What is felting. How does wet felting differ from dry felting. Which materials are best suited for felting projects. What are the basic steps involved in the felting process. How can beginners get started with felting wool.

Understanding the Art of Felting: From Fiber to Fabric

Felting is a fascinating textile art that transforms loose fibers into a cohesive fabric through a process of interlocking and compression. This ancient technique has been used for centuries to create everything from warm clothing to decorative items. But what exactly is felting, and how does it work?

At its core, felting is the process of manipulating protein fibers, typically from animals like sheep, alpacas, or goats, to create a dense, matted material. The fibers interlock with each other, forming a sturdy fabric without the need for weaving or knitting. This unique property of animal fibers is due to their microscopic scales, which allow them to grip and bind together when exposed to certain conditions.

The Science Behind Felting

To understand felting, it’s helpful to examine the structure of wool fibers. Under a microscope, wool fibers resemble tiny scales overlapping each other, similar to fish scales or roof shingles. When exposed to heat, moisture, and agitation, these scales open up and become more pliable. As the fibers are worked together, they begin to interlock, creating a permanent bond that results in felt fabric.

Wet Felting: The Traditional Approach to Wool Transformation

Wet felting is one of the oldest and most widely practiced felting techniques. This method involves using water, soap, and agitation to encourage the fibers to bind together. But how exactly does wet felting work, and what steps are involved in the process?

The Wet Felting Process

1. Lay out thin layers of wool fibers or roving in a crisscross pattern
2. Apply warm, soapy water to the fibers
3. Gently work the water into the fibers using your hands
4. Add additional layers of fiber, alternating directions
5. Continue adding soapy water and working it into the fibers
6. Repeat the layering process until desired thickness is achieved
7. Agitate the fibers more vigorously to encourage felting
8. “Full” the felt by rolling, throwing, or rubbing to further compress and strengthen the fabric

The wet felting process can be adapted to create various items, from flat sheets of felt to three-dimensional objects. The key to successful wet felting lies in the careful application of water, soap, and agitation, which work together to open up the fibers’ scales and encourage interlocking.

Dry Felting: Sculpting with Needles and Wool

While wet felting relies on moisture and friction, dry felting, also known as needle felting, takes a different approach. This technique uses special barbed needles to physically tangle and compress the fibers, creating sculptural forms or flat pieces of felt. How does needle felting differ from wet felting, and what makes it unique?

The Magic of Felting Needles

Felting needles are the key tools in dry felting. These specialized needles have tiny barbs or notches along their shafts. When the needle is repeatedly inserted into the wool, these barbs catch and drag fibers, causing them to tangle and compress. The result is a firm, sculpted form that can be shaped into almost any design imaginable.

Needle Felting Techniques

• 2D needle felting: Creating flat designs or pictures on a felt backing
• 3D needle felting: Sculpting free-standing objects or figures
• Core wool technique: Using a firm inner core of wool to build larger sculptures
• Armature felting: Incorporating wire or other materials as a structural base for felted objects

Needle felting offers incredible versatility, allowing artists to create everything from delicate jewelry to lifelike animal sculptures. The technique requires patience and practice but can yield stunning results.

Choosing the Right Fibers for Felting Projects

The success of any felting project largely depends on the choice of fibers. While many types of animal fibers can be felted, some work better than others. What are the best fibers for felting, and how do they differ in their felting properties?

Top Felting Fibers

• Sheep’s wool: The most common and versatile felting fiber
• Alpaca: Soft and luxurious, with excellent felting properties
• Merino: Fine, soft wool that felts quickly and easily
• Romney: Coarser wool that’s great for sturdy, structural felting
• Mohair: Adds shine and strength to felted items
• Yak: Soft and warm, with good felting properties

Each type of fiber has its own unique characteristics, affecting the final texture, appearance, and durability of the felted item. Experimenting with different fibers can lead to exciting discoveries and new creative possibilities in felting projects.

Tools and Materials for Successful Felting

Whether you’re interested in wet felting or needle felting, having the right tools and materials is essential for success. What are the must-have items for beginners starting their felting journey?

Wet Felting Essentials

• Wool roving or batts
• Bubble wrap or a textured mat
• Hot water and mild soap
• Towels
• Rolling pin or pool noodle
• Netting or tulle

Needle Felting Supplies

• Felting needles (various sizes)
• Foam pad or brush mat
• Core wool
• Colored wool roving
• Needle holders or multi-needle tools
• Scissors

Investing in quality tools and materials can make the felting process more enjoyable and lead to better results. As you gain experience, you may find yourself expanding your toolkit to include specialized items for specific techniques or projects.

Felting Techniques for Beginners: Getting Started

For those new to felting, the process can seem intimidating at first. However, with a few simple techniques, beginners can quickly start creating beautiful felted items. What are some easy felting projects for novices to try?

Simple Wet Felting Projects

1. Felted soap: Cover a bar of soap with wool for a natural exfoliating tool
2. Flat felt sheets: Create colorful felt for craft projects
3. Felted balls: Make simple decorative items or cat toys
4. Seamless vessel: Form a small bowl or container using a resist

Beginner-Friendly Needle Felting Ideas

1. 2D felt pictures: Create simple designs on a felt backing
2. Basic shapes: Practice making spheres, cubes, and cones
3. Small animals: Try crafting simple creatures like mice or birds
4. Felted jewelry: Make beads or pendants for unique accessories

Starting with small, manageable projects allows beginners to practice fundamental techniques and gain confidence in their felting skills. As you become more comfortable with the process, you can tackle more complex and ambitious felting endeavors.

Exploring Advanced Felting Techniques and Applications

As felters develop their skills, they often seek out more challenging and innovative techniques. What are some advanced felting methods that experienced crafters can explore?

Nuno Felting

Nuno felting is a technique that combines wool fibers with a sheer fabric base, typically silk. The wool fibers migrate through the fabric, creating a lightweight, textured material perfect for wearable art. This method allows for the creation of delicate scarves, shawls, and garments with unique textures and patterns.

3D Sculptural Felting

Advanced needle felters can create intricate, lifelike sculptures using a combination of core wool, detailed color work, and armatures. This technique requires a deep understanding of form, structure, and color blending to achieve realistic results.

Felted Landscapes and Portraits

Some felters specialize in creating detailed, painterly landscapes or portraits using finely layered wool fibers. This technique often combines elements of both wet and needle felting to achieve incredibly detailed and lifelike results.

Felted Clothing and Accessories

Creating seamless garments through felting is an advanced skill that requires a thorough understanding of shrinkage rates and three-dimensional shaping. Experienced felters can produce everything from hats and mittens to full-length coats using this technique.

These advanced techniques open up a world of creative possibilities for felters, allowing them to push the boundaries of what’s possible with wool and other fibers.

The Environmental and Ethical Aspects of Felting

As interest in sustainable and eco-friendly crafts grows, felting has gained attention for its potential environmental benefits. How does felting compare to other textile production methods in terms of sustainability and ethical considerations?

Sustainability of Wool Production

Wool is a renewable resource that can be harvested annually from sheep without harming the animals. Properly managed sheep farms can also contribute to healthy ecosystems and carbon sequestration. However, it’s important to consider the environmental impact of large-scale sheep farming, including land use and methane emissions.

Biodegradability and Longevity

Felted wool items are biodegradable, unlike many synthetic textiles. They also tend to be durable and long-lasting when properly cared for, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing waste.

Ethical Sourcing of Fibers

Felters can choose to support ethical wool production by sourcing fibers from farms that prioritize animal welfare and sustainable practices. This includes considering factors such as mulesing-free wool and supporting small-scale, local producers.

Upcycling and Repurposing

Felting offers opportunities for upcycling and repurposing old wool items. Sweaters that have shrunk in the wash can be cut up and needle felted into new creations, giving new life to materials that might otherwise be discarded.

By considering these factors, felters can make informed choices about their materials and contribute to more sustainable and ethical craft practices.

The Future of Felting: Innovations and Trends

As with many traditional crafts, felting continues to evolve and adapt to modern sensibilities and technologies. What are some of the emerging trends and innovations in the world of felting?

Digital Design in Felting

Some felters are incorporating digital design tools to plan complex patterns and color layouts before beginning their physical projects. This can be particularly useful for large-scale or highly detailed felted works.

Felting Machines for Home Use

While hand felting remains popular, small-scale felting machines are becoming more accessible for home crafters. These devices can speed up the felting process and allow for the creation of larger pieces of felt fabric.

Blending Felting with Other Crafts

Innovative crafters are finding ways to combine felting with other techniques, such as embroidery, weaving, or 3D printing. These hybrid approaches are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with felted materials.

Eco-Friendly Felting Supplies

As environmental concerns grow, there’s increasing interest in eco-friendly felting supplies, such as biodegradable soaps for wet felting and plant-based alternatives to synthetic felting pads.

