Gorgeous DIY Feather Centerpieces: How To Make Ostrich Feather Centerpieces (+ 7 variations)

DIY feather centerpieces are an easy way to add some glamour and elegance to any wedding, event, party or dinner. Learn how to make your own ostrich feather centerpieces with these simple step by step instructions.

diy ostrich feather centerpieces

DIY feather centerpieces are an easy way to add some glamour and elegance to any wedding, event, party or dinner. Because they are tall, they are perfect on tables where you want people to be able to see across.

Even better? Centerpieces with feathers can be made in advance (unlike floral arrangements) so you don’t have to be fussing with them at the last moment.

Ostrich feathers are available in pretty much every color, which means they are very easy to match to your decor. And they are available in many different sizes so you can control the size of your centerpiece.

Watch this video to see how to make the feather centerpiece, and then read the rest of the page for more details and centerpiece variations:

What You Need

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ostrich feather vases

These are the basic supplies that you will need to make your DIY feather centerpieces…a tall vase, some ostrich feathers and a bouquet holder.

  • 27 – 12 to 14″ ostrich feathers* or 20″ to 24″ ostrich feathers* – I usually use the less expensive shorter feathers, but if you want really luxurious looking vases, the longer feathers are better. If you want to see the difference…when you’re looking at the pictures below, the vases with the white feathers are using longer ones, the vases with the colored feathers are using shorter ones
  • 16″ – 24″ tall Eiffel Tower vase* – I usually use a 20″ vase, but you can go a little shorter or a little taller. Generally, you would want to use shorter feathers in the shorter vase and longer feathers in the taller one.
  • Bouquet holder*

(Optional) Vase Accessories

To dress up your DIY feather centerpieces, you can add any of the accessories below. I’ll show you how they look when we get to the variations. Use these to come up with your own unique centerpieces.

How To Make Ostrich Feather Centerpieces

White ostrich feather centerpieces

Using feathers that are all one color creates a sophisticated look that is very easy to create.

White feather centerpieces are the most popular color, but of course feel free to choose whatever color matches your event decor!

Getting Started

Stem Of Bouquet Holder In Vase
Put the stem of the bouquet holder in the top of the vase

Insert the end of the bouquet holder* into the top of the vase*.

ostrich feather centerpiece row numbers
Bouquet holder row numbers

Start with the bottom row (row one) of the bouquet holder.

First Row Of Feathers

ostrich feather centerpiece first row
The first row – feathers in every other section

Use one feather in every other section of the bottom row.

ostrich feather centerpiece first row of feathers
On the bottom row, insert feathers in alternating sections

Stick the ends of the feathers into the floral foam in the bouquet holder, with the feathers pointing in a downwards direction

Second Row Of Feathers

Move up to row 2 in the bouquet holder.

For Long Feathers

Long feathers go in every other section

If you are using feathers that are 20″ or longer, add one feather in every other section, in the alternate holes from where the first row feathers are located.

For Shorter Feathers.

ostrich feather centerpiece second row
Put feathers in every section for the next two rows

For shorter feathers (less than 20″), add one feather per section.

ostrich feather centerpiece second row of feathers
Put feathers in every section for the next two rows

Point the feathers in a more outwards direction (although they probably still will be on a downwards slant).

Third Row Of Feathers

ostrich feather centerpiece third row of feathers
Put feathers in every section for the third row

Move up to the next row. If your bouquet holder has a really narrow row like mine does, skip it…it isn’t big enough for some of the feather stems to fit in.

Add 1 feather per section (like you did in row 2) but have the feathers pointing on an upward angle.

Try to space the feathers out so that they are not directly over the ones in the last row.

Feather Centerpiece With Three Rows
Feather centerpiece after three rows

Don’t worry if it still doesn’t look right…it will all work out when you are finished!

Top Row Of Feathers

Move up to the top row of the bouquet holder.

Long Feathers

For longer feathers, add one feather in every section. These feathers should be pointing more upwards and less out than the last row.

Shorter Feathers

ostrich feather centerpiece fourth row of feathers
Put feathers in every section for the fourth row

For shorter sections, add one feather in every other section like you did on the bottom row. These feathers should be pointing more upwards and less out than the last row.

The Finishing Feathers

Finally, add 3 more feathers to the very top of the bouquet holder pointing up and filling in the gaps from the top row.

Then take a look around your centerpiece to see if there are any gaps. To fill in the spaces, you can either re-position existing feathers, or add a new feather in the gap.

The Finished DIY Feather Centerpiece

White Feather Centerpiece on a table

Take a look at your creation to see if there are any spots that seem a little sparse. Either re-position the feathers you already have to fill in the gaps, or add more feathers in the spaces.

You can re-use the bouquet holders for future feather centerpieces…just remove these feathers and use the same holes for the next event!

If all you want is the standard feather centerpiece, you are done!

But if you want to see some variations on feather colors and vase decor, keep reading to find some ways to dress up your ostrich feather centerpieces.

