White Bird Headpiece

This no-sew white bird headpiece was created for Lion King JR productions with large casts and volunteer costume teams in mind. It uses inexpensive, easy-to-find materials, can be assembled quickly and consistently, and is designed to stay around $5 per build using supplies from craft stores, dollar stores, or previous projects.

Materials & Tools – Before starting, gather the following materials so the build goes smoothly:

PREPARING THE WINGS & CUTTING THE FEATHERS

White bird wing cut from 2mm or 3mm EVA foam, shaped with feathered edges and used as part of a DIY headpiece for a Lion King JR white bird ensemble costume.

Wing patterncut from cardstock

White foam wrap laid on a gray foam mat with grid lines, used to cut and shape lightweight feathers for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR ensemble costume.
White bird headpiece wing in progress, showing 2–3mm EVA foam shaped around 18-gauge floral wire and assembled with hot glue, laid out on a gray cutting mat during a DIY Lion King JR costume build.

Wing Support: Hot glue the center pieces together by slightly overlapping the EVA foam. Bend the 18-gauge floral wire stems to shape, then secure them in place with additional EVA foam pieces and hot glue.

ATTACHING THE WINGS

Cardstock wing pattern being traced with a number 2 pencil onto white EVA foam, showing the first step in creating a lightweight white bird headpiece wing for a DIY Lion King JR costume.

Trace wing onto EVA Foam 3mm

White foam wrap laid on a gray foam mat with grid lines, used to cut and shape lightweight feathers for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR ensemble costume.
White visor with fabric-covered crown and adjustable band, used as the base structure for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR ensemble costume.
18-gauge floral wire being positioned and attached along the center of a white visor, forming the internal support for a DIY white bird headpiece used in a Lion King JR ensemble costume.
Outline drawing of a bird's wing on Cardstock wing pattern traced with a number 2 pencil onto white 3mm EVA foam, showing the first step in creating a lightweight white bird headpiece wing for a DIY Lion King JR costume.

Cut out wing

White bird feather pattern labeled large 5–6 inches placed on folded packing foam secured with fabric clips, with scissors nearby, showing preparation steps for cutting DIY feathers for a Lion King JR headpiece.
White bird headpiece wing in progress, showing 18g floral wire being secured to 2–3mm EVA foam shaped wing and assembled with hot glue, laid out on a gray cutting mat during a DIY Lion King JR costume build.
White visor with adjustable band, used as the base structure for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR ensemble costume. Dark black line shows where to cut along the visor to seperate visor from base.
White EVA foam wings being attached to a white visor band using 18-gauge floral wire, showing how the wing structure connects to the headpiece base during a DIY Lion King JR bird costume build.
White bird feather pattern labeled smal 3-3.5 inches; medium 4 inches; large 5–6 inches. White bird headpiece construction for a DIY Lion King JR bird costume build.

3 different wing sizes

💡 TIP: Cut multiple “feather” layers at the same time—you’ll need more pieces than you think! Stack the Foam Wrap and secure the edges with sewing clips to prevent shifting. I can’t stress this enough… they do NOT have to be perfect. Once everything is assembled, you won’t be able to tell at all.

How to cut feathers: Cut the foam wrap “feathers” at a slight angle, and avoid cutting too close to either end—this helps keep the pieces sturdy and easier to attach. The shaded area shows the “no-cut” zone for reference.

BUILDING THE HEAPIECE

Feather Placement: Starting with the largest feathers and working up to the smallest, apply them in rows from the bottom up. Slightly overlap each feather to create fullness and hide the attachment points. Once all areas are attached, gently ruffle the feathers to add volume. HINT: use low setting on the hot glue gun to apply feathers (less is more)

White bird feather pattern labeled 5-6 inches. Four foam wrap feathers cut out. fabric clips.. White bird headpiece feathers for a DIY Lion King JR bird costume build.
White foam wrap feathers being glued onto a 3mm EVA foam wing, showing layered feather placement during construction of a DIY white bird headpiece for a Lion King JR costume.
White visor with adjustable fabric band shown after separating the visor brim from the band, demonstrating how the base structure is modified for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR ensemble costume.

Base “Sun” Visor: Remove the bill by cutting along the seam (as marked in the second photo). It comes off easily if you follow the groove. Using a visor as the base helps balance the weight and keeps the headpiece comfortable for longer scenes.

‼️The visor is worn upside down and functions as a headband.‼️

How to connect the floral wires: Slide the wire from the visor under the wire on the wings. Cover the joined wires with a small piece of EVA foam and secure with hot glue. Let it cool completely, then bend the wings into any position you’d like.

White EVA foam wings being attached to a white visor band using 18-gauge floral wire, showing how the wing structure connects to the headpiece base during a DIY Lion King JR bird costume build.

⚠️ Safety Tip: Hot glue and wire edges can be hot—allow everything to cool completely before bending or adjusting.

How to attach the Wings and Band to the Visor (SEE VIDEO BELOW): For the band, I recommend using a slightly thicker material so interfacing isn’t needed (I did not use Pellon SF101). The fabric holds its shape well on its own. Cut the band approximately 4–5 inches wide and long enough to match the circumference of the visor.💡 Hint: Add a slight curve to your cut so it follows the natural shape of the visor.

To attach the floral wire, poke two holes in the visor band. Fold the wire in half, then slide both ends through the holes so about 2-3 inches of wire extend through. Bend the wire ends to a 90-degree angle and secure everything in place with hot glue.

Medium white bird feather cut from foam wrap, shown beside a cardstock pattern labeled 4 inches, illustrating finished feather on a DIY Lion King JR headpiece.

Use Foam Wrap for the feathers

Foam wrap pieces clipped together preparing to be trimmed into a feather shape, showing how multiple layers are cut and shaped to create lightweight feathers for a DIY white bird headpiece on a Lion King JR costume.
White foam wrap feathers being glued onto a 3mm EVA foam wing, showing layered feather placement during construction of a DIY white bird headpiece for a Lion King JR costume.
Curved pieces of white fabric layered together and shaped to fit the visor band, prepared for attaching to a white visor as padding and coverage for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR costume.
White EVA foam wings being attached to a white visor band using 18-gauge floral wire, showing how the wing structure connects to the headpiece base during a DIY Lion King JR bird costume build.

How to attach the Wings and Band to the Visor.

White foam wrap laid on a gray felt mat with grid lines, used to cut and shape lightweight feathers for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR ensemble costume.
Foam wrap pieces clipped together and trimmed into a feather shape, showing how multiple layers are cut and shaped to create lightweight feathers for a DIY white bird headpiece on a Lion King JR costume.
White foam wrap feathers in multiple sizes and layers glued onto a 3mm EVA foam wing, showing layered feather placement during construction of a DIY white bird headpiece for a Lion King JR costume.
18-gauge floral wire being positioned and attached along the center of a white visor, forming the internal support for a DIY white bird headpiece used in a Lion King JR ensemble costume.
Curved pieces of white fabric layered together and shaped to fit the visor band, prepared for attaching to a white visor as padding and coverage for a DIY white bird headpiece in a Lion King JR costume.