Felting in Fashion and Interior Design

Felted materials are gaining recognition in high-end fashion and interior design, with designers exploring the unique textures and properties of felt for everything from avant-garde clothing to acoustic wall panels.

These innovations and trends suggest a bright future for felting, with new possibilities emerging as the craft continues to evolve and adapt to contemporary needs and interests.

Felting remains a versatile and engaging craft, offering endless possibilities for creativity and expression. Whether you’re drawn to the meditative process of wet felting or the sculptural potential of needle felting, there’s always something new to discover in the world of wool and fiber. As you explore this ancient yet ever-evolving art form, you’ll find that felting is not just about creating beautiful objects – it’s a journey of tactile discovery, connecting us to traditions of the past while opening up new avenues for artistic innovation.

What is Felting? A Beginners Guide to Wool Felting –

Learn everything you wanted to know about Needle Felting and Wet Felting in this Complete Beginner’s Guide

What is Felting? Basically, it is the process of turning a protein fiber (meaning animal fiber) such as sheep wool, alpaca, mohair, yak, etc. into a piece of fabric by connecting the individual fibers.

The wool can be in any form from raw locks to processed roving or batts and there are several different methods of accomplishing this felting process so let’s dive right in!

In this Article:

First, a little background: How did we get into fiber and felting?

My love of wool and fiber began years ago when we acquired our first two alpacas, Godiva and Permanent Ink.

Well, little did I know that alpacas grow a lot of fiber in just one year and since they are very heat sensitive, they must be sheared yearly which, in Kentucky, we did every Spring.

Consequently, we very quickly realized that something had to be done with all of this fiber! We ended up with bags and bags of lovely alpaca wool fiber every year. What the heck was I going to do with it all??

The first thing we did was ask our fellow alpaca breeders how they used all of their wool and surprisingly, most of them did absolutely nothing with their fiber.

Most of them tossed the bags of fleeces in the attic because nobody had any idea what to do with them.

Personally, I did not like the idea that this wonderful natural material would go to waste. No, I wanted to turn that fiber into something wonderful.

So, after a lot of research, I discovered the world of sheep wool. What did the sheep breeders do with their wool fleeces? And that is how I was introduced to the Wonderful World of Wool Felting!

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What is Felting? My Definition

Felting, in my words, is the process of producing a textile or fabric by combining and compressing the loose fibers, wool or hair.

Note: you can use fibers that are synthetic or natural.  However, they won’t felt exactly the same way.

Do you remember the sheets of brightly colored felt fabric that you used in kindergarten? Those are made with synthetic fibers and mass produced by some large machines.

Honestly, I don’t know much about that process so in this article I will focus on working with natural fibers.

What is the Process of Felting?

To produce a piece of felt, you have to cause the hair or fibers to interlock with each other creating a matted fabric. This can be accomplished by applying water and agitation or by physically tangling the wool using special felting needles.

What is the difference between wet and dry felting?

There are two basic ways of felt making: Wet and Dry.

Wet Felting is the process of using water, soap and some form of agitation to cause the fibers to open up and then bind together. You can do this with raw wool fiber, washed fiber, carded batts, or processed wool roving and sliver.

This process also works for felting previously knitted, crocheted or woven items such as wool sweaters.

Have you ever accidentally shrunk a wool sweater by sticking it in the washer and dryer? That’s a form of wet felting! And, you can actually do that on purpose.

What is Dry Felting or Needle Felting?  This involves using special barbed needles to basically tangle the individual fibers together until they form a matted piece of fabric.

The continued process of poking the barbed needle in and out of the wool, pushes the fibers up and down thereby interlocking them.

You can do this by hand with a single needle, or with a tool using multiple needles. There are small felting machines, about the size of a regular sewing machine as well as very large, table sized machines which create huge sheets of felted wool using hundreds or even thousands of needles.

Wikipedia defines Felt as “a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together.

Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood pulp-based rayon. Blended fibers are also common”

Check out How to Needle Felt for Beginners

How to Felt Wool: Wet Felting Method

The basic steps you use for the different wet felting methods are as follows:

1. Lay out thin sections of wool or roving
2. Apply soapy water
3. Work water into the fibers with your hands
4. Add a second layer, perpendicular to the first
5. Add more soapy water and work with your hands
6. Repeat steps 1-5 until the piece is thick enough for your project
7. Continue working the wool with your hands until the fiber felt and bind together
8. Full the felted fabric

Basic steps:

Basically, the wool is arranged in perpendicular layers to make an interlocked piece of felt fabric. Then you apply water and soap and work it into the wool.

