Learn how to make a quill pen as part of a series on Colonial Crafting. Sage is your host and walks you step by step on how to make a quill feather pen both historically accurate and a modern version. Great for Harry Potter Fans Too.
SEE ALL THE COLONIAL CRAFTING VIDEO SERIES HERE
History
Quill pens have been around since at least 2nd Century BC. We humans have been using flight feathers dipped in ink to record our history for THAT long! They really became popular in the Dark Ages and they were the writing instrument of choice in Colonial America. In fact it is written in several accounts that early colonial teachers did not emphasize spelling so much as beautiful penmanship. Most people used goose feathers but it is rumored that crow feathers made the most fine lines. Many colonists raised geese so they always had ‘pens’ on hand. Good thing since a quill pen only lasted about a week!
Video Instructions
Supplies
Feathers: https://amzn.to/2CY6N6H
Tools: https://amzn.to/2Sgts85
Pens or pen refills: https://amzn.to/2Tlh3x2
Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/2Sb07fm
**Ask Parent permission and to help with craft pen knife**
Glitter paint (optional): https://amzn.to/2Tr8WiE
Sponge (optional): https://amzn.to/2RXizIV
OR… To simply visit Sage’s Colonial Crafting Supply Shoppe
Historically accurate Quill Pen
Step One
Soak the tip of the quill in warm water for about fifteen minutes
Step Two
Have your parent helper use the pen knife to cut a curve and sharp point on softened quill tip
Step Three
Have parent helper cut a tiny slit in the tip of the quill reading a nib
Step Four
Test the quill pen in your hand. Trim off excess feathers so you have about 3-4 inches of bare quill
Step Five
Dip quill into ink, blot and use!!!
Modern version of Quill Pen
Step One
Soak the tip of the quill in warm water for about fifteen minutes
Step Two
Cut off the tip of the softened quill
Step Three
Use a cooking skewer to clean the inside of the shaft of the feather
Step Four
Remove ink cartridge and tip from a ball point pen and place it in cleaned feather shaft. If it’s too long, simply cut it down to size.
Make It Magical!
If you want to dress up your feather quill, you can use good paint or glitter to decorate it and make it more magical. (Excellent choice for those Harry Potter Fans!!)
Next Up: Make Ink for the Quill Pen
SEE ALL THE COLONIAL CRAFTING VIDEO SERIES HERE
This Family Blog
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She is so good! And of course, your filming is fabulous!
Aw thank you! We enjoy doing it. Looking forward to doing more
How elegant and inspiring! Great post!
oh thank you! We are having a lot of fun with it!
Fantastic! What talent! Super idea! Tell Sage to keep up the good work! I believe I’m going to make myself a quill pen. It’ll look great on my desk. Thanks for sharing.
This was adorable. Ben would be proud, Sage! What a creative and unique idea.
Thank you! I think he would be too. 🙂
Wow. Love it. Good job Sage. ?
Thank you!!!!
She is a natural! I love how her passion comes out, I can’t wait to see the other videos and projects!
Thank you! It’s been so much fun…I love seeing kids getting excited about things!!
What a great craft! A good way to teach some history, too! 🙂
Thank you! That is exactly what we are going for! 🙂
This is such a fun idea! We are always finding feathers around the house. I bet my daughter would love to try this!
Oh fun!!! Just make sure you clean and freeze them first. 🙂
Quill pens are fun to make! My third graders made them when we were learning about colonial times.
It’s SUCH a great craft! Did you make ink too?
That’s SO cool! I was all about fancy pens when I was a kid, but never had one like this. Maybe if I did my penmanship would have been better than it is!
Oh if I knew how to do this when I was little every thank you note would have been written this way. LOL As it was I went through a mad sealing wax phase.
What a fun project! And Sage is wonderful!
Thank you! It’s a lot of fun!!
Wow!!! This is amazing and it looks so fun! Sage did a great job!
Thank you so much!!!
Wow!!! This is amazing and it looks so fun! Sage did a great job!
Nice job, Sage (and parents!). LOVE the outfit and the great instruction on how to make our very on quill pen. Can’t wait to see the next installment.
So cute, looks like fun
How fun! And what an amazing life ahead for Sage! My ten year old granddaughter Aubrey will want to watch this video. She loves YouTube. I look forward to the next video!
I love stuff like this! Cute video!
Oh I’m so glad! It was an experiment so it’s fun to see how it’s being received! Please consider signing up for our monthly update so you’ll know when each new video is out 🙂
What a fun project! My little Harry Potter fans would love this!
EXCELLENT! Next one going up is making ink for the quills! I hope you’ll subscribe so you’ll be amongst the first to know!
How fun is this! We love American history, and finding a creative way to make the learning hands on for my kids is so appreciated. Sage did an amazing job.
THANK YOU! We are having a lot of fun with this! Hope you’ll tune in for the next one…ink!
What a great idea! I love everything historic and romantic about this. I’ll have to give it a try!
THANK YOU!!! Next video coming up is how to make ink. Hope you’ll tune in for that 🙂
What a cool story!!! I love how it all began! We used to work in the industry and I had so much fun creating items I would never have made otherwise. I know my daughter is going to enjoy making a quill pin too!
Excellent! Thank you for the props! Hope you’ll consider signing up for the monthly newsletter so you’ll be the first to know when the next video goes up… how to make ink. 🙂
Wow, this is really really cool! Makes me wish I had been more creative when I was homeschooling my kids. We had so much fun with history. I never even thought of creating videos. Plus you get to watch them forever. So awesome!!
Well, to be fair, video wasn’t really a thing when I was homeschooling my first daughter LOL Yeah, it’s a ton of fun!
This is so great – she’s a total pro!!!
aww, thank you! Now if I can just get her to stop looking at me off the side of the camera…LOL
That is awesome! My kids would love this! I’m going to have to try it
OOOO Let me know how it goes!! I’m anxious to hear! Also, consider subscribing so you’ll get the email next month when the next one comes out… it’s kind of a part two… INK!
What a wonderful idea! I really love this so much, takes me back to when I was little and we took field trips to the Amish countryside and dipped wax candles. Granted not as cool as Sage and her quill pen! Will save this for when my granddaughters are in town. Thank you, Sage, you did a great job! ?
ooooo I remember doing that too!!!! Candles are on the list! If you do it with your granddaughters, let me know! I am interested to hear how it goes with our directions. 🙂 Also, consider signing up for the monthly newsletter so you’ll be the first to know when the next video goes up… INK!
Going back in time! I love it. Great idea as an escape from this modern life
hahahah well, i suppose we all do need that from time to time! I mean, who doesn’t want to touch a stone and be sent on a romantic journey three hundred years ago…oh, did my Outlander pop out again? LOL 😉
Oh how cute, love the video!! Fascinating blog post!!!
THANK YOU!!!! I am so happy its so well received! It gets real fun and real interesting from here!
What a great idea! My grandkids would love this.
COOL! If you do it with them, watch the making ink one too. They go hand in hand and I’d love to hear the results!
Great post! Ben Franklin would have loved this!! Thanks for a fun and truly unusual post!
THANK YOU! I’m pretty excited where this series is taking us 🙂
Approve? I think Ben Franklin would be *delighted* by your video (once he got over being amazed by, you know, VIDEO!)
Congratulations, Sage! I can’t wait for the next installment!
Lynn, coming from you that is an amazing compliment! Thank you so so much! We are so excited about these videos and hope they inspire modern kids to experience and learn from the past (not to mention having fun with it!)