How To Make An Indian Bonnet – Feather Head Piece

The Native American Indians would wear these feather bonnets when they would go out to war. They are not very hard to make and they can be a great project.

What you are going to need to make these feather head dressings is five leather straps, each 55 inches long, large pheasant feathers, clear nylon thread, large beads and a needle that can go through the beads.

The first thing you want to do is tie the straps together at one end, and then braid the leather straps into a band. You can see diagrams on how to do this by following this link. http://www.kingsmerecrafts.com/page73.html

Once you have your band ready knot the other end of the straps. Now what you need to do is cover the knot by wrapping two strap ends in opposite directions around the knot. Decide how you would like to place your feathers in the bad and weave them into the back of the band. You are almost finished all that’s left is to attach the beads using the needle and nylon thread. Once your beads are attached you’re done.

For a more visual description of how this project is done follow this link

http://www.ecouterre.com/make-a-diy-feathered-headdress-by-eliza-starbuck-of-bright-young-things/bright-young-things-headdress-diy-2/?extend=1

Some notes on this project

1) The color and arrangement of the leather straps will determine the pattern of the band

2) Choosing and placing the feathers will have the biggest impact on the way the headpiece looks

3) Think about the beads you choose to use and where you place them

Enjoy

Photo is attributed to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis