How to Make an Indian Headdress
Get your supplies together., Cut a strip of brown construction paper., Decorate the band., Glue the ends together., Pick paper for feathers., Cut out each feather., Fold and slit the feathers., Glue your feathers to the band., Wear the headband at...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get your supplies together.
You will need scissors, a tape measure, a ruler, brown construction paper, crayons or paint, craft or hot glue, and either feathers (as many as you like) or more colors of construction paper.
If you are making paper feathers, you will be able to get up to one feather for every inch your construction paper is wide.
However, you may wish to buy several colors of construction paper, and cut one or two feathers from each. -
Step 2: Cut a strip of brown construction paper.
The strip should be about 1½ inches (3.8 cm) in width.
It should also be long enough to wrap around the wearer's head with a little extra overlap space.
Add roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) extra to the length.
This overlap length will allow you to glue the ends together securely in order to form a band later on.
Feather headbands were worn by a few tribes of the northeast Woodland, such as the Lenape and Abenaki.
They were worn by men and women alike, and were not associated with battle.
Pick a sturdy brown paper so it looks like leather.
Pick another color if you would rather have a different color band.
Actual feathered headbands were typically woven or beaded, so feel free to use an alternative color for your band.
Alternatively, beaded turbans became popular among Cherokee, Seminoles and other southeastern Indian men when cloth became easily available in the 1800s, so consider wrapping a turban and tucking a feather into it.You can print and use this template instead.
Indian Headdress Template , Use markers, crayons, paint, or colored pencils to create a colorful design, perhaps inspired by a tribe such as the Wampanoag, Lenape, and Abenaki.
You can find patterns online, or in books about Woodland Indian tribal patterns.
Purple and white beads were favored by tribespeople in the Northeast, such as the Wampanoag.Draw a geometrical pattern along the band.
For instance, draw a series of triangles within triangles of alternating colors.
Draw the lines along a ruler to make them straight.
If you want your band to appear beaded, you can paint dabs of color.
If making an art project with a child, give your child a ruler and a limited color palette (2-4 crayons, for instance) and explain that the pattern should be the same all around. , Apply a dot of craft glue on one end of the band, on the decorated side.
Wrap the strip into a band and press the end of the other side on top of the glue.
Let dry.
There should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of overlapping paper.
If craft glue will not hold the paper headband together, use a glue stick or a stronger type of glue, such as hot glue.
If you are using real or craft feathers, you can glue them on at this time.
Put a few dots of glue on the inside of the band, and arrange one or more feathers so that they stand up.
If you have multiple feathers, arrange them so they fan out slightly from one another. , If you do not have real feathers or craft feathers, you can make your own by cutting fringes into colorful ovals of construction paper.
Any color and number of feathers will do.
You might choose red, yellow, and orange, or use colors that you used when decorating the brown band. , Draw a narrow oval on your first piece of construction paper.
The oval should be at least 6 inches (15 cm) long by 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
Cut the oval out. , Fold the oval in half lengthwise.
Cut slits along the open, curved edge.
Make sure that the slits do not cross each other or cut through the straight, folded edge.
The slits should extend from top to bottom.
Folding the feathers creates the feather's shaft.
Don't worry about the fold being perfectly centered, as feathers are not always symmetrical.
Unfold the paper feather.
Repeat with other colors of construction paper. , Glue your paper or craft feathers to the inside of your headband and let dry.
The feathers should all extend up and out from the band at a single point.
One feather can stand straight up, but the other two should fan out slightly. , When wearing the headband, position it so that the feathers are behind the wearer's ear on one side of his or her head.
Incorporate this costume choice with a lesson on the tribe whose designs you are borrowing.
Most native people consider "Indian costumes" offensive.
Please avoid dressing as any racial stereotype for Halloween.Understand that you will seriously offend the people whose culture you are borrowing from if you paint your skin, or sexualize minority groups whose oppression includes a long history of sexual violence.If you must dress as someone from another race, dress as a specific person.
Take the time to research and dress as the historical Pocahontas, not the Disney character. -
Step 3: Decorate the band.
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Step 4: Glue the ends together.
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Step 5: Pick paper for feathers.
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Step 6: Cut out each feather.
-
Step 7: Fold and slit the feathers.
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Step 8: Glue your feathers to the band.
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Step 9: Wear the headband at home.
Detailed Guide
You will need scissors, a tape measure, a ruler, brown construction paper, crayons or paint, craft or hot glue, and either feathers (as many as you like) or more colors of construction paper.
If you are making paper feathers, you will be able to get up to one feather for every inch your construction paper is wide.
However, you may wish to buy several colors of construction paper, and cut one or two feathers from each.
The strip should be about 1½ inches (3.8 cm) in width.
It should also be long enough to wrap around the wearer's head with a little extra overlap space.
Add roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) extra to the length.
This overlap length will allow you to glue the ends together securely in order to form a band later on.
Feather headbands were worn by a few tribes of the northeast Woodland, such as the Lenape and Abenaki.
They were worn by men and women alike, and were not associated with battle.
Pick a sturdy brown paper so it looks like leather.
Pick another color if you would rather have a different color band.
Actual feathered headbands were typically woven or beaded, so feel free to use an alternative color for your band.
Alternatively, beaded turbans became popular among Cherokee, Seminoles and other southeastern Indian men when cloth became easily available in the 1800s, so consider wrapping a turban and tucking a feather into it.You can print and use this template instead.
Indian Headdress Template , Use markers, crayons, paint, or colored pencils to create a colorful design, perhaps inspired by a tribe such as the Wampanoag, Lenape, and Abenaki.
You can find patterns online, or in books about Woodland Indian tribal patterns.
Purple and white beads were favored by tribespeople in the Northeast, such as the Wampanoag.Draw a geometrical pattern along the band.
For instance, draw a series of triangles within triangles of alternating colors.
Draw the lines along a ruler to make them straight.
If you want your band to appear beaded, you can paint dabs of color.
If making an art project with a child, give your child a ruler and a limited color palette (2-4 crayons, for instance) and explain that the pattern should be the same all around. , Apply a dot of craft glue on one end of the band, on the decorated side.
Wrap the strip into a band and press the end of the other side on top of the glue.
Let dry.
There should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of overlapping paper.
If craft glue will not hold the paper headband together, use a glue stick or a stronger type of glue, such as hot glue.
If you are using real or craft feathers, you can glue them on at this time.
Put a few dots of glue on the inside of the band, and arrange one or more feathers so that they stand up.
If you have multiple feathers, arrange them so they fan out slightly from one another. , If you do not have real feathers or craft feathers, you can make your own by cutting fringes into colorful ovals of construction paper.
Any color and number of feathers will do.
You might choose red, yellow, and orange, or use colors that you used when decorating the brown band. , Draw a narrow oval on your first piece of construction paper.
The oval should be at least 6 inches (15 cm) long by 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.
Cut the oval out. , Fold the oval in half lengthwise.
Cut slits along the open, curved edge.
Make sure that the slits do not cross each other or cut through the straight, folded edge.
The slits should extend from top to bottom.
Folding the feathers creates the feather's shaft.
Don't worry about the fold being perfectly centered, as feathers are not always symmetrical.
Unfold the paper feather.
Repeat with other colors of construction paper. , Glue your paper or craft feathers to the inside of your headband and let dry.
The feathers should all extend up and out from the band at a single point.
One feather can stand straight up, but the other two should fan out slightly. , When wearing the headband, position it so that the feathers are behind the wearer's ear on one side of his or her head.
Incorporate this costume choice with a lesson on the tribe whose designs you are borrowing.
Most native people consider "Indian costumes" offensive.
Please avoid dressing as any racial stereotype for Halloween.Understand that you will seriously offend the people whose culture you are borrowing from if you paint your skin, or sexualize minority groups whose oppression includes a long history of sexual violence.If you must dress as someone from another race, dress as a specific person.
Take the time to research and dress as the historical Pocahontas, not the Disney character.
About the Author
Brittany Butler
A passionate writer with expertise in creative arts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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