Yarn Feather Tutorial + Wreath

by Kelly Fleming Smith
(IC: blogger)
6 Materials
Learn to make gorgeous handmade yarn feathers, and make them the focal point of your Fall wreath!
Here are the main items you'll need:
Take a pipe cleaner in a color corresponding to the yarn you are using. Coat one end and a couple inches of it with the glue stick. I used some scrap paper under me to protect my workspace from stickiness.
Cut about 12 feet (needn't measure--basically a LONG piece) of yarn. Fold it in half, then fold the doubled length in half again. Continue folding it in half until the length of the bunch of thread is about 8 inches (give or take an inch).
Cut the folded edges off to make several equal-sized pieces of thread. Repeat to get 60-80 pieces of yarn the same length.
Now take the covered pipe cleaner and secure the end of it that doesn't have tail (the end you began covering) with something heavy (I used a weight). Beginning at the other end, tie a single knot around the pipe cleaner, placing the knot in the middle of the piece of thread. Repeat this with the rest of the yarn, tying each knot right under the preceding one.
I wanted long feathers, so I only left about 3 inches of stem. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly the tying went. Each feather only took about 15 minutes to tie.
Pour some liquid starch in a flat, shallow container. Set each feather in the liquid one at at time, pressing down to make sure all the yarn is immersed. Remove from liquid and gently squeeze excess (but don't wring out). Once you have soaked each feather, pour leftover starch back into the bottle to save for future use. You can clean up the soaking container in your kitchen sink with warm soapy water.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or heavy, smooth plastic (I used zipper storage bags, but will use aluminum foil next time). Form the feathers into the shapes you desire. Be particular here because once the dry, they can't be re-shaped without re-soaking them.
Once feathers are dry and stiff, you can trim them to the shape you desire. Use strong, sharp scissors to get through the stiffened yarn. I trimmed the blue and brown feathers, but left the white one as is. I liked the shaggy look of it for my project.
Enjoyed the project?
Suggested materials:
- Yarn
- Baker's twine
- Liquid starch
- Pipe cleaners
- Glue stick
- Acrylic craft paint

Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published September 6th, 2016 12:20 PM
Comments
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Margo on Apr 25, 2019
I knew that I bought the rainbow yarn for a reason,after reading ur post here is the purpose ! Thanks a bunch for sharing.
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Kelly Fleming Smith on Apr 26, 2019
Oooh..Rainbow yarn will be fun!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
How well will this hold up with rain and the outside elements? It's quite beautiful but I wouldn't want to make it and see it ruined quickly outside.
Can you air dry or do you have to use the oven?