All those feathers fluttering to the ground during molting can be a nightmare to deal with.  Whether your birds are inside in a cage or out in a chicken pen, molting birds produce a lot of feathers.  Some of them are so beautiful, it seems a shame to waste them.  There are many crafty things you can do with molted feathers, allowing you to create something unique and avoid waste at the same time.

Earrings

Earrings with feathers are very popular.  Some people make a living selling nothing but feathered earrings, strange though it may seem.  All you need are some feathers, a way to attach them, such as hot glue or beading thread, depending on your design, and some inexpensive earrings.  You can get French hook earrings for as little as a few pennies each when you buy them in bulk from a wholesale jewelry supplier.

Fishing Flies

Fly-tying is a big business.  I bought some guinea hens from a man who raises guinea fowl of different colors and sells their feathers to fly manufacturing companies for big bucks.  This is another one of those “who’da thunk it?” categories, but you can definitely make some fantastic cash by making and selling fishing flies.

Stuffing

If you can collect enough of the down feathers, you can try to make stuffed items with them.  It will probably end up being more work than it is worth, but what a great way to recycle from nature and create something special in the bargain!

There are many ways to utilize the feathers your birds molt, if you are willing to gather them up and turn them into something else.  What are some other ways to use bird feathers?