DIY Feather Fans for Kids - A Lockdown Crafternoon Project
by Poppy Cherry
Aggie shows off her new feather fans
Want an easy kiddie (or hell, grown-up, who are we kidding?) craft project? Why not try making a set of feather hand fans?
The full process of making feather fans with staves that open and close can be a time-consuming process which I teach in my workshop, but making this simplified version is a great project for kids and adults alike - perfect for a rainy day or lockdown, these fans can be used for dancing with the family or your home practice if you don’t yet own a full set of fans.
Here’s a little rundown on how I made feather fans with my 4 year old niece Aggie in ‘The Great Lockdown’ of Melbourne 2020 - hopefully this is something fun that can bring a little joy to your day - its easy to do and the fans are soooo much fun to dance with!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Some cheap feathers (we used drabs from feather.com.au - I'd suggest maybe 8-12 per hand so 16-24 in total)
- An old cardboard box
- Hot glue gun
- Stanley knife or similar art / exacto knife + cutting mat
- Paints and glitter
STEP 1
Create a template for your fan base - we folded a piece of paper in half and drew a cute shape so that when opened its symmetrical (kiddie or grown-up job)
STEP 2
Trace the shape 4 X onto cardboard and cut with Stanley knife to get 4 equal shapes (grown-up job)
STEP 3
Decorate your cardboard shapes (kiddie or grown-up job) - get creative!
Wait for them to dry
STEP 4
Hot glue onto one cardboard shape, lay feathers on top, add more glue and sandwich with a second piece. Repeat for second fan (grown-up job)
STEP 5
Dance like everyone is watching!!