I’ve gotten a number of requests for a video on how I make my floofy-faux feathers, so here it is! I know there are some ethically-sourced feathers on the market, but these yarn “feathers” are a great alternative for those of us on a budget, are looking for a hard-to-find colour, suffer from feather allergies, vegans, or anyone who has had/has problems with moths and doesn’t want their hat feathers to be eaten away (which happened to me once with a vintage hat I had in storage and it was devastating!).
Oh, one other thought; there’s a doll maker whose videos I watch sometimes and he often creates the wigs for his dolls out of acrylic yarn in a pretty similar fashion. He just uses a very basic, square, wire pet brush to brush through all the yarn, which could potentially save you some time in separating and nicely combing it. It might give a different, fluffier texture though, I’d have to try them side by side and see which looks “featherier”, but I wanted to mention it just in case it was helpful!
Oh. My. STARS. Finally, a use for the crunchy acrylic yarn friends keep giving me! (I don't exactly enjoy knitting with it.) This is just in time for sunhat season, too. Thank you!
This is so cool!! I enjoy using feathers in costumes and clothing occasionally, but I’m always looking for feather alternatives as I’m vegan and don’t like using regular feathers. It looks so great!!
This is brilliant! Im currently embarking on a costume project that features a prominent feather design on a hat, and I really didn’t relish the idea of sourcing ostrich feathers the right color or, god forbid, having to dye them myself. This lets me get yarn the exact shade I need, and I could even make them as long as I need. I use a small wire pet brush for fraying out yarn and fabric edges I want an aged, tattered look on and I think ill try that instead of unraveling and combing out all the strands on their own, and I see some others have mentioned that idea as well. Thanks so much for this tutorial, youve really helped me out on a project I wasnt quite sure how to tackle otherwise
These are wonderful, Kate! I used to sell (& still have quite a big collection of) antique & vintage hats + trimmings. Your fluffy faux feathers look quite a bit like the real thing~ Did you come up with this idea or find it among your magical, antique ephemera? I ❤that no birds were involved👒🐦
I gotta do this! I have so much white and grey yarn since I let my friend dump her culled yarns on me. I don't know why I allowed that since I can't knit. The fake feather does have a historical feel, though, since there was eventually an environmentalist movement where some people eschewed feather hat decorations IIRC?
I’ve gotten a number of requests for a video on how I make my floofy-faux feathers, so here it is! I know there are some ethically-sourced feathers on the market, but these yarn “feathers” are a great alternative for those of us on a budget, are looking for a hard-to-find colour, suffer from feather allergies, vegans, or anyone who has had/has problems with moths and doesn’t want their hat feathers to be eaten away (which happened to me once with a vintage hat I had in storage and it was devastating!).
I am LIVING for this video! The old fashioned video techniques, the hats! It's all too much! I love it!!
Oh, one other thought; there’s a doll maker whose videos I watch sometimes and he often creates the wigs for his dolls out of acrylic yarn in a pretty similar fashion. He just uses a very basic, square, wire pet brush to brush through all the yarn, which could potentially save you some time in separating and nicely combing it. It might give a different, fluffier texture though, I’d have to try them side by side and see which looks “featherier”, but I wanted to mention it just in case it was helpful!
Let me know if you do try it! I don't own such a pet brush myself but I'd be interested to know the results.
Oh. My. STARS. Finally, a use for the crunchy acrylic yarn friends keep giving me! (I don't exactly enjoy knitting with it.) This is just in time for sunhat season, too. Thank you!
I actually came up with these feathers when I friend gave me a bunch of crunchy acrylic yarn that I didn't know what else to do with it!
Good Idea, I especially love using crochet-tiny (size 30) flowers too
Very informative video
This is so cool!! I enjoy using feathers in costumes and clothing occasionally, but I’m always looking for feather alternatives as I’m vegan and don’t like using regular feathers. It looks so great!!
That was really interesting!
Might I recommend a dog brush for the combing out? It makes the task much easier if you have access to one!
Very cute idea!
That would probably work well if you had one! :)
This is brilliant! Im currently embarking on a costume project that features a prominent feather design on a hat, and I really didn’t relish the idea of sourcing ostrich feathers the right color or, god forbid, having to dye them myself. This lets me get yarn the exact shade I need, and I could even make them as long as I need. I use a small wire pet brush for fraying out yarn and fabric edges I want an aged, tattered look on and I think ill try that instead of unraveling and combing out all the strands on their own, and I see some others have mentioned that idea as well.
Thanks so much for this tutorial, youve really helped me out on a project I wasnt quite sure how to tackle otherwise
Amazing I love this I never even heard of this, great video!!
Brilliant idea!
This is brilliant!
Cool!
I love this!
These are wonderful, Kate! I used to sell (& still have quite a big collection of) antique & vintage hats + trimmings. Your fluffy faux feathers look quite a bit like the real thing~ Did you come up with this idea or find it among your magical, antique ephemera? I ❤that no birds were involved👒🐦
Thanks! I came up with it 🙂
Love it ❤
Thank you for this. Close to two decades as a milliner and I never figured it out!
Acrylic yarns?
Yup, acrylic :)
@@TheLongHairedFlapper What did they use before acrylic yarns were available? Silk?
I gotta do this! I have so much white and grey yarn since I let my friend dump her culled yarns on me. I don't know why I allowed that since I can't knit. The fake feather does have a historical feel, though, since there was eventually an environmentalist movement where some people eschewed feather hat decorations IIRC?
Yes, there was :)
try using a cat brush.
It might work well with one of those really wire-y ones, although my cat's brushes are all either too soft or have teeth too far apart.
@@TheLongHairedFlapper the wire ones do work.