Making A Quill Pen This activity may need a little bit of support however the end project will be great for future historic events and other crafting activities. Ask your maintenance person to get involved by providing the pliers and supporting with the production of the Quill Pen.
What to do 1. Use needle-nose pliers to cut about 1" off of the pointed end of the turkey feather. 2. Use the pliers to pluck feathers from the quill as shown in the first photo on the next page. Leave about 6" of feathers at the top of the quill. 3. Sand the exposed quill with an emery board to remove flaky fibres and unwanted texture. Smoothing the quill will make it more pleasant to hold while writing. 4. If the clipped end of the quill is jagged and/or split, carefully even it out using nail scissors as shown in the middle photo.
5. Use standard scissors to make a slanted 1/2" cut on the tip of the
quill as shown in the last photo below.
You Will Need
10" –12" faux turkey feather Water -based ink 6. Use tweezers to clean out any debris left in the hollow of the quill. Needle -nose pliers 7. Cut a 1/2" vertical slit on the long side of the quill tip. When the Emery board pen is pressed down, the “prongs” should spread apart slightly as Nail scissors shown in the centre photo below. Tweezers Scissors
Keeping it Easy
Attach a ball point pen to the feather using electrical tape.
8. Submerge the tip of the quill pen into the ink, tapping it to release any excess ink. To begin writing, lightly press the pen on paper and drag the tip. The firmer you press, the more the prongs spread, resulting in thicker lines.
Using your Quill Pens Practice calligraphy writing. Use these pens for residents to practise their hand writing. Write letters to family and friends or even for writing out invites to future events in the home.
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