I did purchase used feather flowers recently. The colors have faded away terribly. I do not know if they were in the sun for a long time or if water somehow faded the colors. Is it okay to restore the colors by taking them to an airbrush painter or brushing the feathers with dye?

Some dye will fade over time, or when the feathers were exposed to sunlight, even if not directly exposed to the sun.

I do not believe anything can be done for faded flowers. Usually touching them causes the feathers to separate.

Trying to re-color them would be very difficult, as the over spray would get on the other feathers.

I suggest you just use them as is, they will look good from a distance. Do this, take them outside, put them on a pot and walk 20 to 30 feet away, turn and look at them. If they look okay, then use them as is.

You purchase them as used, so why would you think they should look like new. It would cost to much to replace each feather. I guess you could take them apart, and learn how to make them yourself and make new ones. Of course the dye process is a total secret as far as I know, or don't know that is.

Ok, thanks. I will play with them to see what I can come up with.

Hi
Sometimes it's a matter of cleaning.
Perhaps steaming will help.
It's worth trying.

No. Don't steam your feather flowers....it will accelerate corroding the metal stems and metal parts used in their manufacture...instead to "fluff them up"...use dry heat, carefully applied, or put the feather bouquet inside a car in the hot sun.

If dust and dirt is an issue.....you can use corn meal in a big plastic garbage bag and shake the feather flowers together with the cornmeal in the bag, then remove the remaining cormeal with very careful blowing and gentle brushing.

Once they fade.....they fade.....

Best insurance for this is to buy quality feather flowers.....they will last and troupe for many years.


FYI....the resident feather flower expert guy here on the Café is Richard Hughes.

Thanks Rick for posting this care information. I have posted it numerous times but you are one of the few to listen and take heed. Steam can destroy the flowers. Solder has acid (no matter what kind you use). Acid and water (steam) equals rusts.

Nothing is going to restore old feathers to look like new. And putting old feathers or flowers with new stuff is going to make the old stuff look much worse than it might otherwise look.

Richard

I remember as a footnote at the bottom of an Abbott catalog them mentioneing about steaming feather flowers. Seemed odd to do that to feathers. Glad to know for sure it's not good from the experts.