Crafts with feathers

[Mary Of Exeter]

So I have a box of 160+ feathers that I picked up today. Guinea, chicken, pigeon, and dove feathers - very pretty! I collect feathers but of course these being my birds, I already have plenty from them that I've kept.

Since money is hard to come by around here lately, I was thinking I should make some stuff with these. But my creative juice reserve is dried up. Any ideas? Perferably with stuff I don't have to go out and buy

I was thinking of maybe blowing out a few more eggs to make mini chickens. Just this time, I'll have some more feathers to stick on them!

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

That idea sounds cool!!

If you do make little chickens, I wanna see!!!

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

I'll make sure to post pictures when/if I try!

But in the meantime, I have discovered one thing I can do with the larger feathers. Dream catchers! I just made a pretty big one out of a wire coat hanger (annoying to work with, but the only wire I could find with it being dark and cold outside

), some string, beads, and three guinea feathers. For my first one, and not knowing a thing about the designs in the middle of the catcher, I think it looks pretty good!
I can't find the camera anywhere but I will show you guys when I find it

 

[Carolyn]

Last year I saved some feathers mostly from my fav roo a Barred "Rocky". He got killed in the spring. I ran across the feathers yesterday and made bouquet. It was simple but kinda cute.
I've added feathers to flower arrangements and incorporated them into some wreaths.......I don't know if that will give you any inspiration or not.

Could you fix small arrangements in dried 1/2 egg shells glued on a flat base. Or perhaps use in a nest of eggs from your pigeons and doves (I don't really know if they lay enough eggs to do that or not. I''ve used eggs from blown down wild bird nests that had an egg or two left.)

Oh, I've also seen some jewelry with feathered fishing lures with the hooks removed: necklaces and earrings. You'd just need the spinners and some beads plus the chain etc to do them. From what I've seen at flea markets, jewelry sells pretty well.

Now someone please come up with some better ideas (won't be hard) to help Mary out.

 

[ChicknLover]

When I went to pheasant fest, I saw items using pheasant feathers, they hot glued them around a styrofoam ball and used different colored feathers in layers, they were christmas ornaments, very pretty.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Quote:
I've never made a wreath before, but it sounds like feathers would make nice decorations for them

The ball ornaments sound neat too! I haven't thought of that. Might be worth a try

I too thought about the earrings. Especially with any saddle or hackle feathers I pick up. Perhaps if I can find some cheap earrings, I can work with them to make new ones.

I'm sure a trip to the craft store will open up my mind

Thank you for the ideas!