Variation 1: Light Up The Vase

Black And Red Ostrich Feather Centerpiece with an uplight on the bottom

To get the vases to light up, place them on top of a mini LED light base*.

Using adhesive dots* to stick the light base to the bottom of the vase will make sure the vase doesn’t fall off.

I usually try to add something add the bottom of the vase to hide the light base…feather boas* work really well!

Variation 2: Eiffel Tower Vase Filler

White ostrich feather centerpiece with pink vase filler and pink glimmer lights in the Eiffel tower vase

You can use different vase fillers to create different effects. In this centerpiece, I put a pink glimmer light string* inside the vase and then filled it with pink acrylic crystals*.

I used pink, but you can get these lights and crystals in pretty much any color you need. Just make sure to leave enough space at the top of the vase for the bouquet holder stem to slide in. You also need to make sure that the crystals are no more than 1/4″ wide.  Otherwise, they may get stuck halfway down and they are very hard to get out!

Mardi Gras masquerade feather centerpiece with Mardi Gras beads in the Eiffel tower vase

Mardi Gras Beads* are a really good vase filler. They are small enough to easily fit in the vase, are very inexpensive, and come in pretty much any color you want.

I used traditional Mardi Gras colors for this one, but you could use whatever color you want.

Variation 3: Add Hanging Crystals Or Beads

White ostrich feather centerpiece with a light up base and crystals hanging from the feathers

I used this variation at my Great Gatsby Party.  Hanging strands of “crystals*” or “pearls*” (plastic of course) from the feathers adds some glam to your decor. (Everyone who knows me, knows I love some glam!!)

Get the step-by-step tutorial for this DIY Gatsby feather centerpiece HERE.

Mardi Gras feather centerpiece with Mardi Gras beads hung from the feathers

I did something similar with this feather centerpiece for my Mardi Gras party, except I hung Mardi Gras beads instead of crystals from the feathers.

Variation 4: Light The Feathers

White ostrich feather centerpiece with pink glitter lights in the feathers and a white feather boa around the base

Adding some small lights to the feathers is another way to dress up your ostrich feather centerpieces.

In this case, I strung pink glimmer lights* through the feathers to make them glow. You’ll need lights that don’t weight very much and are battery operated so you don’t have to plug them in.

I also used this base light* which I covered up with feather boas*.

Variation 5: Two Toned Ostrich Feather Centerpieces

Red and Black Ostrich feather centerpiece on a table set for a Halloween party

To make a feather centerpiece using an accent color, you will need to choose the main feather color and an accent color.

For my Fallen Angels and Devils party, black ostrich feathers* were the dominant color with accents of red feathers*.

black and red ostrich feathers in a vase showing the lines of how to arrange the colors

The instructions for putting together the feather centerpiece together are pretty much the same as for a 1-color vase. The only difference is to use an accent color feather in place of the main color feather every once in a while.

I usually use 1 to 2 accent color feathers per row and try to place them in a zig-zag pattern so that they look randomly placed but still balanced.

This works out to about 18 main color feathers and 9 accent color feathers per vase.

Alice In Wonderland pink and white ostrich feather centerpiece with a black vase

I also used this feather pattern at our Mad Hatter Tea Party…with pink and white feathers in black Eiffel tower vases.

Variation 6: Layered Ostrich Feather Centerpieces

Pink And White Layered Feather Centerpiece

Putting the layered feather centerpiece together is very similar to doing one color, except that you switch to the second color for the top two rows of feathers.

I used white ostrich feathers* on the bottom and pink ones* on the top for my friend’s pink 50th birthday party. (Recognize those feathers?  They’re the same ones as the Alice in Wonderland party above…I definitely re-use what I have to cut down on the cost when I’m planning parties!)

To put these DIY feather centerpieces together, follow the same instructions as the single color feather vase, using the first color for the bottom two rows of the centerpiece.

For the third row, mix in a couple of the first color feathers with the second color feathers as a transition row.

Then use all of the second color feathers on the top rows.

This means you need about 14 feathers of the bottom color and 13 feathers of the top color.

Mardi Gras feather centerpiece with purple, gold and green feathers and Mardi Gras beads

If you really want to get fancy you can use 3 or 4 colors for a rainbow layered effect, like I did for these Mardi Gras feather centerpieces.

Get the step-by-step instructions for making the Mardi Gras feather centerpieces HERE.

Variation 7: Mix and Match Ostrich Feather Centerpieces

Peacock feather centerpiece with blue, green and teal ostrich feathers

For my peacock-colored centerpiece, the feather colors were royal blue*, turquoise* and green*. I used this as part of the decor for my Mardi Gras masquerade party.

For this centerpiece look, you will need to alternate the feather colors as you insert them into the bouquet holder…so in this case, I used a royal blue feather, then a turquoise feather and then a green feather to get the mottled look.

Other than that, the instructions for putting them into the bouquet holder are the same as for the single color centerpiece.

The peacock at the bottom of the vase is meant to be an event decoration, but it goes pretty well with my centerpiece!

