Before and After: Puppet fairy wings

Before and after

Our Thumbelina fairy puppet needed some new wings. Her nylon ones had broken down years ago and it was time to upgrade the foam core "quick fix." Enter Fairyland's creative director, Maria Rodriguez, who actually makes, wears, and sells super-cool "stained-glass" wings.

Maria has been with Fairyland for 16 years but has been a fantasy fan her whole life. She writes, "I grew up with movies like 'Labyrinth,' 'Legend,' and 'Dark Crystal,' so making and wearing wings was a natural life progression."

She based the fairy's new wings on a much larger set she made for herself years ago. Even though they were based on a current design, it still took her around five hours to design, cut, and glue them into a smaller, puppet-size shape.

The Blue Fairy performs at Fairyland in wings Maria made.

"Although I’m a huge fan of all the different styles of wings from nylon to the clear vinyl with aluminum frames, I couldn’t find anything that fit my darker look. Over the years I’ve sketched many different designs and finally fell in love with the idea of stained glass!"

And, no, they aren't actually made with glass. Maria uses a flexible vinyl to give that illusion. She'll also add lights, for an additional cost, to any wings you order through her Etsy shop. 

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Come see Thumbelina the puppet show, and the puppet fairy's new iridescent wings,  every day at 11, 2, and 4 at our historic Storybook Theater. The show is FREE with admission.

Also, be sure to visit Maria's Facebook page, Delightful Dryad.