Earlier this week, Roy was fascinated by the history of the shuttlecock. He did not realise that the humble ‘featherball’ had such a long history. Neither did he realise that the shuttlecock he is familiar with, the one used in badminton, is not the only type of shuttlecock, or indeed the original one. When he looked at photos of the earlier type of shuttlecock, he felt sure that he could make his own homemade version. With a little trial and error, Roy has worked out how to make a very successful shuttlecock and would like to share the instructions with you. So this week, Roy Creates A Colourful Shuttlecock.
You Will Need:
- A cork. Roy used a champagne cork because it has a broad top which would be good for kicking. Ask your parents if they have one you can use.
- 4 feathers. Roy used four different, brightly coloured craft feathers, but you could use feathers you find in the garden instead if you preferred.
- 3 Ten Cent Coins. If you are using a bigger, or a smaller cork you might want to use Five Cent Coins or Twenty Cent Coins. You could also use metal washers.
- Blutac
- Masking tape
- A craft knife (and an adult to help with cutting)
- A cutting mat or cutting board
- A pair of scissors
- A metal skewer
Optional: pens to decorate your shuttlecock!
Method:
- Carefully cut the fat end off the champagne cork. Try to keep the cut as straight as possible. Discard the bottom of the cork.
- Carefully cut the fat end of the cork into two pieces, as Roy has done in the picture above. Make the slightly curved end thinner than the other (the other side is where you will be putting the feathers)
- Use a tiny bit of blutac to stick the coins together, and then to stick them between the two pieces of cork.
- Use more blutac to fill the gap between the coins and the edge of the cork.
- Neatly wrap masking tape around the cork to hold everything together.
- Trim the feathers. You want to cut the ‘fur’ off one side of the feather, and pull it away from the bottom part of the quill for about 3 centimetres from the bottom.
- Use the metal skewer to make a hole in the cork. Make the hole on the side you cut, so that the curved side is used for kicking.
- Push the feathers, one at a time, into the hole, the cut side facing the middle. You might need to use the skewer to help push them in and to make the hole bigger before inserting each new feather. The four cut sides should meet up in the middle.
- Cut off the top of the feathers so that the top is even.
- Decorate your shuttlecock with coloured pens if you like.
- Now, you are ready to play with your shuttlecock. Essentially, to play with your shuttlecock you will be using your feet, or other parts of your body to keep the shuttlecock from hitting the ground. You cannot use your hands.