Hopefully, you now know how to make your own spectacular ostrich feather centerpieces and have some inspiration for dressing them up a little.

Sources

Here are all of the supplies that I used to make the feather centerpieces shown above:

SQXBK 2000PCS 4.5mm Wedding Table Scatter Confetti Crystals Acrylic Diamonds Rhinestones Bling Gem Wedding DIY Clear Acrylic Stones Crystal Acrylic Diamonds, Pink
Lampu 10pcs Ostrich Feathers 12-14 inch(30-35cm) Plume Home Wedding Decoration(White)
Lampu 10pcs Ostrich Feathers 12-14 inch(30-35cm) Plume Home Wedding Decoration(Purple)
LARDUX Led Light Base - 5 inch Square Lights Display Stand for Effiel Tower Vase Crystal Glass Art LED Pedestal Base - Charging USB or Battery Powered
BlueSnail 99 ft Clear Crystal Acrylic Like Beads Wrapped by The Roll - Wedding Decorations, Party Decor, DIY(Flat, Clear)
Sowder 10pcs Ostrich Feathers 12-14inch(30-35cm) for Home Wedding Decoration(Lime Green)
Sowder 10pcs Ostrich Feathers 12-14inch(30-35cm) for Home Wedding Decoration (Teal)
Sowder 10pcs Ostrich Feathers 12-14inch(30-35cm) for Home Wedding Decoration(Royal Blue)
Sowder 20pcs Natural 10-12inch(25-30cm) Ostrich Feathers Plume for Wedding Centerpieces Home Decoration(Fuchsia)
Sowder 10pcs Ostrich Feathers 12-14inch(30-35cm) for Home Wedding Decoration(red)
Sowder 10pcs Ostrich Feathers 12-14inch(30-35cm) for Home Wedding Decoration(Black)
4mm Faux Pearl Plastic Beads on a String Craft Roll Irridescent White by DPC by DPC
PePeng Pack of 6000 Clear Decorative Wedding Table Scatter Crystals for 6-8 Tables, Make Wedding Days More Magic with The Acrylic Gem Confetti (Hot Pink)
CYLAPEX 6 Pack Pink Fairy String Lights Battery Operated Fairy Lights Firefly Lights Micro LED Starry String Lights on 3.3ft/1m Silvery Copper Wire for DIY Christmas Decoration Costume Wedding Party
Cozy Glamour Over 50 Different Solid Color Feather Boas 6 Feet Long 50 Gram Weight (White #01)
Glue Dots Double-Sided Removable Dots, 1/2'', Clear, Pack of 600 (8388)
6-Pack Bouquet Holder, DIY Wedding Foam Bouquet Handle Bridal Floral Fresh Artificial Flower Holder Decoration
WGV Eiffel Tower Vase, Open 1", Height 20", (Multiple Sizes Choices) Clear Glass Floral Container with Sturdy Base, Flower Centerpiece for Wedding Event Home Decor, Arts Crafts, 1 Piece
AWAYTR 10pcs Natural Ostrich Feathers for Wedding Centerpieces Home Decoration (20-22 inch, White)
Ostrich Feathers 12-14inch Sky Blue Ostrich Feathers Plume for Wedding Centerpieces Home Vase Decoration per Pack of 10

Frequently asked questions

As a recap, here are the answers to the questions I get asked the most about making ostrich feather centerpieces.

What size of ostrich feathers do you need for feather vases?

I generally use 12″ – 14″ ostrich feathers*. They are easier to find in many different colors and cost less than the larger ones.

But if you want to create really luxurious ostrich feather centerpieces, you might want to go for 20″ – 24″ ostrich feathers*.

Ostrich Feather Size Comarison
You can see the difference in the way they look in the picture above.  The vase is the same size in both cases.

How many ostrich feathers do you need for a vase?

Each vase needs between 27 and 30 feathers to fill it out.

However, there is a little leeway.  If you want it to look fuller, add a few more feathers. If you want to save a little money, use a few less.

Where can I buy ostrich feathers?

I buy most of my feathers from amazon.com*. The prices are good, they have a wide selection of colors and you can return them easily if you don’t get what you want.

However, if you are buying in bulk and don’t mind waiting, I have also found some good deals on aliexpress.com*. Most of them ship from China so they may take a few weeks to arrive, and you do need to shop around to make sure you are getting a good price.

Where can I buy the square light that goes under the vase?

I buy mine from amazon.com. You can find them HERE*.

What size of vase do I need?

I use 20″ Eiffel Tower vases* for all of my ostrich feather centerpieces.
However, both the shorter 16″ vases and the taller 24″ vases will work.  Generally, if you are using a shorter vase, you will want to go with shorter feathers. If you are using a taller vase, the longer ostrich feathers will look best.

How do the feathers stay in place?

Bouquet holders are the easiest way to get the feathers to stay in place. The handle holds the bouquet holder steady in the vase, and the floral foam holds the feathers at the right angles.

I like to use the ones that have plastic dividers over the tops of them. It makes spacing the feathers out evenly much easier.

