How to Make Coffee Filter Fairies
Make adorable coffee filter fairies with soft, colourful wings and simple pipe cleaner bodies! This easy and magical craft is perfect for kids, parties, or a fun afternoon of creative play.
Yield: 1 fairy doll
Cost: $1
Equipment
Materials
- Coffee filters
- Washable markers
- Water
- Pipe cleaners (skin tone)
- Embroidery floss (or sewing thread, or ribbon)
Instructions
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Fold and cut the fairy's wings
- You'll need a single coffee filter to make the fairy's wings.
- Fold the coffee filter in half, and then in half again.
- Cut the wing shapes from the folded coffee filter. Cut up from near the folded point and go in on an angle.Then go back down towards the center, creating a petal (or pointed wing) shape.
- Repeat, making a second petal shape. Make sure to cut the folded section off completely.
- Unfold to reveal the wing shapes and remove the top layer. You'll only need 1 piece for the wings.(Or keep them stacked and use the second part for another fairy.)
Step 3: Fold and cut the fairy's dress
- Make a stack of 2 coffee filters for the fairy's dress. Fold them in half, in half again, and in half one last time (3 times total).
- Use a pencil to draw pointed leaf shapes at both edges of the folded coffee filter. The sides should be even/mirror each other.
- Cut along the pencil lines and unfold to reveal the fairy's leaf dress. Keep the 2 coffee filters stacked.
Step 4: Colour the wings and dress
- Use a blue washable marker (or other colour of your choice) to lightly colour the wings. Use more colour if you want dark coloured wings.
- Begin colouring the dress with another colour of washable marker.We made a spiral with a darker colour in the center, but there are lots of ways you can add colour. (Dots, stripes, fully covering the coffee filter, etc.)
- Then colour with a few complementary colours/shades along the "leaves".
- Pick up water with an eye dropper. (You can also use a spray bottle.)
- Add water to the wings with the eye dropper. Continue until they're completely saturated.
- Repeat with the dress and allow the coffee filters to dry (at least 5 hours, or overnight).
Step 5: Make the base of the fairy
- Fold a pipe cleaner in half gently, leaving a curve at the top. Shape this into a teardrop shape for the fairy's head.
- Fold a second pipe clear in half and set the fold at the base of the head, at the back.
- Wrap the ends of the second pipe cleaner around the first, going down about 1 to 1-1/2 inches.Then wrap back up towards the head, so the arms are by the "neck".
Step 6: Dress the fairy
- Grab one of the dress coffee filters. Fold it in half, and in half again, but don't press down the folds.Then cut off the tip of the fold. This will be the neck hole of the dress.
- Unfold once and cut 2 small slits on either side of the "V" shaped neck hole. These will be where the arms go through.
- Dress the fairy from the top, sliding the head and arms through the holes. Then cut a 12 inch piece of thread or embroidery floss.Wrap the thread around the dress a few times, just below the arms. Tie a double knot to secure it and cut off the excess thread.
- Fold the second coffee filter in half twice, and cut the tip off. Don't make the arm holes on this one.Then dress the fairy from the bottom, placing this layer of the dress underneath the first.
- Add a dot of hot glue to the center of the wings. Place them on the back of the fairy.
- Bend the pipe cleaner arms and legs however you'd like, to add a bit of movement to the fairy's body.
- Your coffee filter fairy is complete!
Notes
Looking for more fairy crafts? Here's a few of our favourites:
Egg Carton Fairies
Fairy Coloring Pages
Magical Fairies in a Jar