How to make grasshopper legs.

These grasshopper legs look realistic, and they are easy to make!

Get some yellow or green dyed grizzly hackle.

I died these myself with some golden yellow Rit dye.

Select two feathers, that are similar in size.

Grab the tip of one hackle, and "preen" out the fibers so they are sticking straight out.

Roughly trim the hackle fibers thin near the tip and tapered larger near the base.

No need to get too close with your trim job at this point.  Just rough it up.  You will be able to touch it up after the next few steps.

Make a loop approximately in the middle of the feather....

..and put the tip of the feather through the loop, making a overhand knot.

Use your bodkin to control the knot, and put it right where you want it.

You can "roll" the knot up or down the stem with your bodkin by pulling on one end while your bodkin is in the loop of the knot.

Leaving you with this...

Do your finish trim.  Under the knot (joint), trim very close to the stem evenly up to the knot.  Above the knot, taper the barbs smaller near the knot, and larger near the base.

Here is a top view.












To attach these legs to a body, I strip the barbs from the stem where I'm going to tie it in, and flatten the barb with a pair of pliers to keep it from rotating when you tie it in.