plan to make them for children older than 5.

Materials

√ Two wire hangers

√ Pair of adult-size tights

√ Duct tape

√ Ribbon, flowers or sequins to decorate between the wings

Homemade wings

The first part is the hardest: you will need to slowly bend the curved hook of the hanger until it snaps off. Leave a little of the neck of the hook – this will be used to connect the two hangers together in the middle.

Wrap the two necks of the hangers around each other in the middle then duct tape them together.

Bend the wings into whatever shape you would like.

Cut the legs of the tights off at the seat. Stretch the tights over the wire wings, pull the ends tight to even out the wrinkles, then tie the ends in a knot. This will be covered by the ribbon or flowers. (You will probably only need to use the tights from the knee down, but to be safe cut off any excess after you put them over the wire).

Now take some leftover part of the tights and cut two strips at least a few inches thick from the legs. Stretch these loops all the way over the wings to the center. These are the arm loops that the child’s arms will go through to wear the wings.

Finally, put some ribbon or fake flowers between the wings to cover up the knot you tied. Feel free to add glitter, beads or even lace trim around the edges for added decoration. You could even add some fake fur if you want to make insect wings.

Holly Harrison is a regular contributor to Lowcountry Parent. Address comments, questions or craft suggestions to editor@lowcountryparent.com.