How to Make Paper Peacock Feathers

Cut a rectangular piece of craft paper to the size of the feather you want to make with scissors. Fold the paper in half lengthwise.

Draw the basic shape of half of a peacock feather on one side of the folded paper. Look at a peacock feather image to draw the shape correctly, but don't draw the details. Cut out the shape and unfold the paper.

Paint the peacock feather's base color on the paper with a paintbrush. The base color is the main color of the feather and is usually a shade of brown, copper or green. Let the paint dry.

Paint the eye of the peacock feather close to the top of the paper. Look at the peacock feather image to choose the right colors and select the right location. Paint the outermost part of the eye first and the inside of the eye last. Let the paint dry.

Fold the paper in half lengthwise. Turn the paper so that the eye is at the top. Make long cuts sloping downward that go from the edge of the paper toward the center. Don't cut all the way to the center. Use the peacock feather image as a guide. The closer the cuts, the more feather-like the paper looks.

Cut off some of the barbs at the bottom of the paper -- peacock feathers are sparsely covered at the bottom and coverage increases toward the top. A barb is the part of a feather that grows off the shaft. Unfold the paper feather.

Cut a pipe cleaner to the same length as the feather with wire cutters. Place the paper feather on a hard, flat surface with the painted side facing down and the eye at the top. Squeeze a thin line of glue down the center of the paper going from the center of the eye to the bottom.

Press the pipe cleaner onto the glue. Secure the pipe cleaner to the paper with masking tape. Let the glue dry and remove the tape from the paper.