You can find them HERE* (on Amazon)

Other DIY centerpiece ideas you might like

Comments or questions on how to make ostrich feather centerpieces? Tell us in the section below.


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DIY ostrich feather centerpieces

This post was originally published on November 4, 2015 but was updated with new content on December 16, 2023.


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96 Comments

  1. Hi how are you, I found your pin and am making a center piece for an upcoming event. I just had a question on one of your additions. What directions would you give to someone when Hanging Crystals or Beads From the Feathers? I bought all the materials but do not know how to go about this step.

    Please respond as soon as seeing this! Thank you

    1. Hi Toni Ann…I usually start by hanging the end of the string of beads/crystals over the stem of one of the feathers that is on the bottom layer, pretty close to the vase. Then let out some of the crystals so that they are draping down about half way down the vase and hang the bead string over the stem of the next feather on the bottom row. Keep going around the vase the same way looping the string over the feathers on the bottom row until you get back to the starting point. I like to change up the distance that the string falls down between the feathers (that way if they don’t stay exactly in place when you move the vases, no-one can really tell). Then do the exact same thing for the feathers on the next row up…this time hang the beads a little further out from the vase. If you want to hang both crystals and beads, change over to the other type of string for the second row. When you are finished those 2 layers, take a look at it and see if you like it. If it doesn’t look like enough, you can keep going with a third row, one level up and a little further out again. You probably can’t go up much further than the third layer of feathers because the beads will cause the top feathers to droop. But if you still want to have more crystals, you can try repeating the same process to one of the layers of feathers you have already done but further out on the stem. Once you’re finished stringing the beads/crystals, take a look at it and adjust anything that doesn’t look right. Hopefully this helps!

  2. Where can I get the crystals beads from

  3. Stacey Christmas says:

    Where can you buy the feathers in bulk I’m in desperate need of dark purple feathers in bulk

    1. Hi Stacey…If you have time to wait for shipping, you can go to aliexpress.com and search for Purple ostrich feathers…you should see a bunch of options for different feather sizes, quantities and prices. There’s also a weddingfeathers Etsy shop. Both of these ship from China so it usually takes a couple of weeks for them to arrive (although you might be able to pay for rush shipping). If you want to be able to get them quickly, try save-on-crafts.com (but they will probably be more expensive). Hope this helps! Wanda.

  4. Toniann Mattia says:

    When you put the beads on the feathers do you just let them hang? or do you put glue dots or hot glue on it? i’m having trouble getting them to stay

    1. Hi Toniann…I just hung the beads on there, but they do move around a bit. I think either glue dots or hot glue or even velcro dots would work if you want to make sure they stay in the right place.

    2. Hi Toniann…I just had another thought. I haven’t tried this but I think it might work pretty well…you could try using something else rather than the feathers to hold up the beads. I’m thinking something like the wood skewers you would use for shish kabobs, or maybe even straws. Cut them short enough so they don’t stick out through the feathers (you might want to paint them the same color as the feathers if you can see them). Then you can put your glue dots or velcro dots on the skewers, stick them in the bouquet holder between the feathers and hang the beads from there. They might be a little sturdier and it would be a little less messy than trying to stick things directly on the feathers.

  5. Jody-Ann Marsh says:

    hello this is beautiful. i am hosting a 50th birthday celebration for my mom. a masquerade theme. purple black and gold. i would love to use this idea. where can i get the items to purchase. also its in December. your ideas are just wonderful.

    🙂 thank you

    1. Thanks Jody-Ann! Your party sounds like it will be beautiful, too…Purple, black and gold look great together!

      I think you could do black vases with black and purple feathers and dip the ends of the feathers in gold glitter (you can find the instructions for that here: Great Gatsby Party gold-tipped feathers). Or you could use a clear glass vase and fill it up with gold mardi-gras beads if you want more of the gold. I don’t know if you saw it, but I did a Mardi Gras masquerade party which you might be able to get some ideas from (it was purple, green and gold so just switch out the green for black).

      I buy a lot of the supplies for my parties from amazon.com (you can find the links for the feather centerpiece supplies here: Feather Centerpieces product links. You can also try cvlinens.com, efavormart.com or koyalwholesale.com…I usually search all of them to find the best price for what I want.

      I hope this helps…good luck with your party!

  6. thank you for replying. i actually thought i wouldnt get a respond. however i just purchase some clear glass vase. i was looking for some deals to get the feathers in bulk. i guess ill stick to amazon. i only have 7 tables. approximately how many feathers should be in one vase. ill check out the gatsby party. i have a question. what can i do for masks? i feel like im behind schedule party is dec 17 lol

    thanks again for all the help.
    blessings to you always.

    1. Hi Jody-Ann…for bulk feathers, try searching for Ostrich Feathers on aliexpress.com. They have a lot of sellers (some bulk and some not) that generally have better prices but you do have to compare. Most of them are shipping from China so it takes a couple of weeks to get here. If you order soon, you should still have time.

