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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
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Our Target had Christmas items deeply discounted and I found a pack of 4 napkin rings. I thought they were too wonderful to pass up, as they combine two symbols of the Resurrection -- the butterfly and the peacock.
The napkin ring and butterfly body is made of gold wire with beads. I can't wait to use them for Easter, but I also thought it would be a great craft idea for Easter, if you can't find the items. I've found peacock feathers for sale on farms, and saw some sites online.
The Dominican House of Studies in DC celebrates a wonderful Easter Vigil, and the decorate the pews with combinations of peacock feathers and Easter flowers.
It's a Target product, and since it's so later after Christmas your store will probably be cleaned out...but since there are such crafty people here, I thought you might want a little inspiration. 
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Jennifer G. Miller
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MaryM
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| Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 12:39pm | IP Logged
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Oh, Jenn they are beautiful! I would have seen them and not made the great connection to Easter that you did. I was just at Target yesterday, but didn't check the Christmas section - like you said they likely are out by now anyway, but I think I'll check. I have done beading and think it would be pretty easy to make something similar - just don't have a ton of peacock feathers lying around the house. 
Jenn, they do look real(istic) to me - but wondering, are they actual real peacock feathers or possibly others painted to look like?
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Mary M. in Denver
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nissag
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Those are so pretty! What fun! I'm going to snitch the buttefly idea and work with my daughters to design some pretty beaded ones for Easter! It's my favorite holiday.
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Nissa
Deacon's wife, mother of eleven, farmer, teacher, creator, cook.
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 03 2007 at 12:49pm | IP Logged
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MaryM wrote:
| Jenn, they do look real(istic) to me - but wondering, are they actual real peacock feathers or possibly others painted to look like? |
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I'm pretty sure they are real, as I have some real ones that I'm comparing it to. It would be awfully hard to copy those various shades of irridescence, IMHO. The feathers are trimmed down, but that's the only thing I see different.
I actually got my peacock feathers a few years back when we visited Ash Lawn, James Monroe's house, which has a little working plantation and peacocks are included.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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MaryM
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JennGM wrote:
I actually got my peacock feathers a few years back when we visited Ash Lawn, James Monroe's house, which has a little working plantation and peacocks are included. |
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Do you think they might mind if we chased the peacocks around the zoo to get their feathers????
Oh and another question - what do you think they do to real feathers to sterilze them? You hear things about the parasites on feathers and I can't imagine using them for napkin rings for that reason.
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Mary M. in Denver
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JennGM
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MaryM wrote:
JennGM wrote:
I actually got my peacock feathers a few years back when we visited Ash Lawn, James Monroe's house, which has a little working plantation and peacocks are included. |
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Do you think they might mind if we chased the peacocks around the zoo to get their feathers????
Oh and another question - what do you think they do to real feathers to sterilze them? You hear things about the parasites on feathers and I can't imagine using them for napkin rings for that reason. |
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Well, you have my laughing and worrying in one post. Thanks a lot!!!
The feathers were in the gift shop, although my sister has gotten feathers from the Lincoln zoo.
Drat about sterilizing...how long do parasites live?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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MaryM
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JennGM wrote:
| Well, you have my laughing and worrying in one post. Thanks a lot!!!? |
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Sorry about that!
I'm really not much of a worrier - we do bring in feathers that the children collect (got some gorgeous barn owl ones this fall during our owl studies!) - it's just that whenever I do collect them somebody will mention how dirty feathers are and have "bugs." I don't know what is reality and what is "fear of nature" like Last Child in the Woods suggests.
JennGM wrote:
Drat about sterilizing...how long do parasites live? |
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I think we need MacBeth's expertise here!
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Mary M. in Denver
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Jan 12 2007 at 5:59am | IP Logged
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Fresh feathers might have some parasites, but the parasites like to live on live birds and die quickly after the molt. Mary, if you have any goose down items in your home, you don't worry about the parasites, do you  ?
On cleaning fresh feathers, you can leave them in a large zip-lock bag with moth balls for a few days. But then they'll smell like moth balls. Store-bought feathers have been pre-cleaned. Feathers are also very washable--mild soap and water can be used.
Be careful collecting feathers from certain wild birds, like eagles, as some feathers are by federal law the property of American Indians.
Those peacock feathers are lovely.
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MacBeth in NY
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MacBeth
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BTW, there is an easy test to see if they are real...hold them up to a light, and if the blue turns grey, they are real. Blue is a structural color in most bird feathers, and so can only be seen if the light is shining on the feather, not through it. The green should turn yellowish, too.
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MacBeth in NY
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MaryM
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| Posted: Jan 13 2007 at 9:24pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for popping in as requested, MacBeth. And thanks for all the info. Like I said, I didn't really give much thought to collecting feathers, but always wondered because SO many people seem really paranoid about it! So, Jenn, did you check? Are they real?
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Mary M. in Denver
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Easter at Christmas
