Vellum & Gold Feathers

Creating the Feathers

Begin by cutting a feather shape out of Vellum. This is essentially an elongated raindrop with a stem as the quill.

Once your feather is cut, fold the drop-shaped portion in half lengthwise. Do not fold the quill portion. Crease sharply, as this will create a visible white line on the fold.

Now we can color the edge of the feather using the gold Pen-touch® marker. Place the feather on a piece of scrap paper and trace around the outer edge of the feather, on both the front and the back. Allow the ink to set for a minute. (It won’t smear, but the ink is a tad bit sticky for a minute or so.)

Starting at the tip of the feather, cut at a downward angle, stopping close to the crease line. Continue making slits down the length of the feather. Repeat on the opposite side.

Our feathers will look more realistic if they aren’t perfect. So now make some randoms snips, shortening some of the feather pieces, and making others narrower. You really can’t do this wrong, so just play with it until it looks natural.

 Don’t worry if your feathers are different shapes and sizes, it will make your project look more organic and natural.

You can gently twist the feather to give it shape and dimension. Vellum is easy to bend and fold, and holds its shape well.

These pretty feathers are quick to make, so craft a bunch, because you’ll want to use them on all your projects! All of the following projects were created using a single sheet of Vellum paper.

You’re An Angel Card

What could be more angelic than these lovely Vellum feathers? Here’s a quick card layout…

Cut a piece of card stock to 8 ½ by 5 ½  inches. Fold in half.

Cut three rectangles from patterned paper. Round the corners if desired, then adhere one rectangle horizontally, covering the bottom third of the card. Add the other two rectangles to the upper portion of the card.

Round the corners of the card base.

Apply a glue stick to the quills of two feathers, and adhere at an angle with the quills crossed.

Cut out a journaling frame and adhere to the blank space above the feathers. I’m using a shimmery Gelly Roll® Gold Shadow™ pen, also made by Sakura. Write “You’re An Angel” in the frame.

Rub the edge of the card with the tip of a gold Pen-touch®  marker.

Feather Place Cards

These feathers would also make gorgeous place cards for an elegant brunch.

Adhere the quills of two feathers using a glue stick.

Tie a piece of twine in a bow around the quills.

Use a Gelly Roll® Gold Shadow™ pen to write your guest’s name on one of the feathers.

Place in a store-bought bird’s nest. (These are available at almost any craft store.)

Feathered Bunting

Finally, here’s a feathered bunting that looks fabulous as home decor.

I’m using mini clothespins for this project. You can find these at craft stores for a couple of dollars a bag.

Clip a mini clothespin to a piece of twine, then slide the quill of a feather into the clothespin.

This bunting is so lightweight that you can hang it with Scotch tape, so it’s a perfect project for renters!

What other fine feathered projects can you come up with? 

Click here for more handmade card ideas!