Macrame Feather DIY Tutorial
I had a huuuuuge reaction over on insta about doing a DIY tutorial for this macrame feather I posted a few days ago.
I’m so over the moon about your reactions! I LOVE IT AND KEEP THAT ISH UP.
Anyway, a little introduction to how this mini-project came about:
After finishing my first macrame wall hanging, I ended up cutting off a bit of the fringe so it’d have a nice, smooth transition.
The cord (from Knotty Katty) is SO lovely to work with… I didn’t want to waste any of it! I decided a cute lil’ macrame feather would make an excellent key-chain or necklace! & would be a fantastic way to use up the leftover cord scrap.
(+ I have a pop up event happening in less than two weeks. Who wouldn’t want the BEST boho accessory for the cash they have in their pocket!?)
Here’s how it turned out:
Ready to make your own?! Of course you are. That’s why you’re here, right? 😉
Materials:
- Scrap macrame cord or multi ply yarn
- Scissors
- Key-chain (or a necklace loop/bead)
For this tutorial/example, I’m using Wool and The Gang’s XL Cotton from Joann’s.
How to DIY your own Macrame Feather
1. Take one of your longer scrap pieces, mine measures about 12 inches, and fold it in half.
The length of this piece dictates the length of your feather, so make sure it’s long enough after folded in half. (i.e. mine’s 6 inches after being folded).
I used my hand to measure the length I wanted.
2. Using your long scrap piece, tie a lark’s head knot around your key-chain or necklace loop. Be sure to pull it tight!
In case you’re not sure how to make a Lark’s Head Knot, I’ve found a couple of excellent tutorials for you!
Video Tutorial: Click here
Written tutorial: Click here
3. Cut quite a few approximately 5″ pieces. They don’t have to be perfect and you can make them longer/shorter if you want. You’ll end up cutting quite a bit off to form the shape of the feather.
I needed about 40 for my 6″ feather, but the number you need depends on how long you’d like your feather to be and the weight of your string.
4. Using a simple overhand knot (the first step when tying your shoes!), tie your 5″ pieces on the long string you just tied to your loop, bead, or key-chain.
Make sure to pull it tight and push it all the way to the top.
Here is a great tutorial for the overhand knot, if you’re unsure.
5. Keep repeating step 4 until you’re satisfied with the length of your macrame feather.
Make sure you continuously push your knots to the top and keep them as tight as possible.
You want to leave at least 1 inch passed your last overhand knot. This will be the “point” of your feather!
If you have too much string left on your longer piece, you can cut it shorter but still make sure to leave about 1 inch.
6. Once you’re happy with the length of your macrame feather, you can start to unravel all the ends.
This is the most fun part, but also the most time-consuming. There’s no strategic way to do it, as far as I know. I just start pulling the strands apart until they’re all separated.
I put on Dexter (my current obsession) while I did this. It took me about 20 minutes to get them all.
The top left side of the photo above has the loose ends unraveled.
7. THE LAST STEP! It kinda resembles a feather now, right!? The last step is to cut the loose unraveled ends to the shape of a feather.
Make sure you stand over a trash can. This part can get a little messy!
I didn’t get too strategic with it, I just went for it! Remember to cut little pieces off at a time. You can always cut more but you can’t put it back. 🙂
And that’s it! WAAHLAAA!
The right feather used Knotty Katty‘s cord and the left feather used WATG XL Cotton
Shake ya tail feathers! Tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see how yours turned out!Don’t hesitate to drop a comment or email me (admin@theflaneurco.com) with any questions you may have or if anything at all is unclear.
I’m more than happy to help!
Until next time,
Caitlin *I’ve disabled comments due to insane amounts of spam.
so cute and easy… a great project for a quick gift or embellishment. Thank you! <3
Tamara,
Thank you so much and I’m glad you enjoyed the tutorial! I’ve made SO many of these it’s almost embarrassing, haha 🙂
Someone Suggested using a comb it turned out great
Kim
Kim,
I purchased a small comb for cats and it worked out great! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
How do you ensure the last piece stays on without knotting someHow? Would it not slip off the bottom of your string?
Hi Alyssa,
I’ve found that with macrame cord & other multi-ply yarn that the roughness of it helps keep the last knot in place. Also, unraveling the end helps hold it in place as well.
I have the blue feather on my keychain, so it gets a lot of wear & tear. So far, I haven’t had any issues with it! Hope this helps! 🙂
Hpw do you get the feathers to stay ‘neat’? Can you use spray starch on them to help hold the shape?
Hi Carolann!
I imagine using starch wouldn’t hurt anything! You may want to test it out on some of your leftover scraps to see how your specific fiber reacts before using it on your finished feather.
I actually put a small white feather on my keychain and it’s gotten very dirty – SAD DAY! If you do try out any types of “finishing”, let me know how that goes for you! 🙂 Hope this helps!
I have been wanting to try and make a small feather and yours is the first I came across that was small, I think you explained it just right and I hope when I get a chance to make one it turns out as good as yours. Thanks
Sheryl, I would love to see it whenever you’ve finished it! I imagine it will turn out perfect, especially because YOU made it! 🙂
You can unravel the strings in just a few seconds with a fine tooth comb! Works perfectly every time! 🙂
Hi Malinda.
That’s a great idea! I may have to go pick one up and try that. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