Next, the piece is manipulated with your hands, gently at first with gradually increasing pressure and agitation.

Finally, the piece is rolled up inside a matchstick blind, bubble wrap or a sisal mat. This is rolled back and forth a few hundred times to further felt the wool.

Once the wool fibers are sufficiently interlocked so they don’t come apart, the Fulling stage begins. Fulling the felt fabric involves dropping and throwing it on a table.

This further shrinks and hardens the wool and creates a firm piece of felt that can be cut and sewn without raveling.

Your final felted fabric will be much smaller than the original layout of wool. How much shrinkage occurs depends on the direction of the fibers and the amount of agitation and fulling. Generally, you can count on your final piece being about 25 – 30% smaller by the time you are done felting.

6 Different Methods

Basic Wet Felting

The basic method is used for making a flat piece of felt fabric. This technique is appropriate for creating thick, sturdy pieces such as wallhangings, coats, purses and tote bags.

The steps for basic felt making are the same as described above: lay out thin sections of wool, apply soap and water, work the fibers, add another layer perpendicular to the first, add more soapy water, work the fibers and repeat adding layers.

The only variable is how many different layers you use to achieve the desired thickness.

Check out my tutorial for Basic Felting.

This Wet Felting Kit contains Merino & Bamboo Blended Wool, bamboo rolling mat, soap, bubble wrap, template and instructions

Nuno Felting

What is Nuno? This is a relatively new technique developed by fiber artist, Polly Stirling around 1992.

The main difference with Nuno is that an open weave fabric is incorporated into the felt. This can be a super lightweight silk chiffon or a heavier muslin or even burlap depending on how heavy you want your finished piece to be.

During the nuno process, the wool fibers work their way through the fabric thereby interlocking and bonding the two materials. The Fulling process creates a wrinkled effect. Nuno is the perfect technique for making very flowy and lightweight wool shawls, scarves or even curtains.

Here is my tutorial on the Nuno Felting Method

Cobweb Felting

Cobweb is also a flat technique. The wool is laid out in various thicknesses so that the final felt fabric has a lot of texture with thick and thin areas and even holes. The fiber has to be thoroughly felted and fulled to make sure the piece does not come apart.

Cobweb is a good technique for scarves, shawls, wraps and wall hangings.

How to Felt Wool with the Cobweb Felting Method

Lattice Felting

Lattice Wet Felting means just what is says – creating felt fabric with a lattice pattern. A flat method which makes beautiful scarves, shawls and wraps.

There are two different techniques for creating the lattice felt:

1. Felting a piece of fabric and then cutting out the “negative” areas, leaving the lattice work.
2. Laying out the wool in a lattice pattern in the beginning.

The first method is a bit easier, especially for beginning feltmakers. The second method is a little more challenging since you have to work the individual strands.

Learn How to Make Lattice Felt

3D Felting

3 Dimensional means any wool felted piece that is not flat such as a bowl, hat or slippers. Generally, you felt over a mold or support of some kind such as a bowl for hats and vases. I’ve also seen hats felted over balloons.

It’s also possible to create 3D pieces using a Resist (next section).

Here’s how I created Wet Felted Easter Eggs

This Needle Felting Kit contains: natural color wool, glass eyes, two felting needles, cushion, detailed instructions with photographs

Resist Felting

The Resist Process uses a barrier of some sort to keep certain areas from bonding together. Often, this is can be a sheet of heavy plastic. The Resist is placed between layers of wool which are then felted. When the Resist is removed, there will be two separate layers of felt.

This method can be used to make 3D felt objects such a bowls or cat caves and it can be used to give flat pieces some dimension and texture.

Here is how to Make a Felt Bowl with the Resist Method

Those are the main Wet Felting Techniques which can also be combined to create various textures and effects. For instance, I often combine the Nuno and Cobweb Techniques in my shawls to give them structure with the fabric but also make the shawls lightweight by thinning out the wool.

Here are a few other projects:

How to make Wool Dryer Balls – an eco friendly alternative to using dryer sheets or tennis balls to dry your laundry.

Felted Soaps – a great project for beginners. Also a fun way to introduce children to wool.

Supplies needed

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we may receive a small commission. See full Disclosure for details.

