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. [3] X Research source You can print and use this template instead. Indian Headdress Template
Purple and white beads were favored by tribespeople in the Northeast, such as the Wampanoag. [4] X Research source 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.
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.
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.
Most native people consider “Indian costumes” offensive. Please avoid dressing as any racial stereotype for Halloween. [5] X Research source 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. [6] X Research source 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.
Corrugated fiberboard, also called corrugated cardboard or corrugated paper, has narrow ridges or holes along the inside, making it a little lighter than standard cardboard but also a little thicker. Choose a thin piece of corrugated fiberboard to make it easier to wrap it around into a band-like form. These instructions will allow you to create a “straight-up” style warbonnet, in which the feathers extend vertically from the headband.
To make it easier for the feathers to stick to the glue, you may want to keep the cardboard flat, attaching the feathers horizontally rather than vertically. Use craft glue or hot glue to hold the feathers in place.
Spread the prongs out to hold the band in place. For extra security, punch two holes in each end, one near the top and one near the bottom, and use two 2-pronged fasteners to hold the band together.
Center and paste the crepe paper strip over the band of fiberboard. There should be about 1/4-inch (0. 635 cm) hanging off the top and bottom of the band and 6 inches (15 cm) hanging down from both ends.
This completes your headdress. When wearing the headdress, the feathers should stand upright over the head.
A warbonnet is a sacred symbol that honors great deeds. They are not worn by most tribe members. Modern-day American Indians might earn a warbonnet for advocacy or scholarship. You are likely to offend people if you wear a warbonnet as a costume.
Build a loom. You can make a beading loom by attaching two combs to a sturdy box or box lid. Take two matching combs, or snap a single comb in half. Tape or glue each comb to parallel sides of the box, each at the edge, so that the teeth protrude into the air. Buy string for beading. A slightly elastic string will make your headband more comfortable.
You run less risk of offending a native person if you opt for a beaded headband, as they hold less spiritual significance than feathered warbonnets or headdresses. [7] X Research source
This is because you will be weaving the beaded string through the strings on the loom from left to right, then right to left, switching each time a row ends.
If it is, line up your next 5 rows on the string and keep weaving. If it isn’t, undo your glitchy rows and count your beads again.
Trim for tidiness. If you don’t want to use the large bead method, you can tie the dangling thread on each side in a knot. Tie the two knotted ends together when you want to wear your band. If your band fits exactly, you can tie the ends together tightly and wear it as is.
