Love the feather trend but don’t fancy using plucked feathers of questionable origins?

These DIY embroidery feathers are the cruelty free answer to the real deal, and can be used for all sorts – necklaces, dream catchers, hair pieces – or earrings like these. It’s a little fiddly, and you’d best put aside the best part of an hour to get it done, but the results are worth it.

Here’s how to make your own embroidery feather earrings:

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Eyepins
• Embroidery thread
• PVA Glue
• A flat piece of plastic – a tupperware lid will do!
• Paintbrush
• Glue stick

1. Cover about 30cms of embroidery thread with your glue stick. Start wrapping your eye pin from top to bottom and back up again. Tie off by threading through the eye of the pin and knot together.

2.Cut around 30 lengths of embroidery thread – you can use as many colours as you like!  Make the threads slightly longer than you need – this will make them easier to tie onto the eye pin. I did mine 10 cms.

3. Starting at the top, tie each length to the eye pin using a double knot. Tip: Use your glue stick to swipe each thread – it will make is so much more manageable! Keep going until you reach the other end. Once you’re done, trim the ends of your lengths so they’re even.

4. Mix a teaspoon of modge podge with a few drops of water and mix well. Lay out your feather on a piece of plastic and then paint on the glue solution with a brush. Spend a bit of time to get a feather shape. You want it damp, but not completely wet, it will just take longer to dry!

5. Leave for at least a couple of hours to dry. It should be completely stiff and come off the plastic easily.

6. Now trim the ends so you have a clean shape, and attach to your favourite necklace, bracelet, earring hooks or dream catchers!