Cheyenne Feather Necklaces

I'm lovin' the mix of bohemian and glamour that these necklaces bring!

This is a simple tutorial which allows for a lot of customization. I also will show you a quick way to "dust" these feathers with a bit of metallic nail polish for a subtle shimmer. What's great about these is that they can be as simple or as complicated as you'd like. I'll teach you how to chain-wrap those gemstones, but if you're a beginner, you could create a simple drop at top and these necklaces would still look chic! 

These look awesome with a flowy top, skinny denim, some cowboy boots and of COURSE a cool hat. 

I've got two versions here, both with a distinct style. My turquoise one has a more Southwestern vibe, while the peacock feather one has a chic look. All the beads I've used are from Cousin Corporation, which you can buy at any craft store: Michaels, JoAnn, Meijer, Walmart and AC Moore. Follow Cousin on Facebook for giveaways and more!

Ready to learn? Let's go.

Step 1: Paint your feathers. I have an assortment of cruelty-free feathers I got from a no-kill farm in Iowa run by a Rabbi (who knew?!). I took metallic nail polish and used a nail sponge to dab a light dusting of the metallic paint at the bottom of the feathers. I left the peacock feathers I had plain because they already had a beautiful sheen (and I used these for the crystal necklace). I used a mix of plain and metallic-dipped feathers for the turquoise necklace. Pair your feathers up by crimping at the top with a ribbon end. There are no right or wrong ways; play with your beads and types of feathers to create a cool combination!

I took a Cousin Coropration large gemstone pendant (you can find similar ones here) and thread an eye pin through, looping the other end to create a link. I took a Cousin large crystal (or you could layer with another gemstone, like my turquoise necklace), inserted a 5" piece of 26 gauge gold wire (match all your metals here for a clean look) and threaded back through the larger gemstone's hole, then wrapped around the top and bottom link to hold. Wrap tight and it will stay put. Now, take a long length of chain and open the last link. Close it after hooking through the gold wire (that's threaded through the crystal), either at the top or bottom of your pendant. Start wrapping around the crystal, making sure to open and close the links around the gold wire (at top and bottom) to make sure it won't unravel. I tried to just wrap but it DID unravel. Wrap as many times as you want, then clip off the excess. Wrap tight.

With a long piece of nylon cord or faux leather, take a headpin and wrap a couple times around the center of the length, creating a little loop where you should attach the pendant with a jumpring. I just knotted the top of the leather to create the necklace; if it's long enough, you can just pull on over your head. No fuss! 

These are great layering necklaces, which just will add to that total boho look. I like to mix different lengths of necklaces together and different materials- find combinations that work for you!

I could also see this technique, on a smaller scale, working for pretty earrings. Use one metallic-dipped feather earring and pair with a simple crystal at top. Cool, right?

I'd really love to do a black version with black cord, gold-dipped feathers and a black crystal. Just my style!

All photos copyright Allison Beth Cooling. DO NOT post/use images without linking to me!

ASOS Feather Gem Drop Earrings

Another feather earring tutorial!

This tutorial shows you how to make the ASOS Feather Gem Drop Earrings. 

They are really simple and quick to make. Feel free to experiment with colors of gems and/or feathers. The longest part of this tutorial is waiting for the glue to dry!

These are really good for any parties, because you can make them in about an hour and have a totally unique accessory in a pinch!

From ASOS

My version!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are pliers, ear wires, two feathers (synthetic please!), ribbon ends, superglue, and plastic gems in various sizes (the ones I used are for nails).

Step 2: Attach ribbon ends to the feathers. Then, lay out your gems. You will need 12 gems. 5 in the biggest size, 4 in medium, and 3 in small to get the graduated look. Then, simply pick up a dab of glue on a toothpick, dip the gem back in it, and attach to the center of the feather. Repeat, evenly spacing all your gems till you reach the bottom. 

Step 3: Wait about an hour or until they are dry. Attach your ear wires and you are finished!

If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated!

Edge of Urge- super hippie earring +diy

Handmade Edge of Urge-inspired Earring

The Real Edge of Urge Earring

Another Edge of Urge Earring

As seen on celebs like Lucy Hale (in Seventeen Magazine) these Edge of Urge earrings are totally popular right now, with the whole feather craze. So..... of course I had to find out how to make this myself. It seemed pretty simple; a hoop earring with feather, string and charm dangles. What's great about these earrings is that they are totally customizable. Colors, lengths of the dangles, how many dangles, what patterns, what beads, what string etc. are all choices that you can make to come up with a truly original earring, celebrity-style!

Plus, why spend $84 on the real deal when you can make one yourself for basically nothing? All that is needed is some wire, string, beads, paper, charms and feathers. Look below for the full tutorial!

Step 1: Gather materials. You will need wire (I just used a basic craft wire, but if you have sensitive ears use sterling silver because this hoop will be going through your ear. I'd say 18g / 16g wire, some embroidery floss, some hemp or other cool string, feathers, some charms, ribbon ends and some seed beads. I used size 11 seed beads and size 8.

