How to Put Feathers in Your Hair

Attaching Feathers with Glue

Buy your supplies. This method lasts longer than other methods, and entails using hair bonding glue to hold the tip of the feather against your hair, similar to a hair extension. It requires purchasing supplies you probably don't have on hand, but the upside is that once you buy them, you'll have what you need to put feathers in all your friends' hair, too. Check out a craft store and a hair supply store (or look online) to buy the following: Long feathers. The trendiest feathers are long and thin, and usually have brown or black stripes. "Grizzly feathers" look realistic and fall gracefully against the hair for a look that blends in enough to look beautifully eclectic and not messy. They come in grown, hot pink, cerulean, neon yellow, and any other color you can imagine. Hair extension shields. These are small plastic discs that you insert over the piece of hair to which you're applying the extension. They protect the rest of your hair shaft from the glue and heat you're applying to the bit of hair that's getting a glue application. A keratin hair extension iron and keratin shrink links. A keratin shrink link is a small piece of hardened glue shaped like a cylinder that slips onto your hair. When you apply the hair extension iron to the shrink link, it melts the link into your hair, gluing the feather in place. A micro-ring loader. This is a small wire device that makes it easy to thread a shrink link onto your hair. It's like a giant needle threader. Keratin remover. This is a product you apply to the glued area when your'e ready to take out the feather. You could also just wait until it falls out in two or so months.

Pick out the feathers you want to use. You can fit up to five feathers in one extension for an extremely feathery look, but most people choose to go with two to three. Pick feathers that look good next to each other. They can both be the same color, or you could go with two different colors for a striking effect. For example, you could pick one hot pink and one hot green feather for a super summery look. Or go with one feather in a striking color like electric blue or yellow to peek out from among your locks. If you want to go with a natural feather look, choose two to three brown or cream feathers of varying lengths. Feathers come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. Ideally, try picking feathers that complement your hair color, hair style, makeup palette, and wardrobe.

Select a small lock of hair. Your hair should be clean so that the glue stays in place. Part your hair the way you normally do and pick out a small section of hair, about the width of a red cocktail straw, in the area where you want the feathers. Don't choose the lock from the very top layer of your hair; pick it up from underneath the top layer, so that the top layer of your hair will hide the glue and the tip of the feather from view. You can apply the feathers toward your scalp or lower in your hair. You can also choose to apply two or more sets of feathers to the same lock of hair. If you want the world to see your feather extensions every day, choose a lock toward the front and top of your head. This is a popular style for younger girls. For a subtler, more mature look, pick a lock toward the bottom and back or side of your head. This way it will peek out when you move or turn your head, but you can pull it back if you need to for more formal settings.

Secure the lock of hair with a protective shield. Pull the lock of hair into the center of the shield to hold it in place, then pin the shield to your scalp using bobby pins. This will protect your head from getting burned by the iron.

Load a shrink link onto the microloader and insert it over your lock. Place one of the keratin shrinkies onto the base of the microloader. Put your lock of hair into the microloader's loop, then push the shrink link up until it slips onto the lock of hair. Pull your hair through the microloader and set it aside. You should now have one shrink link loaded onto your lock of hair. You'll want to set the shrink link about ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) from your scalp to make sure it doesn't hurt your head while you're sleeping at night.

Insert the feathers into the shrink link. Take the feathers you're using and place the tips inside the shrink link, so that the feathers are pointing down. Position the feathers against each other the way you want them to look, and hold them in place against your lock of hair with the tips inside the shrink link. Insert them far enough in so that the hard tips of the feathers come through to the other side of the link.

Heat the link to glue the feathers into your hair. Apply the heated hair extension iron to the shrink link. Keep it clamped there for 15 seconds while the shrink link melts and attaches the feathers to your hair. Release the iron and set it aside, then clasp the shrink link between your fingers and squeeze and roll it a little to make sure the feathers stay in place.

Clip the feather tips. Take a sharp scissors and very carefully clip the tips of the feathers so they don't stick out from the top of the link. Let the feather fall into place and adjust your top layer of hair to cover it.

Take the extension out when you're ready. The extension will fall out in two or three months. The more often you wash it, the faster it will fall out. If you get tired of it before it falls out, use keratin remover to remove the glued shrink link. Be sure to remove it carefully instead of trying to pull it out, since your hair can get damaged and rip if you pull it.

Attaching Feathers with Beads

Buy your supplies. This method doesn't last quite as long as the glue method, but since you aren't actually adhering the feathers to your hair, there's a little less potential for hair damage. The beading method requires a different array of supplies, all of which can be found at craft stores, beauty stores and online. Gather the following: A fun array of feathers, such as saddle hackle or chinchilla hackle in a variety of colors and lengths. Silicone hair extension beads that match the color of your hair. They come in brown, black, blonde, and other colors. A hair extension hook or a small crochet hook tiny enough that you can slip one of the beads over it. A pair of pliers.

Select a small lock of hair. Part your hair the way you normally do and pick out a small section of hair that's thin enough to fit through your silicone bead in the area where you want the feathers. Don't choose the lock from the very top layer of your hair; pick it up from underneath the top layer, so that the top layer of your hair will hide the bead and the tip of the feather from view. You can apply the feathers toward your scalp or lower in your hair. You can also choose to apply two or more sets of feathers to the same lock of hair. If you want the world to see your feather extensions every day, choose a lock toward the front and top of your head. This is a popular style for younger girls. For a subtler, more mature look, pick a lock toward the bottom and back or side of your head. This way it will peek out when you move or turn your head, but you can pull it back if you need to for more formal settings.

Slip a bead onto the crochet hook. It should fit easily over the hook. You just need one bead for each feather extension.

Wrap your lock of hair around the hook. Take your lock of hair and wrap it around the crochet hook toward the hook part at the very tip. Just wrap it around one time.

Pull your hair through the bead. Slide the bead up over your hair and pull your hair through the bead using the hook. If the whole lock doesn't fit, just pull through as much hair as you can. Make sure there's enough hair in the bead to hold the weight of the feathers with ease, since over time heavy feathers can pull out the hair. Situate the bead about ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) from your scalp, so it doesn't hurt while you sleep at night.

Slip a feather into the bead. The feather should lay flat against your scalp and point toward your tips. This method is best for using just one feather at a time. If you have two small feathers that fit, you could try attaching them both at once.

Clamp the bead to your hair. Use your needle nose pliers to grasp the bead and clamp the feather tight against your hair. Use your strength to make sure it's tightly in place. Let your hair fall into place and style it as normal.

Take the feather out when you're ready. To remove the feather, just use your pliers to crimp the bead in the opposite direction, so that it opens back up and slips easily out of your hair. Do not attempt to pull the feather and bead out, since you could pull out your hair and cause damage.