Paper crafts: how to make feather decorations

Try a paper craft project that gives great results for very little effort. These fabulous paper feathers take a matter of minutes to make, and you can use materials you already have around your home. 

These pretty feathers are made from an old book, but you could use magazines, scraps of wallpaper, prints you don’t have room to hang, or maps, and they would work equally well. Why not make a few and string them up as a garland, or tie a couple together with ribbon and add a name tag to create a place setting at a wedding or a party?

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You will need: 

• Templates (you can screenshot the ones at the bottom of this page)
• Tracing paper
• Masking tape
• Pencil 
• Scissors
• Rubbers (to create the stamps)
• Craft knife 
• Cutting mat
• Ink-stamping pads
• Blunt knife
• Ruler

Step one: create your templates

Trace out the shapes for the feathers and transfer them on to your book pages. Then use scissors to cut out the shapes.

Step two: make the stamps

Make a few simple stamps from rubbers by drawing a shape on to each in pencil and cutting the shape out using a craft knife. Protect your work surface with a cutting mat.

Step three: create a pattern on the feathers 

Print repeat patterns down the length of each feather using the ink-stamping pad. You can stick to one colour or use two or three. 

Step four: give the feathers some shape 

Use a blunt knife and a ruler to make the score lines indicated on the template. First, fold the feather in half along the centre score line, then reverse-fold the two sides along the outer score lines. The feather will lie flat with a raised ridge down the centre. Repeat to make all feathers.

Step five: snip the feathered edges 

To finish each feather, use scissors to cut very thin snips from the outer edge, towards the centre, stopping short of the outer score lines.

Print out templates: 

Get more easy craft ideas:

• How to make a flower garland
• Washi tape ideas: upcycle furniture with tape
• DIY headboards: 11 easy makes for this weekend