Step 2: Crimp the ribbon ends to the ends of the feathers, making sure you crimp nice and tight so they are secure. I used three feathers, breaking into two groups. Take a piece of your wire, 4" or so, and wrap around the neck of a nail polish bottle to create a nice circular shape. Cut a little past where the ends meet.

Step 3: Make a small loop with the end of a roundnose pliers at one end of the wire. Loop the wire as seen in the middle picture, then bend the loop flat so it follows the curve of the wire (third picture). 

Take the wire with a regular pliers about .5cm from the other end, and bend straight up to form a 90 degree angle. Your loop is complete. 

Step 4: Set the loop aside. Make your first dangle; I deconstructed the embroidery floss into three individual threads, then braided them to a 3" braid. If you want yours to be longer or shorter, braid accordingly. Also, you could use three different color threads for a cool tye-dye look. I added three beads and a charm to the end, then brought my thread ends back up through the beads, and knotted at the top of the beads.

Step 5: Thread the other end of your braided dangle through a crimp, then back again to create a loop. Without crimping yet, add it to the wire loop, pull the thread tighter (but not too tight so it can't move on the loop) and crimp. Cut the ends. Now, this is the time to customize. You can add as many dangles as you want, as many braids, some charm dangles, whatever. I added one more dangle of embroidery floss with 3 size 8 seed beads tied on (this dangle was about 2.5"). I added a crimp to the top and crimped it onto my loop. Then I added my feathers to the other side. Go crazy or keep it simple. It's up to you!

Step 6: Create the signature Edge of Urge Cluster Flock feather. I tried to re-create as best as I could without spending 50 hours trying to get it exact. You can do the same; copy my feather or draw your own! The feather measures 3" long and about 1.25" wide. You will need a piece of wallpaper (you know those scraps you can get at Menard's? That's what I used. If you don't have any, you can use cardstock but they won't be waterproof. Or, you can use a piece of thick fabric. Whatever has the best pattern). I drew my feather on the blank side of the paper, and cut it out. Then, I glued it to the blank side again, and cut it out after it was dry, so it was double-sided. 

Last step; Poke a hole through the top of the feather. Add a jump ring, and attach to your earring. Finished!!! To close your earring, press the bent end of the wire up through the loop you created on the other side. It should easily latch.

The Finished Earring

If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated 

Feather Frenzy; a hip tutorial!

This summer is all about feathers; earrings, necklaces and accessories galore are gilded with these natural trinkets. Celebrities flaunt these airy charms with such ease. This got me to thinking.... being crafty, I'm sure I could make some of my own designer-worthy adornments!

celebrities are feather fanatics!

I also didn't want to just buy a bunch of feathers from a craft store or off the internet. Not only is this not nature (or animal) friendly, it's just so un-original. So, I went on a hunt. If I was going to use an animal product, I was going to make sure it was done with consideration and compassion for the animal; no feather-plucking. It turns out I found two feathers in the grass of my front yard; and they were both perfect sizes for earring-making. 

Enough talking. Here is the 7-step tutorial for my version of celeb-worthy earrings, shown above. :) The trick to these earrings is to only wear them one ear. 

Step 1: Gather materials. You will need some black embroidery floss, a small feather (preferably a found object), one silver earring fishhook, one silver ribbon end, three African tribal beads, two silver crimp beads, and about 3" of small, 2mm chain (differing sizes are ok).

Step 2: Add the ribbon end to the tip of the feather. Fold one side in, snug against the feather tip. Then, bend the other side over, on top of the first side. Squeeze really tight to secure.

Step 3: Add a length of chain to the feather. You can make it as long as you want. I used about 2" of chain.  Then, get your embroidery floss. Thread one bead onto the end of about a 9" piece. Knot the thread (simple overhand) twice near one end, to make sure the bead stays. Then, measure how long you want the longest bead dangle to be. Just eyeball it. Pinch the floss. It should be about as long as the feather.

Step 4: Measure how long your dangle is. Remember that (mine was 3") and add a crimp to the floss. Loop the end that you threaded it through, and thread it through again. Make sure you leave a tiny loop on the outside of the crimp, and crimp shut. The dangle should still be your measured inch long, with a free piece of thread on the other side. 

 

Step 5: Add your other bead to the free end. Knot the thread twice, making this dangle a little shorter than your previous dangle. Cut near the knot to finish. You will have a double dangle!

Step 6: For the last dangle, cut about a 4" piece of thread. This should be the shortest dangle (think about 1"). Add your last bead to one end, and knot twice near the end. Add the last crimp to the other end, and loop as you did before, leaving a small loop out of the crimp. Crimp shut and cut. 

Step 7: Finishing. First, add your smallest dangle. Next, add the chained feather. Lastly, add your long double dangle. Finished! 

the finished earring. chic, yet natural. super-cool.

a second earring i made with another feather.

There 'ya go! If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated :)