How to Make Helmet Plumes

Top off your Greco-Roman helmet in style, adding a feathered plume for the top. Plumes were used to indicate rank or unit. They also were used as decoration during parades. There are different styles of helmet plumes worn by the Trojans, Greeks, Romans, Gauls and others. Make a plume to suit your helmet with some feathers and a few household items. Plumes were traditionally red or black, but feel free to use your creativity.

Gather the feathers together and arrange them into a bouquet. All the feathers should be about the same size and height.

Secure the bottom feather tips with masking tape. Wrap the tape around the feathers as well as at the bottom of the bouquet. Wrap enough tape around the feathers so that they fit snugly into the bottle cap. Apply adhesive to the tape and glue the cap to the feathers. Use the same adhesive to glue the bottle cap to the top of the helmet. Ensure that the adhesive you are using is able to bond plastic to whatever material from which your helmet is made.

Paint over the adhesive with paint that matches the color of your helmet.

Using the pencil and compass, draw two semicircles on the cardboard edge. Make the bigger semicircle the same size as the top of your helmet. Reduce the size of the compass by about 4 inches for the inside, smaller circle. Use the craft knife to cut out the crescent shape.

Dip the bottom tips of the feathers into white glue. Stand the cardboard crescent up on its side so that you can see the corrugation. Press the glued tips into the holes in the corrugated cardboard. Press feathers into the crest all along the top edge. Ensure that the feathers are all the same height.

Tape the crest to the top of your helmet. Paint the cardboard and the masking tape the same color as your helmet. Leave to to dry.