Using Feathers For Hat Making

Feathers have been used to decorate hats for centuries. They can be cut, curled and shaped to create all kinds of unique trimmings.

Projects, E-magazines and Articles About Feathers

  • Project

    Feather Crown

    Create a fan-shaped 'Paradise Wonder' feather crown on a headband.

  • Metallic Feather

    Project

    Metallic Feather

    Turn an everyday hat into a statement piece with this metallic feather treatment.

  • Pleated Sinamay

    Project

    Pleated Sinamay Headpiece

    Make a sinamay button hat with a metallic effect pleated trim.

  • Feather Mount

    Project

    Feather Mount

    Bind goose nagoire and coque feathers to create a handmade feather mount.

  • Feather Flowers

    Project

    Feather Flower

    Cut and curl each feather petal individually to create a gorgeous flower.

  • HATalk Issue 164 - November 2019

    HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 164 – November 2019

    The Nsawam Prison Millinery Project: Velma Owusu Bempah offers hope through hat making in Ghana. Hat of the Month: A blocked and draped silk abaca headpiece by Spanish milliner Ana Franco. Feathers for Millinery: A Practical Guide – Helpful tips for dyeing, cutting and curling feathers from Amy Fowler. Mut zum Hut 2019: Ruth Eberz reports back from the annual German hat festival.

  • Feathers for Millinery

    Post

    Finding the Best Feathers for Millinery

    One of the most historically popular and elegant hat trimmings is feathers. From large, dramatically fluffy ostrich plumes to spiky points, feathers are so versatile and come in so many variations they can be an endless source of inspiration.

  • Feather Peony

    Project

    Feather Peony

    Make a peony flower out of curled nagoire goose feathers.

  • Project

    Curling and Knotting Biot Feathers

    Discover how to curl and knot goose biot feathers so that your millinery trimmings stand out in a crowd.

  • Sinamay Triangles Fascinator

    Project

    Sinamay Triangles Fascinator

    A pair of fused sinamay triangle shapes are sewn together, bound and added to a hair band to create an upswept fascinator.

  • Project

    Sinamay Rose Fascinator

    This tutorial focuses on rolling, shaping and hand sewing sinamay to create a small rosebud fascinator with leaves.

  • Project

    Sinamay Fascinator

    Use pieces of sinamay left over from other millinery projects to create a small bias strip and triangles fascinator.

  • Sinamay Twist Fascinator

    Project

    Sinamay Twist Fascinator

    A simple fascinator made with sinamay bias strips and feathers - perfect for a summer wedding or race meeting.

  • Project

    Feather Pad

    Make your own custom feather mounts with a small scrap of sinamay and a colourful assortment of feathers.

  • Project

    Blooming Feathers Fascinator

    An explosion of stripped coq and spiky goose biot feathers add depth and movement to this looped sinamay flower fascinator. 

  • Project

    Tulle Flower

    Make a pretty layered tulle flower hair decoration.

  • Project

    Twisted Base Fascinator

    Make an oval sinamay fascinator base and trim it.

  • Project

    Hackle Spray Fascinator

    A well made hackle spray is beautiful in its own right, so very little work is needed to turn it into a stunning feather fascinator.

  • Project

    Sinamay Lily Fascinator

    Turn a set of sinamay lilies into a dramatic fascinator.

  • Project

    Gathered Sinamay Bow

    A great project for millinery beginners, this quick and easy gathered bow is made from a single square of sinamay. 

  • 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. 

  • Biot Feather Bird

    Project

    Biot Feather Bird

    A novel way to use up leftover feathers, these little birds make a perfect hat trim or can be attached directly to a hair band.

  • Project

    Biot Feather Flower

    A quick and easy spikey goose biot feather flower tutorial which can be completed in less than an hour.

  • HATalk Issue 147 - June 2018

    HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 147 – June 2018

  • HATalk Issue 145

    HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 145 – April 2018

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 138 – September 2017

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 111 – June 2015

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 76 – July 2012

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 64 – July 2011

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 54 – September 2010

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 48 – March 2010

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 45 – December 2009

  • HATalk e-Magazine

    Issue 5 – August 2006

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Enjoy HATalk

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

$4.99 / month with a 14-day free trial

This Month’s HATalk Give Away

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This Month’s HATalk Give Away

Win a Millinery & Business Academy Membership.