Boho Feather Hair Chain
Introduction: Boho Feather Hair Chain
Hair chains are a pretty big fad in the summertime. What better way to show off your boho style than with a hair chain with feathers? This hair chain is simple yet bold, not too much, yet a beautiful noticeable accessory. It is simple to make and the feathers are your choice.
Supplies
1. Feathers, I am using five
2. Five small pieces of wire (I just stripped some twist ties, or bread ties; they measure around 2 and a half inches - if using wire you have, use 26 gauge)
3. Chain - mine measures about 18 inches in all, 9 inches doubled.
4. Smaller pieces of chain - these pieces measure about 2 inches.
5. Jump rings - two large jump rings and three small jump rings
6. Ruler (not pictured)
7. Round nose pliers
Step 1: Large Jump Rings
Double the chain over and make the two free ends meet. Lay the chain overtop of your ruler on a flat surface so you can use the measurements on the ruler to place the jump rings.
Place the two large jump rings at the two inch mark on both sides of the doubled over chain. Open the jump rings by giving the ring a sideways twist with the pliers and close them by twisting them the opposite direction that you twisted to open them.
(If you aren't sure what I mean, this Instructable will show you how to properly open jump rings Jewelry Basics: How to Open Jump Rings/French Hooks
Step 2: Add Small Jump Rings and Small Chains
Pull the chain along the ruler so that the large jump rings are lined up with the bottom of the ruler. 902
This is your new counting spot.
At the 3 1/2 inch mark is where we will put two of the small jump rings.
Open the first small jump and slide one of the small chains onto the ring. I went ahead and prepared all three of the small jump rings.
Take the first small jump ring, with the small chain attached, and attach it to the large chain at the 3 1/2 inch mark. Do both sides of the chain so you have two small chains attached at both sides.
The last small jump ring and chain will be attached to the very end of the doubled over chain. Therefore, it will be in the middle of the doubled over chain where they bend.
Now you should have five jump rings attached with three small chains hanging off the three small jump rings.
Step 3: Wire Wrapping the Feathers
Take one of your feathers and one of the small wires. Place the feather shaft over the wire, lining it up so that it is on the middle of the wire.
Twist one side of the wire over the shaft, wrapping it around and around until you come to the end. You will want to have a bit of excess wire at the end, so don't wrap too tightly. You may have to adjust the spirals (make them farther or closer to one another) to make sure you have a bit of wire left over.
Wrap the other side of the wire the opposite direction of the first wrapping until you get to the top. You should have some excess left over just like the first side.
Step 4: Attaching the Feathers
To attach the first feather, make a small hook on one end of your excess wire. Slide this hook through the last link in the end of the long chain (the chain length before the large jump ring).
With the pliers, bend the hook in the wire down to form a loop. Take the free end of the other wire and wrap it around the base of the new loop until you run out of wire. For the last bit you will probably need to squeeze it with the pliers to make the end lay flat against the wrapped wire (so it doesn't poke anybody).
Your first feather is attached!
Step 5: Attach the Remaining Feathers
Proceed to wrap the remaining feathers and attach them to the ends of the smaller chains that hang from the main chain.
After you have attached all the feathers, you are almost finished!
Step 6: How to Wear
Wearing this hair chain is very simple. Just insert two bobby pins into the large jump rings, then put the bobby pins in your hair like normal. You can adjust the height of the chain by adjusting where you place the bobby pins.
That's it! For anyone concerned with staying power, I wore this hair chain outside on a kinda windy day and it didn't budge.
I hope you like your new hair chain! Have a great day and a great summer! 902