How to Make Your Own Indian Feather Headband

Feathers make for a realistic-looking Indian headband.

Making an Indian feather headband is a simple craft for older elementary school children. Make this headband around Thanksgiving so the kids can play dress up for the holiday. This craft allows for plenty of artistic expression, since each child can color his headband however he wishes. The feathers give the headband an impressive, realistic look.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler
• Pencil
• Heavy corrugated cardboard
• Craft knife
• White construction paper
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Various colored markers
• Hole punch
• 12-inch piece of string
• 11 brightly colored large craft feathers
• 11 pieces of penne pasta
• 2 brightly colored small craft feathers

Instructions

1. Use a ruler and pencil to draw a 14-inch by 1-1/2-inch rectangle onto a piece of corrugated cardboard. Cut out with a craft knife.

2. Freehand draw, or use an object and trace, two circles each with 2-inch diameters. Cut out the circles.

3. Trace the cardboard rectangle and two circles onto a piece of white construction paper. Cut them out with scissors.

4. Glue the white paper onto the rectangle and circles, and allow to dry. Glue each circle onto the rectangle, four inches from the ends and evenly centered on top of the rectangle.

5. Decorate headband and circles with colored markers.

6. Punch a hole on each end of the rectangle about 1/2 inch from each end. Loop the string through the holes and tie the ends together in a bow. This can be adjusted later to fit around the child's head.

7. Push the quill--the pointed end--of each large feather into a piece of penne pasta. Put each penne pasta piece into the corrugated holes on the top of the headband. Space them evenly around the front of the headband, leaving about an inch of space between pieces of pasta.

8. Poke the two small feathers into a corrugated hole on the bottom edge of the headband, each feather next to a temple.

References

• Family Corner: Indian Chief Headdress & Indian Vest