How to create a pheasant feather arrangement

I am excited to share with you how to create a pheasant feather arrangement!  We will show you step by step how to create a pheasant feather arrangement.  

Where do you look for inspiration?  Do you roam the internet, or Pinterest, or Instagram, or Facebook?  Do you search out homes where the decor is high end and wonder why you cannot have those same things in your own home?  

I can tell you that you can, in fact have those high end looks in your home.  With a little creativity, despite a small budget, you can still have what you dream of.  

I love the mansions of Rhode Island and The Gilded Age. I enjoy French country and cottage decor.  I am kind of an eclectic collector, lover of old things...  a rogue decorator... one never knows which way I will lean because I find beauty going down all sorts of different avenues.  

I like dark and moody, light and bright, white, and gold, and silver... I love a high end look, what I do not like?  The price tags that go with that high end look.

I do me in our house, our likes mixed together and sprinkled throughout our home.  Luckily, Mr. Vintage and I like the same things.  Where I enjoy looking at other homes, he says he is only concerned in ours.  I am okay with that because my concern is here too, but I like seeing how others make their home come together too.    

Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out a project.  I saw a feather arrangement at a barn sale a few years ago.  It stayed in the back of my mind over the years and then one weekend, I came across this arrangement via www.Floralhomedecor.com.

And I thought hmmm... I do love this arrangement.  The thing I did not care for?  The $139.95 price tag, I am just too frugal to do that.  

So I studied this arrangement and found feathers similar to the ones above, and pheasant feathers as well.  I also decided to throw in a half moon foam ball.  I thought to myself, I can totally do this and put together a wonderful one of a kind feather arrangement for our home while keeping my cost at a bare minimum!  

I was super pumped!  I shopped our home in search of an urn.  I decided to use one we had on top of our cabinet in the kitchen.  I found it at a local shop several years ago for $5.00!  You can see it had a chip in the top of it, but that did not stop me from picking it up and adding to my collection.

It sat in our kitchen with a thankful sign on top of it for a few years.  I wasn't really sure what to do with it.  Sometimes a piece is just waiting for the perfect place and arrangement.    

I began by putting the foam half moon ball into the urn as you see above. 

The feathers all came sewn together by ribbon at the base of the feathers.  I filled in around the ball with a strip of feathers and left them as they were.

Same step in the process, different angle.  

I began by sticking the pheasant feathers into the top of the foam ball.  

I began to notice that the ball was shedding the foam and it was getting onto the black feathers.  I quickly decided this may not be the best approach.  

I decided this was not going to work so I sat back and decided to try something else.  I removed all of the feathers from the foam ball and removed the ball from the urn.  

I took the ball outside and spray painted it gold (it is what I had handy) and hoped that gave the foam a bit more substance so it would not flake off.  

Guess what?  It worked!  I put it back into the urn and tried to figure out how to leave the feathers bound by the ribbon while also creating my vision.  

I decided to remove the foam from the urn so it was easier to work on.  Then I also learned I had to remove the feathers from the ribbon so I was able to stick the quill of the feather down into the foam.  

I also learned quickly it was easier to work from the top of the ball, and then move my way around it.  I continued to remove feathers from the ribbon and stick the quills into the ball until I achieved the look I was going for.  

I did learn towards the end of this project that grouping three feathers together provided a stronger quill to push through the foam.  Oh the things you learn by doing... good thing I already gave this project a try so you can learn from my mistakes should you choose to create your own fall feather arrangement.    

I was pretty happy with the results of my feather arrangement.  Do you think it looks pretty close to the inspiration arrangement?

I saved $110.00 by making it myself.  Since I had the urn on hand, I saved money there.  Like I said, the urn was only $5.00 when I purchased it many years ago.  If you shop second hand I am sure you can find something like it for not a lot of cash.  

 

The materials I did purchase came in at a little less than $30.00!  It goes to show you that you can create those high end looks for less.  

As you can see our unique items are still on the dining room table.  I rather like them there... I am not sure they will make it back to the mantel or not? 

 

My urn may have a chip, but who cares... it serves it's purpose and you cannot see it with this arrangement.  What do you think?  Are you ready for fall?  I am making subtle changes around the cottage, getting ready for fall.  Fall and winter decor are my favorite... we are also huge fans of the cooler weather that comes with the seasons. 

Interested in other projects we have worked on, click to read: How to make decorative candle rings, Autumn grapevine wreath, How to DIY Sea Glass,  How to create art for your walls on a budget, How to make custom kitchen towels, How to use leftover wallpaper, and Waste not, want not.