Faux Feathers

 A friend was giving away an artificial tree which I promptly claimed. It was a nice addition to the unfinished basement since we used it to create ambiance and hide the raw concrete walls. Now, we're getting ready to finish the basement, so things are being donated, put in storage, or sold off. The tree, however, has been added to my crafting supply pile. 

Initially, I only wanted the trunks which turned out to be made of real wood. I fully expected some cleverly painted PVC pipes but was happily surprised by actual wood. The branches and leaves were tossed into a bag and added to the donate pile. We have a craft resell store nearby called "Who Gives A Scrap." I donate, then go inside and buy nearly enough to refill the space I just cleaned out. I'm sure there are some kindred spirits out there who understand this! ha!

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Anyways, I came up with an idea for the leaves before I thought of what to do with the trunks: make feathers. I pulled the bag of leaves out of the donate pile and went to town. 

A How-To Picture Tour:  

Remove leaves from branches.

Wash with dish soap and a soft rag.
Air dry. 

Cut leaves into desired feather shape. 

I forgot to leave stems on my feathers so
I ended up removing more leaf to create one.

Slice along the sides to create a feathery look.

And this is where I got ridiculous and took the long route to completion. I hand painted, yes, handpainted both sides with white DIY chalk paint TWICE! Then I coated each side with white acrylic paint, again, by hand, multiple times until I got the coverage I desired. UGH! Talk about a long process. Do yourself a favor and buy a can of spray paint. Wish I had. And I will when it comes time to finish the rest of the leaves/feathers. 

It was easier to paint the leaves prior to slicing.

I did myself a favor and used gold spray paint for the tips. I wasn't particular about the measurements. Most of these feathers are intended for the same project and I don't want them to look too uniform.

Finished Product: Faux Leaves

A cardboard piece (from a box of Fruit Loops, I believe) covered the bottom portion while the top was spray painted. 

I love the paint splatter on these! I think I'll do more like this.

If time is money than I have the most expensive supply of crafting feathers! I'm thinking of making some Bohemian dream catchers or some sort of boho wall decor. I look forward to using these faux feathers! 

What would you make?

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