Materials:
1/2 ounce of feathers (figure A)
1-1/2-inch wood or clay cube base
18-gauge wire for branches
approximately two yards of 24-gauge wire for wrapping branches *
floral tape
glue stick
tacky glue
artificial holly berries
brown crepe paper streamer paper
*All materials are available in craft stores or from the Internet. Feathers are usually packed in 1/2-ounce amounts. Kits for making the trees in two different sizes are available. See resources.
Steps:
1. Cut 18-gauge wire into one 8-1/2-inch length, three seven-inch lengths and four 5-1/2-inch lengths. Cut the 24-gauge wire into nine-inch lengths. Cut the stem of the holly berry in half so you have two 1-1/2-inch stems each with a berry at one end (figure B).
2. Place a holly berry wire parallel to a branch wire and wrap the two together with a short length of the floral tape. Do this with the remaining seven lengths of wire. As an added precaution use a touch of tacky glue on the wire to help secure the tape.
3. Cut a 1-1/2-inch length of floral tape. Place the top end of the feather (not the end that came out of goose) on the floral tape with a tiny spot of glue. Fold the tape in half lengthwise and allow glue to set. You will do this with every feather that is used . Note: To determine the end to wrap look at the direction each individual quill seems to go. This is the end to wrap with the floral tape although it will seem that the other end with the stronger appearing quill should be the one.
4. Place the taped end of the feather at the top of the wire against the berry and spiral the floral tape (NOT the feather), down the wire. It helps to first place a bead of glue to the tape-covered wire.
5. Holding the feather in one hand, twist the wire with your other hand winding the feather onto the wire. Keep each wrap as tight as possible to the one above it with NO space between the quill from one wrap to the next. You will have approximately one inch to 1-1/2 inches of wrap per feather. Wrap each feather in the same direction as the first feather.
6. When you get to the end of the feather, hold it tightly against the wire and secure it in place with a 1-1/2-inch length of floral tape cut in half lengthwise (figure C).
7. Wrap all branches in the same manner as follows: 8-1/2-inch wire - wrap 3-1 /2 inches with feathers, leave five inches unwrapped; seven-inch wire - wrap two inches with feathers, leave five inches un-feathered; 5-1/2-inch wire - wrap three inches with feathers, leave 2-1/2 inches un-feathered
8. To assemble the tree select the 8-1/2-inch wire for the trunk and the three , seven-inch wires for branches. Keeping the base of the wires even with each other , space the three, seven-inch branches around the eight-inch trunk wire and holding them as you would a small nosegay use the #24 gauge wire to wrap around them to secure the four wires together. You will use approximately 18 inches (two lengths) of the 24-guage wire. Note: Finer wire, a 26- or 28-guage can be used for the wrapping if you have it, but do not use a heavier wire as it will tend to make the trunk too uneven.
9. Spiral wrap the trunk with floral tape then cut a seven-inch length of the brown crepe paper streamer in half lengthwise and apply glue stick along one edge of the paper strip. Starting at the base of the feathers wrap the crepe paper over the floral tape stretching and pulling downward as you do when using floral tape (figure D). Note: be certain to wrap the full length of the un-feathered wire to the trunk with all of the branches that you attach.
10. Add the four remaining branches by following the same steps: gather the four branches around the trunk of the tree, hold them tightly and wrap with the wire. Wrap with floral tape then with the glued crepe paper.
11. Trim the end wires then place in a cube base into a pre-drilled hole. To finish the tree, carefully bend down the branches to the desired shape.
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