How to make peacock feather earrings

Learn how to make these gorgeous peacock feather earrings - they're bold, beautiful and designed to turn heads!

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Holly Spanner

Published: July 8, 2024 at 10:10 am

There's something about peacock feathers that's just too beautiful to believe. They contain a colour combination and pattern that's instantly recognisable as one of nature's finest creations. It's this attractive combination that makes peacock jewellery a really beguiling option.

Cheap to buy, peacock feathers are easy to work with, allowing you to go wild with creativity. We've started with a simple look for these peacock feather earrings, embellished with a few beads, but you can layer up your feathers or, for the instant wow factor, make the earrings reach the shoulder!

Looking for more awesome jewellery making tutorials? Check out this statement jewellery piece - a gorgeous fabric necklace, perfect for summer months when you want to jazz up a t-shirt with zero effort!

We love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to share your craft projects with us on Facebook and Twitter, too!

To make these peacock feather earrings you will need:

Two peacock feathers
Two copper end caps with 2mm internal diameter
Six gold-plated headpins
Six Swarovski crystal iridescent green pearls 4mm
Seed beads, size 11, silver-lined blue green, matt turquoise
6cm (2½in) length of fine gold-plated chain
Two gold-plated jump rings
Two gold-plated fish hook earring wires
Superglue
Jewellery tools

How to make peacock feather earrings

Size

5 x 8cm (2 x 3in)

Step 1

How to make peacock feather earrings

To make your peacock earrings, choose two peacock feathers that are of similar size and with similar-looking eyes. Trim the longer strands (these are called plumules) from the feather going along a ‘natural’ line below the eye. Trim the second feather to match.

Step 2

How to make peacock feather earrings

Cut across the feather above the eye leaving a teardrop shape for the earring. Trim the quill of the feather at the back to make it thin enough to fit into the end cap. Apply a drop of superglue and attach the end cap with the ring facing forwards.

Step 3

How to make peacock feather earrings

On three headpins, pick up a turquoise seed bead, silver-lined seed bead, pearl, silver-lined seed bead and another turquoise seed bead. Bend the headpin wire at right angles directly above the end bead. Trim to 7mm and then use round-nose pliers to form a loop.

Step 4

How to make peacock feather earrings

Cut two 3cm (1¼in) lengths of chain. Open each bead dangle loop in turn and attach one to the end of the chain, one halfway down and one on the opposite side, three links from the top. Repeat to prepare the second chain with bead dangles on opposite sides.

Step 5

How to make peacock feather earrings

Use a pair of snipe-nose or flat-nose pliers to turn the loop at the bottom of the earring findings so that it is facing towards the hook rather than on the same plane as the hook. Repeat for the second earring wire.

Step 6

How to make peacock feather earrings

Open a jump ring using two pairs of pliers and pick up the bead dangle on the last link. Add the feather with the eye facing the beads. Add the earring wire with the hook facing backwards. Close jump ring. Repeat for the second peacock feather earring. Congratulations – you have made some beautiful peacock feather earrings!

How to make peacock feather earrings

Once you’ve made your peacock feather earrings, be sure to tag us in a picture on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Staff Writer, BBC Science Focus

Holly is the Staff Writer for BBC Science Focus and looks after the popular Q&A section. She holds an MSc (distinction) in Geoscience (Space and Climate Physics) from UCL, and specialises in astronomy and earth sciences. Before joining Our Media, she worked as a geoenvironmental consultant and engineer, informing on ground risk and remediation in the north of England, while hunting for exoplanets in her spare time. Alongside this, she was regional editor of a popular theatre website for nine years, and has a solid background in curating and developing content for the digital space. Holly is also an artist and illustrator, and regular contributor to the craft website, Gathered. She has previously worked with the RSPB, English Heritage, Disney, Pilot and Brother, as well as on BBC Good Food magazine, Home Style magazine, and Papercraft inspirations magazine. She enjoys photography and has a sustained interest in antiques.