Wool Fiber

Wool fiber or Protein aka animal fiber includes sheep wool, alpaca, mohair (goat), cat fur, dog, human hair … all of those are protein fibers.

This can be in any form such as raw wool, washed raw wool, roving or carded fiber and locks as well as yarn.

This is my favorite roving, perfect for super soft scarves and shawls.

For beginning felters, Knit Picks has affordable roving in white or multi colors. They also carry a line of Feltable Yarns.

This Complete Kit includes everything you need to get started!

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FAQ about Wool:

Can I felt with Synthetic Wool?

If you look at a single hair from a sheep under a microscope, you’ll notice that it is not smooth. There are scales along the shaft of the hair. Hot water causes those scales to open up.

When you apply hot water to a bunch of sheep wool, the barbs on the individual hairs open and attach to each other.

Can I Wet Felt with Cotton or Silk Fiber?

Cotton is a plant fiber which is smooth and does not have scales so it will not adhere to other fibers with this process. While Silk is a protein fiber, highly processed silk is also very smooth and does not felt well.

It is possible, however, to “trap” non-felting fibers within wool for added texture or a pop of color.

Matchstick Blind or Bubble Wrap

If you’re going to make this a hobby or perhaps a side job, I highly recommend you get a Matchstick Blind to help you with the hard rolling back and forth of your pieces. Matchstick Blinds also give you the option of making larger pieces and they tend to last a long time. Just make sure to buy an unstained blind vs. a dyed or stained blind.

If, however you only want to make a few, smaller pieces of felt, Bubble Wrap will be sufficient. It’s a bit more slippery to work with (especially when wet), but it will do the job.

Water Sprayer

You will need a sprinkler of some sort to wet your wool fiber. The important thing here is that you want to be able to control how much water is applied at a time.

When I first began felt making, I used an old vinegar bottle with holes punched in the cap. This worked just fine for a while but getting the flow of water right can be a bit tricky.

For my larger pieces, I bought an inexpensive Garden Sprayer. These usually hold 1 gallon of water which is great when you are making a large shawl or wallhanging. The nozzle can be adjusted to control the flow of water.

A great option for small pieces is a Bottle Cap Sprinkler which fits on water bottles as well as 2 liter soda bottles.

Felting Soap

There are many different opinions about which soap is best to use. Honestly, I’ve tried a wide variety of soaps from solid to liquid, expensive and cheap soaps. All of them will work fine but there are some other considerations.

Some felters swear by this Olive Oil Soap because it works really well and it keeps your skin from drying out. Plus, if you are using soft water, Olive Oil Soap will be much easier to wash out of your felt fabric.

Here in Kentucky, the water is very hard so rinsing is not as much of an issue for me. Normally, I use clear liquid dish soap and/or plain Ivory soap bars. Stay away from any colored soaps, though. They usually have dyes which can discolor your wool.

Other than that, the only items you will need are a sturdy table, plastic table covers, some old towels and bits of nylon hose for tying your rolled matchstick blind.

Let’s move on to Needle Felting!

How to Felt Wool: Needle Felting

What is Needle Felting?

With this dry wool technique, you use special, barbed needles to tangle the fibers together until they form a matted piece of wool. The needles are repeatedly pushed through layers of wool.

This can be done by hand with a single or multiple needles or it can be done by machine. There are a variety of machines available from smaller, hand held models to larger tabletop felting machines type models.

Larger felting machines or looms utilize hundreds or even thousands of needles to produce very large pieces of felted fabric.

CAUTION: This is NOT a suitable activity for children. These needles are super sharp and can be dangerous.

Different Techniques:

The basic felting process is the same regardless of the technique used. One or more needles are repeatedly pushed through wool and back out again. Over and over which causes the fibers to mat together.

If you’re using a special mat or foam underneath your piece, you’ll have to lift your wool off the mat occasionally as the fibers will penetrate the mat.

There are basically two different techniques: Flat and Three Dimensional Felting

Flat Needle Felting

Just as the name implies … this means making a flat piece of felt fabric. You can make a sheet of felt consisting of felted wool fibers alone or you can needle felt on top of another piece of fabric.

You can also make shaped felt pieces by using cookie cutters or other molds to shape your felt as you work.

And you’re not limited to loose wool. Yarn, roving, silk sliver or other felt can be needle felted onto other pieces as decoration.

This technique works great for making scarves, decorating pillow cases, wallhangings or purses.

Here is a video which shows you how to make Needle Felted Embellishments. Also, this video shows you the basic steps.