      You will need 25 to 30 feathers per vase (depending on how full you want them to look).

      For the masks…it depends on how fancy you want them to be 🙂 You can get pretty inexpensive masks from most of the party stores – Party City or shindigz.com. If you want a bigger choice of colors and styles, try the Mardi Gras stores – mardigrasoutlet.com or emardigrasbeads.com.

      You still have a little time to pull it together so don’t stress too much 🙂

  7. Hi how do you get the feathers fluffy. A got some feathers online and they are closed up . Thanks

    1. Hi Carol…Ostrich feathers should not be hard to “fluff”. You should just be able to shake them out or run your fingers through them to get them to open. If that doesn’t work, I think you probably have the wrong kind of feathers. If you still have the package, check that they are ostrich feathers (maybe they made a mistake and sent you the wrong thing?). If you’re still not sure, send me a picture of one of them and I can probably tell you. Hope you get it sorted out!

  8. Thank you for your help. I realise now that I have the wrong type of feathers. You can tell I am new to all of this!!

  9. Hi, I want to add flowers in with the feathers…. orchids hanging down and other flowers mixed in. Would you put the feathers in first? And would you glue the orchids in? Thanks,
    Rose

    1. Hi Rose…that sounds beautiful! Yes, I would put the feathers in first. I think I would try just draping the flowers on the feathers without gluing them to see if they stay. Then if they don’t stay where you want them, you can always go back afterwords and add some glue (maybe try glue dots or velcro dots which would be a little less messy than regular glue).

  10. hey how are you. i would like to send you a email of a test that i did .im currently waiting on the gold beads . also how do i tie the beads. they all falling down smh

    1. Hi Jody-Ann…I’m good…how are you? I would love to see a picture of how it turned out!

      For the beads falling off, here’s a few suggestions:

      • If they are sliding down the feathers towards the vase, maybe try adjusting the feathers so that they are sticking out straighter (or move the beads onto ones that are already sticking out at less of an angle).
      • If they are sliding the other way off the end of the feathers, then you may need to move the bead strands in closer to the vase (they won’t stay if they more than about 1/3 of the way out on the feather).
      • If they are pulling off the feathers from the weight of the beads, you could try wrapping the strand around a few of the feathers to keep it in place. Or maybe a few twist ties would help?
      • Hope that helps!

  11. Hello
    In the one that has the pink glimmer lights in the feathers, what technique did you use for that? How did you place the lights and how do they stay in place? Thanks!

    1. Hi Kaela…I strung them through the feathers (something like lights on a Christmas tree), starting with the battery pack end close to the vase and working my way out. Those glimmer light strings are very light weight so they pretty much stay in place. The tricky part is hiding the battery pack which is heavier. I stuck it on top of the bouquet holder between the feathers at the top of the arrangement, so the bouquet holder was carrying the weight and the feathers made sure it didn’t fall off. You could probably use some glue dots or velcro dots to hold it on there if you wanted to make sure it didn’t move. Hope this helps!

  12. Toni Dibenedetto says:

    Approximately how many 20″ ostrich feathers do you use per centerpiece? Thinking a 20″ vase.

    1. Hi Toni…I usually use 27 to 30 feathers per vase (that’s what I used for the pictures with the white feathers…they are 20″ feathers). If you want a really full look, you can add a few more, but it gets a little harder to position the stems in the bouquet holder because they run into each other.

  13. Sheila,
    I have a 24″ trumpet vase and I would like to buy black and red feathers. I think I would like the size to be 20-24″ feathers. Question how many do I buy black and how many in red. Or do I buy 20″-24″ in black and 14″ in red. I hope you can help me. This is my first time doing feathers as a centerpiece

    1. Hi Sheila…When I’m using two colors of feathers, I usually put in 2/3 one color and 1/3 of the other color. Since it normally takes 27 to 30 feathers to do one vase, I would do 18 to 20 black feathers with 9 or 10 red ones. I haven’t tried using 2 different sizes of feathers in one vase, but it might work if you want to make sure black is the dominant color.

  14. I think it’s fantastic that someone who does this for a livelihood would share so openly with everyone .
    I say this because it seem to me people are so selfish .God bless you Wanda and may your store room never be empty ,because you have a good heart.

    1. Thanks, Eunice! I firmly believe that you get out of life what you give. Not everyone can afford to hire someone to make these kinds of decorations…but if you’re willing to do the work, you can still create a beautiful setting for yourself. I’m happy to help make that happen 🙂

  15. You are so right ,thanks for taking the time to reply.

    1. Thank you so much for sharing. My only daughter has been with her husband since they were 15 years old. They are now 30. They did not have a wedding but are now having a 15 year anniversary party. Your decorative ideas are excellent. Thank you!

      1. Thanks, Hilda! Hope they have a great anniversary! After 15 years, they deserve it 🙂

  16. Patricia Johnson says:

    Hello Wanda, You are A Blessing If I can send you this picture I’m trying to make feathers crystal centerpiece with lights, Can you Please Tell me Step By Step What To Buy and How to make it. It’s For My Wedding.

