DIY Feather Fashions

          Living amidst acres of meadows, hills, woods, creeks, flowing springs and plenty of wildlife, beautiful things in nature surround and inspire me. Feathers are natural beauties that easily catch my eye. When designing or decorating with items from nature, whether its sea shells, acorns, leaves or feathers, I prefer to keep the design simple, so the focus remains on the natural beauty of the object.  Today, we’re crafting two feather jewelry items: hair barrettes and jacket pins.

Striking guinea fowl feathers and vintage buttons were used to fashion the two hair barrettes shown in the above photograph. (See the top two items in the photograph to the left.) Although we used guinea fowl feathers for these barrettes, you can use barnyard chicken feathers or any attractive, wild feathers you find. The third item, pictured beneath the hair barrettes and in the other photograph are fashion pins. These look perfect on a winter coat or blazer. Our wild turkey feather pin adds a touch of exotic glamour to a leopard print sweater this fall and winter.

Supplies needed:

For the Hair Barrettes: Feathers, glue gun, glue sticks, hair barrettes, vintage buttons, opt.

For the Jacket Pins: guinea fowl or turkey feathers, clear adhesive, heavy cardstock, vintage buttons, opt., jewelry pins.


Instructions:

To make a feather barrette, select one feather slightly wider than the barrette. (See barrettes in left photograph above.) Affix hot glue or clear adhesive to the top of the barrette and press the feather into place. Allow to dry completely before using.

To replicate the feather and buttons barrette, (See second barrette shown in the photograph above) select two similar feathers and complimentary vintage buttons. Glue the buttons onto the center of the barrette and press into place. Glue one slender feather onto either side of the buttons and allow it to dry completely. 

back view of the two jewelry pins

To craft the fan shaped guinea feather coat pin, (See pin front, the bottom item in the left photograph above) cut a half-moon from heavy cardstock or thin cardboard. Affix the pin to the back using clear adhesive. Glue several guinea feathers to the front side. Glue two vintage buttons using clear adhesive or a glue gun to the front center of the pin where the feathers meet. 

To make a wild turkey feather coat pin (Pin front shown on leopard print sweater in above photograph), glue one fluffy feather on top of a larger one. Then glue the feathers to a large button. Glue the jewelry pin to the button back.

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About the Author:
Deborah Tukua is the editor of Journey to Natural Living and the author of the healthy fresh from the blender recipe book, Naturally Sweet Blender Treats. She is a freelance writer for the Farmers' Almanac and Chiropractic Economics magazine and author of the book, Marketing Strategies for Chiropractic Success.

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