Fairy Costume: Leaf Headband

Last year, I took Halloween to another level, pretending that I was pretending to be someone else. If folks are going to call my style Little House on the Prairie, well, I might as well make the most of it. This year, I wanted to do something more though, and I've landed on doing a fairy costume.

I've got the dress, the vest, and now I've got the wings. There was still something missing though, something that could elevate the costume. The wings had already been rather expensive, so I had to find something cheaper. Having accumulated a few headbands that I don't tend to wear, and knowing that my roommate has a hot glue gun, my next mission was going to the dollar store. I was seeking out flowers, but none of them were quite right. Then something else caught my eye, a bag of decorative leaves, the only bag in fact. Thus, I had a plan.

• 10-25 decorative fall leaves, the desired amount will depend on how full you wish the headband to look (this tutorial uses plastic leaves, but fabric one would probably also work)
• A headband
• A hot glue gun
• Glue sticks for the hot glue gun
• A marker
• A mirror (optional)

• You'll want 10-25 decorative fall leaves. If you opt for ten, you'll have enough for one layer. And 20 should allow for two layers. An added five, and you can position the extra ones in a messier way, which should provide a wilder look. Consider that the size of the leaves will also impact the number that you ought to have.
• You'll want a headband, one that you do not wish use as it is, given that you'll be covering it in hot glue and decorative leaves. If you are choosing from multiple headbands, now is a good time to do so. Any extra headbands should be removed from your workspace, so as to avoid getting glue on them.
• You'll want a hot glue gun along with glue sticks for the project.
• You'll want a marker so that you can mark how far up the headband you'll begin gluing on the leaves.
• And you may want a mirror, to make marking the headband easier.

If you are working with leaves of multiple colours you'll want to decided which colour(s) you'll be working with. This tutorial uses both red and green leaves.

If you are working with multiple colours of leaves, then you may want to choose a pattern. This tutorial uses an alternating pattern between red and green leaves. Organize the leaves accordingly to make the next steps more efficient.

Mark the headband just above the top of your ears with the marker. If it helps, you can use the mirror to complete this step. Or feel free to ask someone for help.

• If you are not familiar with how to use a hot glue gun, please read either the instructions that came with your glue gun or the following WikiHow article, How to Use a Glue Gun. Since glue guns can be dangerous, it is important to use caution.
• Prepare the hot glue gun for use.

• To begin with, you'll want to apply a modest amount of glue onto the headband, specifically the section where the first leaf will go. Just enough glue to stick the leaf on. If you need more, add it, but you don't want to start with too much.
• The leaf should be placed in such a way that the stem is facing the bottom of the headband. Also, ensure that the leaf's placed so that the side you want facing outwards is. Be careful when you stick leaves on that the glue doesn't spread beyond the leaf. In case it does, try not to place your fingers along the edges of the leaf.
• For the second leaf, you'll want to apply a modest amount of glue to the top of the first leaf as well as the bit of the headband that the leaf will be sticking to. Once again, place it so that the stem faces the bottom of the headband and that the desired side it facing outwards. This should be repeated with further leaves until the other mark on the headband is reached. Note that after you pass the top of the headband, the stems of the leaves being placed should be in the direction of the top of the headband. This is to say that the direction of the leaves should be consistent.

• If you would like your headband to have more leaves on it, giving it a fuller look, you'll want to repeat the last step in the opposite direction. Where you stopped with the first layer of leaves, you'll begin with the next layer. That last leaf should have its stem going the direction of the top of the headband. This new leaf should have its stem directed towards the bottom of the headband. From there, you'll glue on leaves in the same direction, stopping when you reach the mark on the other side.
• In this tutorial, the second layer was placed in such a way that the red leaves are on top of the green leaves and the green are on top of the the red.

If you have extra leaves, you may want to glue some of them on in a less consistent way, assuming you previously used some sort of pattern. This will give the headband a slightly wilder look. If you didn't opt for consistency, you could still add them for a fuller look. For this step, don't worry about the directions of the leaves.

Let the headband sit for a couple minutes to ensure that the glue has cooled before trying it on. At this point, you may want to also remove any strands of glue that are attached to your headband.

And finally, if it so pleases you, you ought to try it on.