    1. Hi Patricia…Congratulations on getting married! I will update the instructions on the site and send you a link when I’m done (should be later this week or early next week at the latest).

  17. hi Wanda,

    I am currently looking into making some centerpieces for my Mothers 50th Birthday. I’m trying to order the feathers first. Going off of everything I read thus far from you. Does 40-45cm size , 25 to 30 feathers for each centerpiece sound about right? And if I calculate correct that is going to run me more then $600 in just feathers? I need to make 15 centerpieces.

    Help please lol

    1. Hi Jocelyn…yes, I think you have the size and number of feathers correct. So for 15 centerpieces, you will need between 375 and 450 feathers. If you look for bulk feathers sold in 100-piece packages, you can usually find them for about $100, which would come out to about $400 in feathers. Hope that helps!

  18. Stephanie Deste says:

    Hi Wanda, your instructions are just what I needed. I am holding a 1920s murder mystery dinner for Macmillan nurses and a vase with ostrich feathers and pearls will be my centrepiece. Thanks for the inspiration, from Stephanie

    1. Hi Stephanie…I’m happy the feather centerpiece instructions were helpful. Good luck with your murder mystery dinner (It sounds like fun!)

  19. Hi Wanda
    Love your site. I want to make these feather centerpieces on a small scale
    for a charity dinner dance. The tables will already have Balloon Bouquets in the center
    in Black, white and gold so the centerpiece must be small. I’m thinking a 12″ vase
    How can I place the feathers and beads without using the Bouquet Holder as I think
    it may be too big and also what size feathers would you recommend….I’m new to this and badly in need of assistance.
    Thanks

    1. Hi Gary…I think you could cut a piece of floral foam to the size you need and stick a small dowel in the bottom of it to hold it straight in the vase. Usually, I use feathers that are the same length as the height of the vase…so for a 12″ vase, I would use 12″ feathers. But you can get away with going a little bit smaller than that (8″ – 10″ feathers) if you want to keep the centerpiece size as small as possible. Hope that helps!

      1. Thanks, exactly what I needed to know.

  20. Terri Darling says:

    Hi Wanda, I want to create a feather piece to go on top of my crystal chandelier centerpiece and wanted to know what type of floral foam …if any …. would I need to use?

    1. Hi Terri…I think the easiest way would be to buy floral foam balls (or blocks) and cut them to the size that you need. That way you can make sure they’re the right size. Since you’re not using it for flowers, dry floral foam is the easiest to work with (and usually less expensive than wet floral foam). You can find it on amazon if you search for “dry floral foam”. Hope that helps!

      1. Terri Burke Darling says:

        Hi Wanda,
        You’re so Awesome!!!… Thank you for your quick response and solution to My problem. ❤

  21. How do u hide the handle of the bouquet holder?

    1. Hi Nancy…I usually have the feathers hanging down far enough that you don’t really notice the bouquet holder. But if you can still see it, there’s a few options for hiding it: 1. Wrap the top of the vase with ribbon or beads/crystals that match your decor and hide the handle. 2. Use a dark-colored or frosted glass vase so you can’t see through it as well. 3. Fill the vase with vase filler that also covers the handle. Hope that helps!

      1. Such a quick response! Thank u sooo much!
        Nancy

  22. Hi wanda! I’m having a masquerade Wedding in 6 days and I have your feather centerpiece idea and have 7 large vases. The bouquet holder was too small for the mouth of my vase so I used a styrafoam Ball. It looks amazing. However how long will these stay erect? Can I make all 7 and not worry about them for the next 6 days?

    1. Yes, they should be fine. If I get lazy between parties, I sometimes don’t take mine apart and they’re still fine a few weeks later…so 6 days should be no problem. Have fun at your wedding!

  23. Hy thanks for the pin. I am having a bday party 50 for my hubby. The colors are navy and gold. The chairs are gold. I have clear vase. What color feathers should I use. Please feel free to share link. I noticed you said white is pilpular but I don’t think it will match my decor.

    1. Hi Johanne…I agree, white would probably stand out too much against your decor. I think gold feathers would be pretty. Or maybe a two-toned vase with blue and gold feathers. The only issue you might have with that is finding blue feathers that are dark enough. Most of the blue feathers are more royal blue than navy (which would probably still look good, but that would depend on how true you want to stay to your colors). If you click on the ostrich feather links in the post, it will take you to Amazon sellers that have different colors of feathers (or you can just do a search on Amazon for gold ostrich feathers and a bunch of options should come up). Hope that helps!

  24. Hi Wanda,
    I’m thinking of using the 24″ vases for my centerpieces because I don’t want them to be in the way of people trying to talk while sitting down. How top heavy are these with the large feathers in them?

    1. Hi Debbie…I haven’t had any problems with the feathers being too top heavy. As long as they are evenly distributed around the vase, they don’t seem to affect the balance of the vase. Having said that, the vases themselves can be a bit unstable because of how tall they are, so I usually stick them down with a few velcro dots.

