/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

Me and a couple friends are planning to cosplay burlesque versions of the legendary birds (we figured burlesque would be cool cus we could have big feather bustles) and I picked Articuno. Planning on embellishing an underbust corset like you would an Elsa corset with glittery foam in diamond shapes rather than Elsa's rectangular/square shapes, using a full sized top hat with the little...head...feather...diamond thingies on it out of...some sort of material (Any suggestions? My only idea right now is folded cardstock and I feel like that would look really shitty)

Add feather trimmed gloves, wig, contacts, dyed fishnets and embellished bra and shoes and...well, the wings. That's what I'm really stuck on. We want them to be pretty massive but still relatively inexpensive to make (I mean they're gonna be expensive regardless but a girl can ask), relatively light, and with a support system that won't interfere with the silhouette of the costume. I don't like the look of the kind you attach to your arms, personally, and I'm looking at cutting the feathers out of fabric if you guys think I can get away with that without looking cheap.

Any comments on my basic construction idea/the best way to construct the wings?