Look at real feathers for inspiration or use your imagination! Created by Julie Goetz

 

Materials:

  • Brown paper bag or piece of cardboard
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Comb
  • Black Crayon
  • Watercolor, gouache or tempera paint
  • A smock

 

The Activity:

  • Working on a table, unfold your paper bag and carefully cut up one of the seams so the bag can open up

 

 

  • Look at a photo, a real feather, or imagine a beautiful feather (in this tutorial, I used a Blue Jay feather). Using a black crayon, do you best to draw the shape of your feather on the paper bag.
  • Cut your feather out.
  • Decorate your feather! In this example, I used white paint first (then had fun painting my hand)! While the paint was wet, I used a comb and combed the paint from the middle fold to the edge to make a pattern that resembles the Blue Jay feather.

  • Continue adding colors! I added light blue next, and finally dark blue. I combed each color, and added more color using a wet pencil.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Let the paint dry, and wash your hands. Maybe I will add some glitter to the edges of my feather!

 

 

 

 

 


How did you like this activity? Please share any questions, comments, or photos that you and your child have on the Raritan Headwaters Learning Community Facebook Page!

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