How to Make a Tooth Fairy Costume

Few people, if any, have seen the tooth fairy. Therefore, creativity abounds in the individual approach to constructing a "tooth fairy" costume. At our home, fairies always have wings and wear a skirt of tulle, regardless of gender or fairy type. Observing this standard, the costume is relatively simple to craft -- the only perceived differences between the tooth fairy and the traditional woodland fairy are the size and shape of wings (shaped after a two- or three-root molar) and, of course, the color of the tutu -- a pristine dental white.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fabric scissors
• 1/4-inch band of elastic (measured to go around waist)
• 2-3 yards of white tulle (at least 45" wide)
• Spool craft wire (~20 gauge)
• Felt patch
• Needle
• Thread

An EZ "Tooth Fairy" Costume

1. Wrap elastic around the waist, and tie it so that it fits comfortably on the proposed fairy. Cut the excess elastic off. (For a small child, I have found that an elastic knit hairband works well and is already the right size for a petite 2-3 year old). This elasticized circle will be the waistband of the skirt.

2. Cut the tulle to the right length. Again, the size of the person playing the role of tooth fairy determines the length. Generally, tulle fluffs best when there is excess, so double the desired skirt length. Fabric sold on a bolt is measured in yards lengthwise, and comes in various widths--36", 45", 60" etc.
   
   One yard, cut in half, will make two pieces at 18-inch lengths. Cut each of these pieces into 1- 2 inch wide strips (lengthwise). (1/2 yard of 45" width will render approximately 44 strips in 18-inch lengths, 1 yard ~ 88 strips). Cutting two yards in half (across the width) will render two pieces of 18-inch length, and a 9-inch finished skirt length.

3. Pick up two strips at a time (as they were cut one on top of the other), and fold them in half, so that one end has the cut edges and the other one with a fold. With the elastic in hand and the loop end of the tulle behind the elastic, pull the cut ends through, so that a slip knot in tulle is formed on the waist band, attaching the strips to hang as the skirt. Continue the process until the waistband is filled and a fairy skirt is formed.

4. Determine the size of the wings, based on the size of the person playing the part of the fairy. For a small child wearing a 9-inch skirt, a wing height and span of 18 inches is proportionately adequate and moderately easy to construct. But the bigger the fairy, the longer the skirt, and the bigger the wings. The wing-to-skirt ratio of 2:1 works well.

5. Bend the 20 gauge craft wire in the desired shape, and twist together in a length that will form the stem of the wings.(Triangular pieces of tulle will form the root of each tooth/wing.) Bend the wire into molar shape, and width, twice. Now you have two molar-shaped frames for wings.

6. Lay the shaped wing frames on the remaining tulle fabric. Using the frames as outlines, cut the fabric to shape. With a needle and thread, bar tack (hand sew) the tulle to the frame, so that it does not slip and the fabric aligns with the wire. (Note: Fabric glue can be used but is sometimes messy, as it leaks through the tulle).

7. Cut four triangle-shaped pieces of tulle. (These are the 'roots' of each tooth shaped wing.) Bar tack the wide end (base of the triangle) to the bottom of the wing. Allow them to dangle down -- root-fashion.

8. Attach the constructed "tooth" wings to the rectangular piece of felt, which is the base of the wings that will lie against the "tooth fairy's" back. With the wings' top edges (of the teeth) facing out, and the smaller edges together, bar tack the wings to the felt. The closer together the wings, the more play in movement -- they will stand upright, or fold flat. The felt can be safety-pinned to the back shirt of the fairy, or elastic tubes can be bar tacked on the back side of the felt to serve as armholes for the wings.

Tips & Warnings

• The addition of a silver or gold filling on the top of one or both teeth/wings adds to the tooth motif. Of course, if you subscribe to the idea of the tooth fairy looking more like the traditional woodland fairy, then the wings need not resemble teeth -- and can easily be shaped to match that type.
• If this costume is made for a small child, the elastic armhole attachment for the wings might be safer than the safety pin. Also, be mindful of the wire's sharp end, and secure it straight on the felt so that the back is not accidentally poked.

References

• Tooth Fairy Legendary Character
• Anatomy of a tooth