Categories: Crafts & Hobbies

How to Sew and Easy Indian Chief Headdress

Even if you don’t have a lot of sewing experience there are many things you can stitch that don’t require great skill. Thinking about some of these projects, you could become a little intimidated, but if you follow each step you could find out that your sewing skills are much better than you realized.

One project that might seem too huge to handle, but is actually very simple, is an Indian headdress. Any child would love playing with the headdress and you’ll be amazed at yourself when you see the finished project. It’s very cheap to make the headdress, too! All you need is some wide elastic and a pack of feathers.

Browse your local craft store to find bags of feathers appropriate for the headdress. Choose strong feathers with prominent quills rather than wispy feathers that work better on other projects. The feathers you choose can be all one color or can be an assortment of colors. You’ll find the feathers in a bag of many – some of the same color and others of mixed colors.

Most elastic choices are black or white. It’s difficult to find elastic in other colors. If you do find it that’s great. If not choose either the black or white in a wide size. One to two inch wide works well. You’ll cut two pieces of wide elastic to start the making of the Indian headdress.

Measure around the child’s head with one piece of elastic and trim it to the appropriate size. Cut a second piece to be the exact size as the first piece. These two pieces will hold the feathers and will make it easy to slide the headdress on and off the child’s head.

Begin by aligning the ends of the elastic pieces. Do the same to the opposite ends of the elastic. Form a circle out of the elastic by placing all four ends together, on top of each other. Stitch across the width of the four pieces making sure to back-tack at the beginning and at the end of the seam. Remove the elastic from under the foot and trim the threads.

You will now begin sewing the feathers between the two elastic pieces. Place the presser foot in front of the seam and next to one edge of the elastic. At the edge, slide in the first feather quill, in front of the foot and between the two elastic pieces. Take a couple of stitches but go slowly. The presser foot might have some trouble going over the feather quills and you may need to gently glide it over. Gently pull both elastic pieces as you sew.

Each time the foot goes completely over one quill slide the next one into place. Stitch over it then add the next, and the next. You’ll continue this until one whole side of the circle is covered with feathers. Now you’ll flip the elastic to the other side and follow the same guidelines to place feathers between the two pieces of elastic, all the way around.

When you are finished adding the feathers the child simply need slide the elasticized circle over his or her head. The elastic will hold the headdress in place for hours of play and fun. Make this initial headdress, then add another feathered piece, if you want to create an even better headdress.

Take two separate pieces of elastic – exact in size – to make feathers that run down the back of the child’s head and back. Cut the elastic as long as you want the back part to be. It can go to the middle of the back or all the way to the floor.

Place the two pieces of elastic on top of each other and begin adding feather quills between the two pieces, as you did above. This time, don’t form the elastic into a circle, but instead, just keep the two pieces on top of each other. Stitch the feathers in, down one side, then do the same to the other side. When completed this piece can be attached to the back of the front part of the round headdress piece. A few stitches will hold it in place.

Your child will have loads of fun with the new headdress and you’ll be very impressed with your abilities! Just sew slowly across the quills, follow each step concisely, and you’ll have an expensive-looking headdress any child would love!