  25. You are a gem.Not many would have done what you did ,I have not done mine as yet ,but the first time I saw your work I was awe-strucked so I saved it .I must tell you how much I appreciate your kindness and love ,love your creations .May you be blessed going out and coming in and may your blessings increase 100 fold.

    1. Thanks, Eunice! I’m happy you like it 🙂 Good luck with yours!

  26. Laura A Freeman says:

    I am looking for used black or white large ostrich feathers to purchase

    1. Hi Laura…I haven’t tried to buy used ostrich feathers so I don’t have any good recommendations, although it seems like you should be able to find some 🙂 Sorry for not being much help!

  27. Let me say that I’ve probably visited your page 100 times in the last few weeks lol. I am making 4 ostrich feather centerpieces using black feathers and putting the glimmer lights inside with the acrylic fill like your pink ones…but in black…my party theme is Black and Bling). My question is, how much of the fill do you need for each 20inch vase?

    1. Hi Terri…your black and bling party sounds beautiful! It’s been a while since I made one of those centerpieces with the vase filler in it so I can’t remember exactly how much I used. I do remember it was more than I thought I would need. I think it was around 1 package of vase filler per vase. Good luck with your party!

  28. Hi, I plan to make these feather centerpieces for my wedding next April, but I am wondering about the bouquet holders. I noticed the link you have in your post is to the type of bouquet holders that give directions to soak them in water, so I was a little confused. When I search for bouquet holder with foam for artificial flowers they don’t seem to have the same layered sections as the ones in your post. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
    Thank you,
    Tammy

    1. Hi Tammy…you would only need to soak the bouquet holders in water if you were using them with live flowers. So you can use them with the feathers without soaking them and they work fine 🙂

  29. JANETTE GONZALEZ says:

    Hi!! I never ever leave comments on anything, but I felt the need to do so here. THANK YOU for sharing all of your knowledge with us!!
    I will be making 10- 20″ Eiffel vase centerpieces for my Roaring 20s themed 50th birthday. With all of this information, I feel confident that I can pull it off.
    Question for you, I was planning on making them at my house but would need to get them to the venue. Do you usually assemble yours at the event or do you do them at your home (or business)?
    Thanks again!!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Janette! Since you are making quite a few of them, it is usually easier (time-wise) to make them ahead of time. It is fairly easy to transport the feather portion of the centerpiece separately from the vase then put the two together when you get to your venue. If you are planning on hanging anything on the feathers (like crystals or pearls), I would put those on at the event (although you might want to try a couple at home so you have an idea of how they will look). Have fun at your birthday party!

  30. I am doing these centerpieces but on a trump vase, the opening is 6″ and the height is 22″.
    Any idea of how many feathers I’d need for each? I am making 16 of these. I need help ASAP, the event is December 13!!! Thanks a lot

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Rossy…Sorry for the late response…I missed your comment somehow. I haven’t tried in a larger vase like that, so I can’t say for sure. And it does depend on how full you want them to be. I would probably order about 40 feathers per vase. You might be able to get away with less than that, but I like to make sure I have enough and then send back the ones that I don’t use. Good luck with your event!

  31. Adrienne Soltau says:

    Hi Wanda, my son and his fiancé are making these for their wedding centre pieces and we were wondering how far in advance can you make the centre piece? Do the feathers start to droop or lose their fullness in time? Can they be made a few days in advance of the wedding?
    You’re ideas are beautiful and you’re very talented.
    Regards,
    Adrienne

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Adrienne…you can definitely make them a few days ahead of time. The ostrich feathers keep their shape nicely so you don’t need to worry about them starting to droop. If you have to transport them to a venue, you may need to re-position a few feathers once you get them set up on the tables. But that shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Good luck with the wedding!

  32. Hi I’m make a very large Urn feather arrangement. I’ve purchased a large round florist ball foam but am wondering how can I secure it in the urn so the foam won’t pop out. Duct tape ball to urn? Ideas?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Rita…I’m sure duct tape would work. You could also try sticking 3 or 4 bamboo skewers or small wood dowels into the bottom of the foam ball. Space them out far enough apart that they would be close to touching the inside sides of the vase. Then position the foam ball so that they stick down inside the vase. Hope that helps!

  33. I ended up using rectangle, square and oval foams! Huge success! I’m not sure how to post a pic!

  34. Tashay Gilbert says:

    Love your page!!

    Hope all is well with you.

    I’m planning my grandmothers 80th bday. I have used feathers in the past at other events I have decorated. I wanted to know, centerpiece you have with the pink lights, what color are the feathers? Are they white and the lights make them look purple or are they purple? My grandmothers party is amethyst and silver. I think that color centerpiece you have would be perfect.

    Thanks in advance!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Tashay! The feathers in the centerpieces with the pink lights are white. It is the lights that make them look purple.

