My recent post about the “save the imaginary creatures” campaign reminded me about the marvelous Dead Fairy April Fool’s hoax in 2007.

Many respected news agencies and hundreds of Websites reported that a man in the UK had discovered the mummified remains of a fairy while walking his dog near an Iron Age barrow. The body, about 8 inches in length, was complete with wings, skin, teeth, and long flowing hair.

The creature was actually the creation of magician and prop maker Dan Baines from Lebanon Circle, who eventually came clean about the prank. The original fairy sculpture was sold on eBay for nearly £300 (ten zillion current US dollars).

Mr. Baines started making dead fairies for sale, although his gallery suggests that maybe he’s sold out for now.

It seems to me that this is fertile ground for a homemade prop. From the photos on the site, the original fairy looks like an armature covered with latex. Its “wings” seem to be partially-skeletonized leaves. If you’re feeling ambitious, something similar might be done by corpsing a miniature skeleton (such as Anatomical’s Petite Pete) and adding embellishments like doll hair and skeletal wings. Pop it in a specimen jar or stretch it out like a pinned butterfly and display it proudly.