FAIRY TUTORIAL...

Hi there everyone

I think (and I'm saying this in a whisper, in case I chase it away) Spring may have come to visit for a while:-) It is so pretty outside - warm but not that horrible Texas heat we'll have in a month or so!!!

After my last post I had a number of people ask me how I made the fairies, so I thought I'd put a tutorial together to show you. Let me say right up front that they are not my original ideas - I found them on the internet. What I'll show you though, is how I put mine together.

Have fun making her - she is so pretty, and quick to make.

WHAT YOU NEED:
- A silk flower (I prefer the ones that have a bell shape )
- 2 Pipe cleaners (make sure the color you choose works with the color of the flower)
- A tiny wooden flower pot
- A wooden bead (for her head)
- A butterfly (the ones you find in the floral dept of your craft store)
- Glue
- A small piece of thin ribbon to match your flower
- Ribbon or thread to use as your hanger
- Acrylic paint (to paint her eyes, nose and mouth)

Now you have all your supplies, let's get to it!!!

STEP 1

Pull the flower apart, so you have a fairly tight bell shape.
I remove the center piece of the flower and a few of the outer petals.
This part really is personal preference.
You will need 1 big petal kept aside though - this becomes her shirt.

STEP 2

Fold both of the pipe cleaners in half.

STEP 3

Thread one of the folded pipe cleaners through the little pot.
You may need to make the hole in the top of the pot a little bigger - you can do this easily with a pair of scissors.
You now have her legs, and the pot will stop her skirt falling down!!!
Thank goodness for flower pots..................fairies can't loose their skirts!!! How undignified:-)

STEP 4

Slide your flower onto the pipe cleaner - upside down.
The bottom of the flower will be facing up - the photo explains this better.

STEP 5

Take the 2nd pipe cleaner that you folded in half, decide where you'd like her arms to be, and wrap the pipe cleaner around the 1st pipe cleaner at this position.
Don't you think she looks like a ballerina?

STEP 6

Take the petal you saved, and thread it onto the 1st pipe cleaner, so that it rests on the arms.

This part is a little fidly.
You need the petal positioned, so that you can fold a section of it around each arm to make sleeves.

STEP 7

The photograph explains this next step well.
Put a dot of glue on each petal, and wrap the petal around her arm to make the sleeves of her shirt.
Tie the piece of thin ribbon around her waist............ sit back and admire the gorgeous outfit you've just made:-)
Dressmaking's not that difficult after all!!!

STEP 8

Thread the wooden bead onto the top of the pipe cleaner to make her head.

STEP 9

Thread a leaf or flower onto the Pipe cleaner to make her little hat.
This step is optional - she looks just as cute with nothing on her head.

Thread the hanger through the loop in the top of the pipe cleaner.

STEP 10

This next step might hurt.................ouch!!!
Cut off the antennae of the butterfly, and remove the piece of thin metal that is attached to the butterflies underside (if it has one.)
Now glue the wings - right side of the wings should be seen if you look at the front of your fairy - to the fairy.
The picture on the left, shows the back view and the one on the right shows the front view.

STEP 11

There is no photograph for this step............it is not proper to take pictures up a fairies skirt!!!
You need to turn her upside down and put a few drops of glue into the wooden pot - this ensures that her skirt doesn't slip up and down her body.

STEP 12

With the acrylic paint - give her eyes, nose and a mouth.

I used the bottom of a wooden skewer to paint them

And there she is - one VERY pretty and magical fairy, to decorate a little girls room with or to hang on your Christmas tree. I also think they'd make great gift toppers to put on any little girls birthday gift........... How about tucking one into an Easter basket - the possibilities are endless:-)

I'd love to hear form you if you make one of these little fairies.........just leave me a comment. Let me know too if something doesn't make sense - I'm new to these tutorials and am still learning. I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have.

I will post the tutorial for the other fairy next week, so you can give her a try too.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for all of you that leave such sweet comments - I really appreciate it.

Until next time...........keep crafting