It’s Bonnie! I’m terribly sorry for the long wait y’all have been going through. But hey, here’s one to get the month of September rolling!
I’ve always been very partial to feathers in the hair, and I’ve noticed recently that it’s become a fashion statement once again. Of course, I’m not going to spend twenty dollars to put a chicken feather (we all know they’re not really eagle feathers, people) in my hair. So here’s my hair-ornament for the birdbrains out there :)
What you will need:
- A package of feathers (you can get these for about $3-$4 – try to make sure you get the ones that have a wrapped base)
- Large clasps (I used a medium one, and you can see that it was just a wee bit too small for my feathers)
- Needle-Nose Pliers
- Scissors
- Embroidery Thread (or hemp, but don’t forget that hemp is more likely to pull at your hair)
- Tape
- Bobby pin or Barrette
Step 1: Lay the base of the feathers in a clasp. Using the pliers, force the edges of the clasp to fold down over the feather until they’re flat, and the feather is sturdy in the clasp.
(I forgot to photograph this step, but you should be able to see the clasp in the next pictures.)
Step 2: Cut two strands of thread at about twice the length that you want the “rope” part of your feather ornament to be. String these threads through the hole in the clasp until the clasp is exactly half-way down the thread.
Step 3: Tape the clasp to a flat surface. You can do this project without taping it, but this will make it a lot easier.
Step 4: Take one of the two sides of thread and pull it OVER the other side, hold it down with your finger, and pull it back to the side it started on. It should look like a four. (4 <-- Just like that, but with a feather on top!) Then, put it under the side of thread that you didn’t move, through the corner of the four, and over the far corner of the four. Pull it tight. Repeat this with alternating sides until it's reached the desired length. It will form a mottled spiral.
Step 5: String the thread through your bobby pin or barrette. This is basically the easiest step – double knot the thread, and then cut off any excess.
Step 6: Place in hair!
I tried a few different ways to see what looked best, and my personal favorite is the underlayer of hair right behind my ear with the thread in front. It peeks out of your hair, but it’s not sticking out to the point where it’s screaming “Hey, look at me, I’m a birdbrain!”
Enjoy :)
