Birds of a Feather

Today’s project is extra special because it was created in collaboration with our friends at Project Calm Magazine. The mission of their magazine is to provide projects and resources for nurturing a mindful lifestyle, whether that is through handcrafting or tips for healthy self-reflection. Because they know how much we love using natural elements as inspiration, they asked us to design a set of printable feathers that you can use to build your own museum-like display for your home. 

There are 6 feathers in total, each hand painted by our maker Jessica and scientifically accurate. After she painted the feathers, we scanned them in to make a printable download that you can find at the bottom of this post. 

Tools

  • Scissors
  • Small Scissors for detail work (optional)
  • Paintbrush
  • Wire Cutters

Materials

  • Lightweight Photo Paper
  • White Tissue Paper
  • Mod Podge Glue
  • 18 Gauge White Cloth Floral Wire 

Steps

  1. Gather the tools and materials listed above.
  2. Print the PDF template at the bottom of the post onto lightweight photo paper. Cut out all feathers. Each feather has a front and back. 
  3. Brush Mod Podge on the back of a feather. 
  4. Place wire quill on Mod Podge side.
  5. Place the front of the feather on top and press together, with the quill sandwiched between.
  6. Allow to dry and fringe the edge of the feathers with small scissors.
  7. Bend the edges of the feathers to add dimension.
  8. Cut 1 x 1.5″ strips of tissue paper, fringe and glue to the base of the feathers. 

Creating a Museum Display

As you can see from our photos (and the photos in the magazine feature), we used these printable feathers to create a pretty art display that you can hang in your home. After you print the feathers, it is a really easy way to style them! Find a piece of foam core and a pretty frame that will fit the foam core. Cover the foam with a linen of your choice – using a neutral, burlap color is always a good option. Once you set this up, attach the feathers with straight pins, similar to the process of displaying specimens in a natural history museum. To fill out the display a bit more, we also mixed in some real feathers with the painted ones as a whimsical, unexpected touch. 

The final step in creating this display is adding the labels identifying each bird feather. We called upon our friend Paige, the talent behind HeyHalle, to use her hand lettering skills for these labels. Find the labels in a download below and print onto white cardstock. Then, secure them to the linen with a dot of hot glue or tacky adhesive. 

Making a DIY Baby Mobile

Another way that you can use these printable feathers is by making a hanging mobile. Find some 12-14 gauge copper wire and copper chains from your local jewelry store, then use the photo tutorial below to assemble. When you are finished with the mobile you can hang it in a nursery, or simply use it as elegant decor for your living room. 

Endless Inspiration

We love that Project Calm’s goal is to create a space that that nurtures and encourages women to use their love of craft and creativity to be mindful. It is so similar to our mission in creating this website! If you want to discover how our community of creatives can inspire you to empower the maker in you, browse our membership page to learn more. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for daily glimpses of what we are up to, or show us what you are up to by posting your project photos using #DIYDreamingWithLia! We love admiring your crafty successes. Always feel free to add your project suggestions to the comments below so that we can get you in on our creative process. Cheers! ~ Lia & Team