War bonnets, the feathery headdresses worn by American Indians, are used in plays and other costume events. American Indians received a feather for their headdresses each time they completed a heroic event. Some display only a few feathers, but you can add as many feathers as you want to create a more elaborate piece.
Preparation
Measure the head size of the person wearing the war bonnet so you can customize the size of the headband. Use a soft leather strap or piece of suede for the headband and sew it into a loop that fits snugly on the crown of the head, above the ears. Use a piece of material that is not too flimsy because it needs to hold the weight of feathers.
Adding the Feathers
Purchase large feathers at a craft supply store. You can use fake feathers or real ones, but buy feathers that are at least 8 to 10 inches long. Use colorful feathers if the headdress is for a child's play. Cut away part of each quill at the bottom of the feather so it does not extend beyond the bottom of the headband. A good method for knowing how much to cut away is to lay the quill over the headband and situate it until you like the height of the feather. Many war bonnets are constructed with about an inch of quill showing between the headband and the soft part of the feather.
Sew the feathers to the headband closely together. Put the largest feather in the center. If you have wing feathers and some are from a right wing and some are from a left, put the feathers from the right wing on the right side and the left ones on the left side. This technique will create a flowing pattern of feathers.
Incorporating Details
Cut a strip of material the same size as the headband to sew over the part of the band where you added the feathers. This strip of fabric will keep the feathers and place and hide the attachment work. You may want to use a soft, thick material such as flannel. Sew the fabric to the outer edge of the entire headband.
Attach a wide strip of beading, close to the same size as the headband, to the front of the band. If you can not find this beading at a craft supply store, you can improvise by using a thick-banded beaded bracelet. Sew the outer edges of the beadwork to the front of the headband.
Hang another feather or a series of small feathers down from a round object, such as a button, near the ears on the headband. The round piece, known as the ear targets, and the hanging feathers, known as the ear plumes, are two of the three decorations of a war bonnet that are never omitted, according to author Ernest Thompson Seton. The third is the brow band, which is often beaded.
Related posts
The headpiece and wings are most important to create the illusion of a turtledove.Making your own turtledove costume doesn't have to cost a lot of money. To create the illusion of being a turtledo...
Saloon girl costumes include flamboyant feathers.Saloon girl costumes bring to mind over-the-top boas, feathers and ruffles. These girly items stand out in a crowd. Whether you are preparing for a...
Make a peacock headband with a real peacock feather.Peacock feathers make the peacock arguably one of the most beautiful birds in the world. The rich, vibrant colors in the feathers make them perf...
The Red Hat Society is a women's society all about life, love, laughter and friendship. Gifts to give for Red Hat Society members celebrate these things and are a nice way to say "Thank you&q...
Pikachu is easily the most popular character in the Pokemon series. Created in Japan in the 1990s to be part of a Pokemon video game, Pikachu has since risen in popularity and graced merchandise,...
