Once you have sewn three Ostrich feathers together to make a plume (here) it not as easy as using your thumbnail to dent and shape a single feather. Other tools are necessary ofter all you need is a table knife but it the stems at thick near the base you might also need a pair of jewelry pliers (round nosed). Watch this video.
I did speed up the video to 2X just to show the process in a smaller video. I’m left handed so you will hold the tools in the other hand if you are right handed. You are both denting the stem with the tool as well as bending the stem when working with the knife or rotating the pliers if working with them . Always keep you other hand/thumb on the stem and close to the tools and do small amounts of rotating each time.
- After the main stem is curled if the barbs are flying away at weird angles and seem to have some static in them a little steam the smoothing with your hand will often help.
- Also, to get a slightly “cured under” look to the barbs you can use a very large bore curling iron (2″) but never use the clamp at least not close it fully because it will dent the barbs. Just almost close it and hold the barbs close to the iron. If you have an over mitt or heat protection gloves you can use you hand to hold the barbs over and around the iron. This process usually only takes a short time.
- Another thing to do is to clip at an angle any barbs from a single feather that might hang over the other feathers.
- You can always use just a little spray of hairspray (but be careful you can easily over do it).