How to Make a Feather Necklace

Feathers make light, airy jewelry.

Homemade jewelry serves as a creative outlet for many artists. Whether you sell your homemade jewelry or make it simply to wear, it offers you a way to express yourself and create original pieces. It may also help you save money by recycling household items into interesting artpieces. One such project is the feather necklace. While feather jewelry is popular, it can be expensive. You may take apart an old feather duster or gather fallen feathers from a beloved pet for nothing. Along with a few other supplies, you can create your own feather necklace for just a few dollars.

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Feathers
• Scissors
• Needle
• Thread
• 30-gauge craft wire
• Wire nips
• Round-nosed pliers
• Jump rings
• Leather cord

1. • 1
     Examine your feather. If it is a very long feather, like a peacock feather or a turkey feather, you may want to cut it down. Snip the feather to the length you want, keeping in mind you'll be using the pointed end. Use the blade of your scissors to scrape away about an inch of plume on the non-pointed end. If your feathers are short, simply scrape the plume.
   • 2
     Thread your needle by poking a length of thread through the eye and pulling the needle to the center of the thread. Tie off the ends of the thread.
   • 3
     Poke the needle through the central spine of your feather just above the plume. Pull the thread all the way through until the knot hits the feather's spine. Pull the knot out a bit, slip the needle between the threads just in front of the knot, and pull tight.
   • 4
     Nip a piece of 30-gauge craft wire about 1 ½ inches long. Lay it against the feather's spine just above the plume. Wrap thread tightly around the wire, poke the needle back through the spine, and pull tight so the wire doesn't move. Wrap about ¼ of the wire with thread, keeping it tight. The wire should be very snug.
   • 5
     Slip the needle between two layers of thread and through the feather's spine. Pull tight and repeat, securing the thread. Snip the thread close to the feather's spine.
   • 6
     Bend the wire poking above the spine into an upside-down U-shape with your round-nosed pliers. Pinch the U closed and wrap one arm around the other in a tight coil. The result should be a little loop in the wire.
   • 7
     Open a jump ring with your pliers and slip it through the loop. Squeeze the ring closed, completing the pendant. Jump rings are simple metal rings that connect jewelry together.
   • 8
     String your feather pendant onto a leather cord. You can either leave the necklace as is, or crush the jump ring against the leather with your pliers so it won't move and make a few more feather pendants to create a plumed choker.