DIY Paper Feathers

Make these easy and inexpensive paper feathers. We used old book pages, but you can use any paper to make them. You will only need three supplies: paper, a glue stick and a wire for a centre for this quick and simple craft. Use them to decorate, on a Christmas tree, or as a gift topper.

I love this time of year, and decking the halls with lots of pretty Christmas touches.  There’s nothing better than a few simple handmade additions each year.  You will love these simple paper feathers with gold glitter.  They're perfect for Christmas as a decoration, or gift topper, or any time of year.

You might also like our 3D Orgami Hearts, Book Page Heart Garland, How To Make A PInecone Wreath, or DIY Mason Jar Oil Lamps.

Materials

• Book Pages: I decided to use paper book pages to make these gorgeous feathers. Unfortunately lots of old books end up in landfill, so finding ways to upcycle old books is a great way to give them a new life. Look for old books at garage sales, and thrift stores.
• Glue Stick: We chose to use a glue stick for this simple craft.  This works really well.  without the worry of wrinkling the paper like white glue can sometimes because of its high moisture content.  This isn't the time to use hot glue.  It's too thick for this craft. It would add to much bulk, and it would be difficult to cut through when it's time to cut the fringe.
• Wire: We used a white craft wire, that came in long pieces.  Use wire cutters to trim the wire, so that you don't damage your scissors.  You want a wire that's thick enough to hold the shape of the feather easily, but thin enough that it's easy to work with, bend, and cut through.

Variation

Paper: As an alternative to the book pages you could also use regular paper in different colors, or scrapbook paper, old maps, or sheet music.

Paper vs. Cardstock: I think paper works better here than cardstock, because the feathers will be double thick with two pieces of paper and the cardstock paper would be too thick.  We want a light and feathery effect, which paper will work better to create.

How To Make Book Page Paper Feathers

1. Step 1: We started by ripping a few pages out of an old book.  The size of your book will help determine the size of your feather.  We made the top of our feathers about 3-4 inches long. Next we positioned a wire on the sheet of paper and then glued another piece of paper on top to make a make a wire sandwich.  This wire will be the spine of the feather we're creating.  Our wire was about 6-7 inches long.

2. Step 2: Using scissors, cut the paper into the shape of a feather, with the wire as the centre of the feather, and the wire coming out at the bottom of the feather.  Some natural variation between each of the individual feathers is great, because it looks more authentic.  You want to roughly create a long leaf shape.  You may want to look at  some real feathers as inspiration for the shape of the feather your cutting out.

3. Step 3: Next, cut out a few notches in the side of the feather.  Then cut the feather like a fringe with narrow strips, and on a slight angle going upward, like real feathers.  The wire ensures that you can’t cut too far, and makes this step much easier than without a wire.

4. Step 4: Lastly, an optional step is to add glitter to the book page feathers.  Add some glitter to just the tips of the feather.  We used gold glitter in two different sizes, first a regular craft glitter and secondly a slightly larger glitter.  The combination of the two adds lots of interest and Christmas sparkle.

Expert Tip: After the glue on the paper feather craft has dried a little, ruffle up the fringe slightly to give the feather some dimension.  Just very slightly crumbling up the sides of the feather really helps make the look of the feathers be a little more realistic, and interesting. 

I love the look of these pretty little feathers, all dressed up for the holidays with a little glitter.  You could use any colors of glitter you like, to match your decor.  A brown glitter would work really well with the book pages too.  If you're using your feathers for something other than Christmas or want a more natural look, feel free to skip the glitter.

I made a pretty little paper feather garland with my book page paper feathers, and also used a few with a little holiday nest.  These would be really cute as a gift topper or gift tag too, or as Christmas tree ornaments.  

You could use them for lots of other occasions other than Christmas.  They'd be a great addition to a woodland or forest themed birthday party, wedding shower, or baby shower, or turned into a baby mobile.

These paper feathers take just a few simple steps.  They're inexpensive and easy to create, and they look so cute.  String them together into a garland or use them individually in your decor.

With Book Page Paper Feathers, life really is a party!

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DIY Book Page Paper Feathers

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Print Pin Rate

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Author: Dannyelle Nicolle-Ramjist

Equipment

• scissors

Materials

• old books
• glue stick
• wire
• glitter

Instructions

• Rip a few pages out of an old book, and glue two pages together with a wire down the centre, in-between the two pages.
• Cut the paper into a feather shape, with the wire as the centre of the feather, and sticking out the end.
• Next, cut out a few notches in the feather, and then cut the feather like a fringe with narrow strips, and on a slight angle like a real feather.
• After the glue dries ruffle up the fringe slightly to give the feather some dimension.
• Optional: Add some glitter to the tips of the feathers.