How to felt

(NOTE) if you're interested in felting larger items such as bags or totes ie. large items - we suggest you use a washing machine.

Our how to felt bags for a brief overview or felting techniques for detailed felting instructions and photographs showing you how to control the felting process and how to block your finished felted item for a professional finish.

Many books written on this hand felting topic manage to make it a daunting task requiring loads for equipment and supplies.

We're going to cut through all the drama showing you a quick and easy way to decide if wet felting by hand is a craft or hobby you would enjoy.

Let's begin small....really small, by making a felted ball.

A small ball.

A ball you could make a hole through to use as a button, or bag fixture, or as in the photo below a crochet (or knitted) flower center.

To create this flower center we used

A very small quantity of yellow feltable wool. Approx a dry table spoon full.

A drop of dishwashing liquid.

Water

broach pin

Where to obtain your feltable wool?

A friendly wool spinner?

Your local craft store

ebay (wool spinning section)

Needlefelting supply stores

How to felt a ball instructions

Step 1. Take a small handful of your raw material. Squish it down really tightly into your hand to decide how much you'll need for the size ball you plan.

Step 2. Make sure the fibers are loose, dunk it in hand-hot water till it's thoroughly soaked.

Step 3. Take it out of the water. Place it on the palm of one hand and tuck the ends into the center to make a loosely formed ball shape. Drop one drop (not a squirt - a drop!) of dish-washing liquid onto the wool.

Step 4. Now start rolling your palms together round and round as if you are making a pastry ball. Or as if you had a marble in between your hands. Keep rolling round and round. As you roll your hands will become very soapy and slippery. Just rinse them under the tap, and keep rolling.

The rolling and rinsing process only takes a couple of minutes. The more you roll the tighter and smaller the ball becomes.

When you feel it's tight and small enough for your purpose - stop rolling. Give it a final rinse and set it somewhere warm and shady to dry. That's all there is to it... you now know how to felt a small ball.

To turn your ball into a bead ( to string onto a necklace or sew onto a felted purse as a catch - push a skewer through the center.

To turn it into a button make two skewer holes.

Or

To use it as a flower center - simply use craft glue to glue it to the flower, then glue the flower to a broach backing (these are readily available from craft or beading stores)

Would you like to make a silk flower to surround your felt ball ? You'll find an excellent and simple tutorial at fibrespacecrafts.com. This link will open in a new window, simply close the window when you've finished to return here.

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