How to Make a Renaissance Fairy Costume

Costumes were meant for children, and children are right at home at Renaissance fairs. There are also lots of people there wearing fairy costumes, including children. When you combine the two, the result is pure enchantment. These directions are for a pink Renaissance fairy costume that you can make, right down to a glittering wand that will make your child's day especially memorable.

Things You'll Need

• Lightweight pink material (taffeta, organza or tulle)
• Pink satin
• Gold braid
• Green florist's wire
• Strand of silk ivy
• Tiny silk flowers
• Drinking straw
• Cardboard star

Instructions

Making a Renaissance Fairy Costume

1. Measure your child's waist and height. Make a full skirt of pink taffeta or other soft fluffy material. Sew a piece of elastic into the waistband so the skirt slips on easily. To make it flare out, buy a square dancing slip or other stiff hooped slip your child can wear underneath.

2. Take your child's measurements to make a matching blouse from the pink taffeta. The front and back are simple square pieces with a rounded neck in front. The sleeves are long, straight and loose. They can be gathered at the cuff with elastic or left wide and hanging.

3. Make a matching vest of pink satin. It should be open in the center with ties or crisscross lacing up the front as in the illustration. Use the gold braid to lace the front of the vest. Add gold braid to decorate both sides where the vest opens.

4. Make a fairy wreath for her head by shaping a piece of green florist's wire into a crown small enough to fit her head. To the back side sew a long, narrow piece of pink taffeta about a foot wide that hangs in folds almost to her waist. Entwine a strand of silk ivy around the green wire. Weave in some small silk flowers in woodland colors like pink and purple.

5. Make a fairy wand as an accessory. Take a drinking straw and star-shaped piece of cardboard. Tape the cardboard star to the front of the straw. Spray paint them with sparkly gold paint, and set them aside to dry.

6. Finish off the outfit with pink or black ballet slippers.

Tips & Warnings

• If your child would rather wear a traditional Renaissance hat, you can substitute a cone hat instead of the ivy wreath. Shape a piece of foldable cardboard into a cone. Trace the unfolded cone onto pink satin. Tape the cardboard cone together, and glue the pink satin on top. Sew a pink taffeta scarf to the point at the top, and let it hang to the shoulders. Trim the bottom of the hat with gold braid.