Save keeps your ticked steps. We email you a link, no password.
Steps written out by Crafting Step by Step from Lots of Knots Canada's video (opens YouTube) (6:47). Published .
A macrame feather (some people call it a macrame leaf) is one of the quickest wins in fiber art. There is only one knot to learn, and the soft, brushed look comes from a pet brush. Chantel Conlon of Lots of Knots Canada makes a large 15 inch feather with a felt backing that keeps it flat and crisp on the wall.
Use single strand twisted cotton. It unravels and brushes out into soft fibres. Braided cord will not brush out at all, and 3-ply rope brushes out but stays crinkly. Chantel uses 3mm cord for this large feather. A 2mm cord makes a finer feather and is better for small sizes like keychains and earrings.
Chantel's felt template is 13 inches long and 7 1/4 inches wide at its widest point, which gives a finished feather about 15 by 8 inches. For that size, cut one 36 inch centre cord and 32 pieces at 17 inches each. To make a smaller feather, shrink the template and cut the side cords about 2 inches wider than the felt at that point. A set of three sizes looks great hung together.
A brushed feather is floppy on its own. Without support it droops and loses its shape after a week on the wall. The felt keeps it flat and gives you a clean line to trim along. If you would rather skip felt, you can spray the back with fabric stiffener and let it dry flat, then trim.
Brushing takes longer than knotting, so settle in. Work in short strokes from the spine outward and hold the knots down firmly so you do not pull them loose. If the cord resists, untwist the last inch of each strand with your fingers first. A slightly damp brush tames static on dry days. Stop when the strands look like soft hair with no kinks left.
Cotton collects dust over time. Every few months, take the feather down, give it a gentle comb and a shake outdoors. Hang it away from direct sun if you used a coloured cord, since cotton fades.
New to knots? Start with macrame basics and the lark's head knot, which is the cow hitch flipped over. Then try a macrame plant hanger with leftover cord.
Free printable
One page you can take to the table. Free with a free account, no password.
Free, for this project
How to make a macrame feather: tie cow hitch knots down a centre cord, brush the cotton out with a pet brush and back it with felt. An easy project: about 1 hour 30 minutes. Materials cost about $4 to $8. You need 8 things, including stiff felt sheet, fabric glue and pet slicker brush. The 10 steps start with gather Cotton String, Felt, Glue and a Pet Brush for a Macrame Feather and trace a Leaf Template Onto the Felt Backing.
10 steps, about 7 minutes. Tap a picture to jump to that step. Your progress saves automatically.
Tick each step off as you go.
You need 3mm single strand twisted cotton string, a sheet of felt, fabric glue, a pet slicker brush with a fine comb, and sharp scissors. Chantel uses E6000 glue and a pet brush from the store. The brush is the secret. Its fine wire teeth untwist the cotton into soft fibres, which is what gives the feather its fluffy look.
Buy a brush you only use for crafts. Cotton fluff clogs it fast.
The felt backing holds the feather's shape on the wall, so start there. Chantel cuts a reusable template first, then traces it onto the felt. Hers is 13 inches long and 7 1/4 inches wide at the widest point, which makes a finished feather about 15 by 8 inches. A paper leaf shape folded in half gives you a template that is even on both sides.
Keep the template. Making a matching set is much easier with one.
Cut along your traced line with sharp scissors. Go slowly around the curves and the pointed tip so the edge stays smooth. This shape decides the final outline of your feather, because you will trim the brushed cord along it later. Set the felt leaf aside for now while you knot the feather itself.
Stiff felt works better than soft craft felt. It keeps the feather flatter on the wall.
Cut a piece of cord 36 inches long. This becomes the spine running down the middle of the feather. Fold it in half and tie a double knot near the fold to make a small hanging loop at the top. Lay it on the table with the loop at the top and the two long tails running straight down toward you.
Make the loop big enough to slip over a nail or a driftwood branch.
Cut 32 pieces of cord at 17 inches each. Fold one in half, slide the loop under the centre cords, and pull the ends through the loop. That is a cow hitch knot. It is the reverse of a lark's head knot. Flip a lark's head over and you see a cow hitch. Push it up snug under the top knot.
Lay the felt under your work now and then to check you are covering it edge to edge.
Add the next cord from the other side, then keep alternating. One on the left, one on the right, all the way down until all 32 pieces are on. Push each knot up tight against the one above so the spine looks neat. When you are done, tie the two middle strands in a double knot at the bottom to lock everything in place.
Leave about an inch of cord past the felt on each side so no felt shows from the front.
Move the feather to a board you do not mind scratching. Hold the spine down with one hand and brush the strands outward with the pet brush, working from the spine to the tips. Clear the cotton out of the brush as it builds up. Then go over it again with a fine comb so no curls are left. Flip it over and brush the other side.
Expect a pile of fluff. Brush over a towel or outdoors to save on cleanup.
Decide which side looks best and use it as the front. Turn the feather over. Run glue down the centre spine and spread a little over the felt as well. Press the felt leaf onto the back so it is centred under the spine. Flip the feather back over and add a dab of extra glue at the top for a strong hold.
Let the glue set before trimming so the felt does not slide out of place.
With the felt on the back, cut along its edge to shape the feather. Chantel's regular scissors were a bit dull, so she used her sewing scissors. Sharp shears give a crisp edge, while dull ones chew the fibres. Cut one side, then the other, and flip the feather over to tidy any stray bits you missed.
Trim a little at a time. You can always take more off, never put it back.
Give the front a final comb so the strands lie straight, and snip any that stick out past the outline, especially around the tip. Then fluff the fringe lightly with your fingers to give the feather a little more depth. Hang it by the top loop on its own, or group a few on a branch.
A light mist of fabric stiffener holds the shape longer in a humid room.
Keep going
How to Tie a Half Hitch (Horizontal Double Half Hitch, 2 Methods)
7 steps · about 10 minutes
More on this topic, picked for this macrame feather.
You reached the last step
Your ticked steps, the free printable and your other saved makes, together in My Projects. Free, no password.
Free printable
The bonus is hidden until you sign up.
Free with a free account, no password. Every step above stays open to everyone.
How to Make a Macrame Feather - Easy Macrame Leaf for Beginners
E6000
E6000 Craft Adhesive, Clear (3.7 oz)
The industrial-strength craft glue that bonds glass, wood, ceramic, metal, fabric, and concrete. The one adhesive most craft projects reach for.
Gorilla
Gorilla Dual-Temp Full-Size Hot Glue Gun
Dual-temp so it handles delicate florals and heavy materials alike. A precise nozzle and built-in stand make it the everyday craft-table gun.
OLFA
OLFA 18" x 24" Self-Healing Cutting Mat
The pro-standard cutting surface. Gridlines for square cuts, self-healing so blades never leave grooves, and big enough for paper, fabric, and leather.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links on this page may be affiliate links - clicking them and buying doesn't change your price, but helps support Crafting Step by Step.
The Crafter's Weekly
One short email with the week's best step-by-step guides. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Did this work for you?
Curated theme pages that include this tutorial.
Hand-picked next reads based on the one you just finished.
Macramé
9:10 video · 10 steps
Based on a video by Soulful Notions
Macramé
11:01 video · 7 steps
Based on a video by Majestic Macrame
Macramé
6:39 video · 7 steps
Based on a video by Marching North
Macramé
10:13 video · 7 steps
Based on a video by Gray Wonders
Pick the crafts you want to hear about. One email every Sunday with new step-by-step tutorials. No spam, easy to unsubscribe.
Weekly digest. Pick the categories you want. Unsubscribe anytime.
Send me tutorials about
