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Time
21 mins

trying ways to make them stand up for themselves
The feathers I've posted with this method of construction so far are really best for glueing down onto a mask, or perhaps starching a few.

They may or may not hold up on a costume depending on the texture of the material you fray to make them. I found smaller feathers from lighter materals seem to do ok, I also got some bottom weight an went a little bigger, with Starch I think I could make a Feathered Fan.

You want them to stand up find fabric that will, and use some more layers and add a back bone. Now you can use what ever you feel comfortable working with in the way of wire. I did a few with Pipe cleaners. There we nice in that you could Bend and shape them.

Posted by EstherC from Seattle, Washington, United States • Published See EstherC's 22 projects »
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  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 1
    Step 1

    I normally star by cutting the fabric into strips marking the grain line stacking two or more with the grain lined up as best I can

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 2
    Step 2

    I sew about 3/4 inch of a tight zigzag that's 2-3 mm wide.

    Then I stop put and the needle down.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 3
    Step 3

    I put the pipe cleaner or Wire under the foot beyond where I am sewing, so it doesn't ge snagged by the needle and end up diven into the machine *Scary Idea I know.

    Then keep sewing over the pipe cleaner... I don't normally change my width but you can if you wnat to make it 1mm wider that is up to you.

    Be safe not sorry right

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 4
    Step 4

    Sew all the way to the edge of the fabric, perhaps a couple stiches past...

    cut all the threads hanging off Keep the pipe cleaner long as that is how you attach it to what ever your working on.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 5
    Step 5

    Now is a good time to point out making a template off a real feather may not be a bad idea, unless you can free hand this sort of thing over and over well.

    Trim the fabric until you have your Feather shape.

    I also trim the little end of pipe cleaned that I left out the top.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 6
    Step 6

    You just let the fabric fray and pull off the threads until you get to where you can't easily.

    I like to lay the feather down on my clip board and use the tip of the seam ripper to work some free.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 7
    Step 7

    sometimes you'll miss the grain a little, and the thread wont just come free so I use the seam ripper to cut it free.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 8
    Step 8

    I cut both ends

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 9
    Step 9

    cutting the other side
    *Up to the stiching not throught it... Very inmortant not to cut the center line.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 10
    Step 10

    then sort of scratch at it with the tip til they come away.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 11
    Step 11

    they may come out looking all crazy but they'll clean up nice.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 12
    Step 12

    Comb for the win

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 13
    Step 13

    some people may not like the fluffy line, *use some otehr kind of wire? Trim off the fluff ahead of time? Or do the crazy way and trim off after...

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 14
    Step 14

    that wont look too much diffent

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 15
    Step 15

    and you can't tell you did it at all from the front.

  • How to make a feather. Fake Feathers With A Back Bone - Step 16
    Step 16

    ---The Fake Feathers on a mask, stacked ontop as mask with Real Feathers.
    [The point is, the the fake can hold their own with the real. Probally not in those colors but if they matched, it could be great.

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Comments

jeannie.travis1
jeannie.travis1 · Westfield, North Carolina, US
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing it. I think the instructions are great too!
Reply
Illyhia Anne B.
Illyhia Anne B. · Whitefish, Montana, US · 1 project
pure genius
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