Make 33 Pretty Things With (Cruelty-Free) Feathers

We’re all sick of birds, but that doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate our feathered friends into our daily lives. Celebrate the start of spring with some cute, feathery projects.

On Finding the Right Feathers

Those silly craft stores sometimes only have the brightly colored, costumey feathers that you used to glue to construction paper. But as you probably know, the internet blesses those of us in need of obscure craft supplies, like cruelty-free feathers or eagle imitation feathers.

Have a sad feather that looks like this?

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This tutorial explains how to use a teakettle to turn it into this:

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Basically, you hold it over the steam for a few seconds, then gently brush the pieces between your fingers until they regain their shape. Just don’t burn yourself.

Now Onto the Crafty Bits

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1. Dip your feathers in gold and glitter.

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Sure you can use them for wedding DIYs, but why not incorporate them into some of the other feathery projects you're sure to make over the next few days? You'll need feathers, glitter, and metallic paint, plus some string if you want to make them into a garland. Directions here.

2. Clip your feathers onto your shoes, hair, scarves, or whatever.

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Because why wouldn't you want upcycled shuttlecock feathers on your toes? The somewhat sparse directions are available here.

3. Hang your feathers on your wall in a fancy garland.

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But remember, if you want to use lots and lots of feathers, get them from an ethical source.

4. Pretend like you're a hipster and wear your feathers in your hair.

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You don't have to have flowing red locks to pull them off, like this blogger does for her tutorial.

5. Tie your feathers to some grapevines and hang them on your door.

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It looks prettier than it sounds. This project uses a hot glue gun, which makes it even more awesome.

6. Make matching feathered pens for you and your pen pal.

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They're like real life Harry Potter quills! Just make sure to wear rubber gloves while playing around with that Rit. Directions here.

7. Tie some feathers to twigs for perky seasonal decoration.

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It's like a Christmas tree, but for Easter! Oh what joy. Tutorial here, and you can find birch branches here.

8. Hot glue some small feathers onto a felt hat to shade your eyes from the sun.

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It's absolutely perfect for all of those picnics you'll theoretically go on with your friends. This is also a hot glue magic piece, with directions here.

9. Get a little more involved with your feathers and glue them on a skirt.

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It's really cute (although who knows HOW you'd clean the thing). Our only problem: we're not sure where you could find cruelty-free or imitation feather trim. Thoughts? (Originally here).

10. Learn how to make jewelry like a real jewelry designer, and put feathers on a necklace.

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Just let the feathers flutter around your neck with help from this tutorial.

11. Create an entrancing feather mobile with the help of some found twigs.

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The addition of the lace feminizes this project. You could use one longer stick, or tie the sticks in a square instead of a triangle, and vary how many feathers or strips of lace you tie onto the sticks. The basic tutorial's here.

12. Use gel pens to make color coordinated writing utensils.

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If your ethically-sourced feathers don't come in the right color, there are multiple tutorials around, like this one, that show you how to dye feathers. Just find one you like. The tutorial for the pens is available here.

13. Dye your feathers trendy ombre colors.

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Speaking of dying feathers, here's a nifty trick to make them extra fashionable.

14. Come up with an excuse to wear a corsage or boutonniere IRL.

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Or don't. Because who really needs a reason to wear something so pretty? Tutorial here.

15. Glue your feathers into a cascading headband or hairclip.

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This tutorial's a twofer, although we're partial to the headband.

16. Hang your (paper) feathers as a window treatment.

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Paper's a humane way to make feather look-a-likes, although use recycled paper to stay eco-friendly. Alternatively, you could just use real feathers from the ethical sources above. Directions here.

17. Make (leather) feathers into a necklace.

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This is another feather-imitation, but we couldn't resist including it because it's pretty. Directions are available here.

18. Use shiny paint to make your feathers magpie-worthy.

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These will shine so prettily in your hair at summer music festivals, just make some ahead of time following these directions.

19. Because washi tape is the best craft supply out there, make some feather art with it.

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This one's super simple. You can use any type of washi tape that would match your decor. Just follow these super simple directions.

20. Hang a feathered chandelier over your next at-home brunch.

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Bonus points if your brunch is outside, and you find a way to hang it from a tree. Think of how nice the feathers will look as they flutter in the breeze. Directions here.

21. Let feathers dangle from your ears all day.

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The feather trend started with earrings and hair extensions, so we're paying tribute to the originators here. You can make these yourself if you follow these instructions.

22. Reflect all the pretty light with a (brass) feathered headband.

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You could always skip the brass feather-making and use regular old feathers instead. Better yet, gild the real feathers first (directions above), then use them in this tutorial.

23. Catch all your bad dreams in a doily dreamcatcher.

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The feathers will let the good dreams flow back into your mind, and the doily will trap the bad dreams so you don't remember them. Directions here.

24. Stash your iPhone in a feathered clutch.

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Like the above skirt, we're not sure where to find ethical feather trim. But these instructions can give you a start if you manage to find some. (Or you could just support killing birds. Your choice. Really.)

25. Celebrate any special occasion in feathered heels.

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Birthday? Feathered heels. Anniversary? Feathered heels. Post-winter leg shaving? Feathered heels. Directions here.

26. Skip the bling and put feathers on your nails.

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Despite what fashion editors might hope, nail art isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Use feathers to get in on the trend with this tutorial.

27. Accessorize your keys with a feather patch.

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You can pick whatever colors you like best. Directions here.

28. Find a candelabra for your feathered candles.

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The translation for this tutorial, in case you don't have a translator in your browser, reads:

"how it works: ♥ Find out scissors, a spoon, candles and napkins with a pattern you like. ♥ Cut out the pattern you want to use. ♥ Remove all layers the napkin except thin with press. ♥ Hold the pattern where you want it to sit on the light. ♥ Hold the spoon over a flame until it is hot and hair as gently back of the napkin. then melted candle wax through the thin napkin as it gets tightly.”

The tutorial does use a printed napkin, but we think you could easily substitute a feather.

29. Fluff out your wedding bouquet with feathers.

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Whether or not you decide to use bling in your blooms, the feather flower tutorial could work for other projects, too, like hair pieces. Directions here.

30. Make a knockoff designer feathered blazer.

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It's not a step-by-step, but it uses the same feather trim techniques as the clutch and skirt above. Originally here.

31. Go for feather minimalism with a feather barrette.

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Maybe you don't want them hovering around your waist all day, but you can still accent your hair with this elegant feather barrette.

32. Carry the minimalism over into a feather garland.

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It's less fluffy and allows every feather to get the attention it deserves. Directions here.

33. Illuminate your windowsill with feather lanterns.

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They're so simple and warm, and you don't have to worry about them catching on fire because of the fake tea lights that are so popular these days. Directions here.