Does anyone else keep.......

[CALVINS MOM]

I keep all of my macaw tail feathers. I have several very pretty "large mouth" vases. In the bottom is florist's foam. Each time I find a new one, I merely stick it into one of the vases. They are in my "macaw room" and actually look very pretty.

[The Outlaw]

A shadow box is like a deep frame where you can put thick things like keys or trinkets under glass and hang like a framed picture.

The Victorian ladies used to make a lot of collages out of bits of lace and trims and left over material. They add bits of jewelry and make lovely little collages. Some of them even incorporated braided hair and gave them as gifts to lovers. In the civil war era, lots of soldiers carried watches with bits of hair from their lovers as well.

I have also made Christmas tree ornaments out of fimo dough and smaller feathers. Unfortunately, when I dragged out the box last year, seems mice had chewed up the feathers. If I have time, I'll try again this year. If you've ever seen the hand-blown German clip on bird ornaments with feather tails, they looked a lot like them. I have a huge tree and can use larger ornaments.

I was the one who posted the wreath photo. I also make swags that go over doorways with fanned feathers, dried eucalyptus and other dried flowers, pods and berries. I used to work as a floral designer.

And, there was an artist who painted on feathers. Some were really very nice pieces.

Since I have mostly large macaws, I find myself using the long feathers mostly in vase arrangements. If you have BGs or GWs, just fine a nice vase and secure a block of floral foam or marbles. First arrange the dried florals: I like blue eucalyptus, curly willow and lotus pods. For the holidays, if you spray the dried pods and willow antique gold, its really striking with the long tail feathers. Being a Maryland girl, I did many, many holiday arrangements using pheasant tail feathers. We live in hunt country and English traditions are strong here. Just substitute the parrot feathers.

And, if you know how to make hats or know of local miliners, they love parrot feathers. I have made a few, but I don't look good in hats. My daughter, however, does.

[homebird]

Here are some photos I did of a Shadow box full of things I collect on walks - nature is so beautiful. I had a framer make the frame & I painted the backdrop & the matting.


This is the Shaddow Box example.

This is a Side view to show it isn't all that deep - they can be a lot deeper.

This shows the interior - with the matt elevated - I used strips of matting edge on [90 degrees], around the inside, to keep it against the glass.

[Andres_424]

Thats so nice.

[Sally]

My Parrotlet feathers are teeny. I keep them in a small cermic box.

[dgcashier]

I am keeping Paulie's feathers...some of them are that beautiful parrotlet blue other that iridesent green. I got a matted picture frame for his picture and I am going to put the feathers on the mat in a pattern.

[jessica313]

i love the creativity that everyone has come up with as far as what to do with feathers... some beautiful stuff..
the shadow box.. ahh yes, i have seen those before(theyre great).. i just never knew the correct name for them.

how cute would that be.. makin a shadow box with shadows feathers.. lol

[Belinda]

I keep my indoor bird feathers - i have a separate little box each for Blinkie, Ozzie and Cookie. :D