From the elegant look of swans and peacocks, to the colorful patterns found on small birds perched outside your window, a flurry of feathers is your inspiration for this week’s challenge. Will you capture the intricate patterns created by a closeup view of feathers or will you look to something more neutral that evokes delicate movement?
Overview
Pluck inspiration from our feathery friends in this week's design challenge.
Prizes
- 1st place winner will receive a $200 Spoonflower credit.
- 2nd place winner will receive a $100 Spoonflower credit.
- 3rd place winner will receive a $50 Spoonflower credit.
- Remaining top 10 designs will receive a $20 Spoonflower credit. The top 50 popularly-voted designs from each theme will be automatically made available for sale in the Spoonflower Marketplace (provided they are a verified seller) where they will receive 10% commission on every sale -- no $5 swatch required.
Feathers Details
- The deadline for entries is Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 3 PM EDT.
- Designs will be previewed at 150 DPI in a fat quarter size (21” x 18”) on the voting ballot.
- All designs will be eligible for public voting, and the popular vote determines the top 50 winning designs.
- Public designs previously uploaded on Spoonflower.com are not eligible for this contest. Designs do not require printed proofing to enter the contest.
- Moderation will take place at the close of the contest deadline.
- See our blog page for even more Design Challenge details and a list of previous themes.
Timeline
- 02/01/2019: Submissions open
- 03/19/2019: Submissions close at 3pm EDT
- 03/21/2019: Public voting opens
- 03/26/2019: Public voting ends at 3pm EDT to determine top 25 entries
- 03/28/2019: Spoonflower will announce the winner
How to Submit a Design
- Log in to Spoonflower. If you don't have an account, create one here.
- Once logged into your account, upload the design you wish to enter into the challenge.
- Select Feathers from the Challenges Dropdown.
For complete instructions, see the Challenge Terms & Conditions.

How To Vote
Once voting is open for Feathers, you will be able to follow the link below to vote for your favorite designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can enter?This contest is open to ALL Spoonflower community members who are 18 years of age as of Tuesday, February 19, 2019. All submitted designs must be the original work of the entrant. Please do not use stock images or base your design on the work of another artist.
How many designs can I enter?
You can enter only ONE DESIGN in this contest. Designs entered in previous Spoonflower contests or public designs previously uploaded to Spoonflower are not eligible.
Can I share my entry on social media and make it available for sale in the Spoonflower Marketplace before voting opens?
The spirit of the Design Challenge is to give a creative prompt that inspires designers to create a new design that speaks specifically to the theme we have selected. Spoonflower is seeking an exclusive set of designs, so all designs should be new to Spoonflower. We absolutely encourage sharing your process and finished design on the web and you can make your challenge entry for sale in the Spoonflower Marketplace, but to ensure that your work is eligible for the challenge, we ask that it is not an existing design from your public portfolio that has been previously uploaded to Spoonflower.
Who will judge the contest?
All designs will be eligible for public voting, and the popular vote determines the top 50 winning designs. The first place winner will be the fabric design with the most votes.
Who can vote?
Anyone can vote (when voting opens on Thursday, March 21, 2019), but only one set of votes may be submitted per individual. Email addresses will be collected from voters. Duplicate votes are filtered using fraud detection software and not counted toward final totals. Designers will be disqualified for incentivizing or compensating votes.
What if I don't want my design to be purchased by other people?
By participating in this contest, you are granting permission to make your design available to the public for voting and you are granting permission for Spoonflower to make your design for sale only if your design finishes in the top 50.
Am I giving up the copyright of my design by entering it?
You are not giving up ownership of your design, but by entering your design in the contest, you give us the non-exclusive right, should your design finish in the top 50, to make it available for sale in the Spoonflower Marketplace per the customary terms of the Spoonflower Marketplace. For any sales generated in the Marketplace, you will receive up to a 15% commission. You will always be credited for your design and you are free to continue to sell it on your own, now and in the future.
Active Challenges

Bohemian Paradise
Vote NowWinners to be announced February 28

Moody Florals
See the ChallengeSubmissions close February 26 at 3 p.m. EST,
Voting begins February 28

Affirmations
See the ChallengeSubmissions close March 5 at 3 p.m. EST,
Voting begins March 7

Maximalist
See the ChallengeSubmissions close March 12 at 3 p.m. EDT,
Voting begins March 14

Feathers
See the ChallengeSubmissions close March 19 at 3 p.m. EDT,
Voting begins March 21