Hat Making Project

Curling Feathers and Quills

Learn how to use hair straighteners to curl feathers and quills, as well as how to partially strip and colour a feather for added effect. 

Hat Making Project

Curling Feathers and Quills

Learn how to use hair straighteners to curl feathers and quills, as well as how to partially strip and colour a feather for added effect. 

Projects / Curling Feathers and Quills

Project Overview

Birds’ feathers have been used by milliners for centuries. So many different colours, sizes, textures and shapes of feathers can be found in nature and many work as stunning hat trims exactly as they are. Sometimes, however, curling, shaping or manipulating feathers can really make your hats stand out from the crowd.

Like our fingernails, feathers are made out of a natural protein called keratin. When heat is applied, they will bend. Milliners sometimes use steam, boiling water or curling tongs (curling iron) to shape their feathers.

Georgina Abbott from Atelier Millinery in London finds that ceramic hair straighteners work best because they reach a higher temperature and stay hot. In this tutorial, she demonstrates how to use hair straighteners to curl feathers and quills and how to partially strip and colour a feather for added effect.

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What You Need

  • A long feather (eg. a single goose feather) or a quill
  • A pair of ceramic hair straighteners (flat iron)
  • A permanent marker to match your feather

Project Overview

Birds’ feathers have been used by milliners for centuries. So many different colours, sizes, textures and shapes of feathers can be found in nature and many work as stunning hat trims exactly as they are. Sometimes, however, curling, shaping or manipulating feathers can really make your hats stand out from the crowd.

Like our fingernails, feathers are made out of a natural protein called keratin. When heat is applied, they will bend. Milliners sometimes use steam, boiling water or curling tongs (curling iron) to shape their feathers.

Georgina Abbott from Atelier Millinery in London finds that ceramic hair straighteners work best because they reach a higher temperature and stay hot. In this tutorial, she demonstrates how to use hair straighteners to curl feathers and quills and how to partially strip and colour a feather for added effect.

What You Need

  • A long feather (eg. a single goose feather) or a quill
  • A pair of ceramic hair straighteners (flat iron)
  • A permanent marker to match your feather

Get Full Access

HATalk Subscribers – sign in below to view the full instructions for this project.

Not a Subscriber yet? Sign up to begin your free trial and get instant access to all of our hat making projects and e-magazines.

This Month’s HATalk Give Away

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This Month’s HATalk Give Away

Win a Ballesté Poupeé

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Unlimited Access to Hat Making Projects, Monthly e-Magazines and More

$4.99 / month with a 14-day free trial