How to make a pair of Angel Wings

Step 10 Feathers

I bought the best quality feathers I could find; the box of 1250 came to about 180 pounds, but you might be able to find feathers elsewhere for much less. Try the internet or local farmers.

The first photo shows a feather straight from the box.

The second show the same feather after I;

1) Teased the edges together (they have microscopic hooks and eyes which stick together again if you run your fingers along the edge).

2) Steamed it for about 30 seconds over a pan of boiling water (mind your fingers). This spreads it open and softens the outline.

3) Trimmed the end. Check your bird of choice for feather shapes; they vary along the length of the wing.

I did this for about 400 of the feathers I used, hence the huge amount of time the project took.