      1. Thanks for your prompt response!

  35. Hi! Thank you for all of your great suggestions! I am wondering if you’ve used 32 inch Eiffel tower vases, and if so – what size feather would work best? I am wondering if 22-28 inch feathers will be too much or perfect? Also, is 32 inch vase height plus feathers ok size for a large 10 person round table in a room with very high ceilings? Thank you!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Michelle…I haven’t tried the 32 inch Eiffel tower vase, but I think the long 22 to 28 inch feathers would be perfect. Usually, the taller the vase, the longer the feathers 🙂 The height should be fine for a room with high ceilings.

  36. Hi they are beautiful is the a certain size holder you need to use and where do you buy light up squares please

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Alvina…I used a 20 inch Eiffel tower vase and bought the light up squares from Amazon. If you look under the Sources section, you’ll find links to where you can buy them.

  37. LaLita Jackson says:

    Want to thank you so much for sharing your ideas and work it was done splendidly. I have taking on the duty of decorator for my sister’s 50th mardi birthday party with little experience although is 10 months from now I’m already panicking because of experience and budget. How far in advance can these centerpiece be made, giving all of the other task I have to do. Again thank you and be blessed.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi LaLita…If you have room to store the centerpieces, you can make them as far in advance as you want to. I have a couple in my studio that have been there for a couple of years and they still look great. Good luck with your party!

  38. Monica Harris says:

    How would you suggest making the centerpieces with trumpet vases? I got the foam half ball but not sure if that should be used.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Monica…you can try the foam half ball and see if it is steady enough. I think it should work as long as it fits in snugly. Otherwise, I would use bouquet holders for trumpet vases, too. (The advantage is that the stem keeps it upright in the vase).

  39. Tracy Scimeca says:

    Hello
    Thank you for the informative video. I have to create similar centerpieces for a roaring 20s school fundraiser but utilize the locations existing large clear hurricane vases. Open ended on both sides normally used to cover a long stem candle. I am uncertain what to use to put the feathers in when the opening is so large and I cannot use anything to adhere the foam given the glass needs to be returned to its original state after the party. Any recommendations? Thank you for the link to feather supplies that is incredibly helpful.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Tracy…I would get round styrofoam or floral foam balls that are big enough to fit in the top of the vase without falling through. To keep them upright, stick some small wooden dowels on the bottom of them spaced just wide enough to touch the inside edges of the vase. Then do the feathers in the same pattern as you would if it was a bouquet holder. I hope that helps!

  40. Michelle S says:

    Hi Wanda!
    I LOVE your designs and videos. I am getting married in June and these are exactly what I am looking for as my table centerpieces. I would like to ask for your advice/opinion before ordering my feathers though. I am doing 24″ tall vases, and am concerned on cross table conversation and the centerpiece obstructing views. So, I was thinking of doing maybe the 16-18″ for the bottom and then the 14-14″ on the top. Do you think that would look ok? Thanks so much for sharing your tips!!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Michelle…I think those sizes will be fine. I would try one, see if you like it, and figure out exactly how many feathers you will need. Then order the supplies for the rest of them.

  41. These are gorgeous! I’m decorating a Prom type banquet for High school group. Can these be made big enough to stand on the floor? Or are these for table top? Appreciate your sharing.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Lisa…I have only used them on table tops. But I think they would look pretty dramatic on the floor if you could find a way to make the vases taller. Either find ones that are taller or come up with a sturdy base to put the shorter vases on (like plinths or columns).

  42. Kymn LeSage says:

    Hello. I was very interested in making these as centerpieces for my sister’s wedding. However when I priced the materials with the links you provided, it appears that one tall centerpiece is $220. That does not seem very affordable. Am I missing something here? We would need ten of them, yikes!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Kymn…if you use the longer feathers, $200 per vase is about what they cost (it’s still significantly cheaper than if you were to get them from a wedding decorator). If you’re trying to save money, use the shorter feathers. The vases will come out to about $55 each. You can sell them afterwards for about the same price (or maybe even a little more) if you want to make your money back.

  43. Savannah Hubach says:

    Love these!! How many beads or crystals does it take to fill one vase?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Savannah…I can usually fill 2 to 3 vases with 1 package of crystals or beads. But it depends on what size they are and how big your vase is.

  44. Diane walling says:

    This was so helpful. Thank you!!

  45. Savannah Hubach says:

    This helped me so much! I made feather arrangements for my murder mystery dinner. The Mardi Gras beads didn’t work for me, they got stuck. I did use black and gold Polly beads and it worked like a charm!! It also was cost effective. I ordered 2 bags of 1000 Polly beads. (1 gold and 1 black) I filled 3 towers and had plenty more to fill more if needed.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      The gold and black beads sound beautiful, Savannah! I’m glad you were able to get them to work 🙂

  46. Judith King says:

    How many crystals do you need for each 24” Eiffel vase?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Judith…To be honest, I bought my crystals quite a few years ago (and I reuse them), so I don’t remember exactly how many vases 1 package will fill. I think you should be able to get at least 3 vases from a 2000-crystal bag. But it will depend on the size of the crystals and the vase.