Check out how to make a Needle Felted Pincushion using a Felted Dryer Ball and dyed wool locks.

3 Dimensional Needle Felting

Soft Sculptures

Needle felted soft sculptures seem to be all the rage these days! This fiber art form has really become popular among crafters.

I see a lot of wool animal sculptures, faces, gnomes, Santas, mushrooms, you name it. Some of these little felted sculptures look almost life like.

Personally, I have not attempted to make animals or sculptures but that is definitely on my to do list. I did find a few great basic tutorials.

This video shows you how to make a needle felted sheep.

Here’s a great tutorial on How to Needle Felt a Penguin

This tutorial shows you how to Make a Miniature Needle Felted Dog

This is a very good article on How to Needle Felt which outlines 3 different techniques.

Supplies needed

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links which means if you click and buy,
we may receive a small commission. See full Disclosure for details.

If you’re just learning how to needle felt, you may want to get an all in one needle felting kit. Hint: Make sure that the kit you choose also contains the needles. I’ve seen some that only contain wool roving and instructions.

Felting Wool or Roving

Unlike with wet techniques, the wool you use for needle felting does not necessarily have to be a protein aka animal fiber. Since you are not relying on the scales of the protein fiber to interlock, synthetic wool can be used.

However, animal fiber such as sheep wool may needle felt easier since the fibers are not a slick as a nylon fiber, for instance.

Wool comes in many different forms from raw, unwashed wool to processed roving and yarn. Any of these fibers will work just fine.

Wool roving comes in many natural and dyed colors and is easy to work with. Yarn is good for embellishments and decorations but keep in mind that you may need to use heavier gauge needles.

If you’re just starting out, you may find wool roving easier to work with than raw wool fiber.

Felting Needles

As I explained above, these are special needles which have barbs and notches along the sides to help grab the wool. Felting needles come in various sizes or gauges. The larger the gauge number, the finer the needle.

Finer needles are useful for smaller projects or more detailed felted sculptures or embellishments. They will not leave holes.

Larger needles are good when you need to make a bigger piece or you are using coarser fiber. They will leave holes in your finished felt.

For small pieces, you can simply use one needle or a pen style felting tool, which holds 3 needles. For bigger projects, you will want a larger tool which uses 5 or more needles. They’re available with fine or heavy tipped needles, so pay attention to your needle gauge.

As I mentioned previously, these needles are wicked sharp and therefore I also recommend that you use Finger Protectors.

Foam or Mat

What is Felting Foam? Foam or Mats are the base that you place under your project. As you push the needles through the wool, they will stab into the felting mat.

This protects not only you, but also the needles which are somewhat delicate and break easily.

If you’re just starting out and want to save money, you can use a large sponge as a underlayment or mat. These are inexpensive and readily available at any big box or auto part store.

Just be aware though, that sponges are not as firm as felting mats so you may want to lay something tougher underneath. Also, sponges are not as durable and won’t last as long as a mat, but for a beginner, they will work just fine.

Specialized Felting Mats come in a variety of sizes and materials from woolen to dense foam. Some people prefer to use Mat Brushes.

They all serve the same basic purpose. I think the main difference is how much of the wool gets embedded in the mat and how well the mat holds up to the needles.

A few additional thoughts:

Where Can I Find Wool?

Sources of wool other than online ordering:
Fiber and Wool Festivals are usually fun gatherings of many fiber producers and vendors.

Wool Festivals give you the advantage of meeting and talking with the farmers or fiber producers to find out about their animals and the wool.

You can see and touch a large variety of fibers from angora to alpaca to buffalo and yak wool. Plus, you usually have the option of purchasing an entire fleece or just small amounts.

Local Yarn Shops are fun places to browse and usually carry felting supplies. Bonus … it’s always good to support small businesses.

Where Can I Learn Other Techniques?

Workshops
When you are just starting out, YouTube videos and tutorials are a great place to learn how to felt, however they can’t compare to hands-on learning.

Classes or Workshops are definitely the best (and most fun) way for you to learn. Not only do you get one-on-one attention from the instructor, but you also get to meet wonderful people with the same interests.

I recommend you check your local yarn shops and fiber festivals for workshop schedules.

Is Felting an Expensive Hobby?

As with most things, that totally depends on you! If you use ultra fine alpaca fiber to felt a large shawl, for instance, that can get expensive. On the other hand, it is possible to make smaller pieces for just a few dollars.

Needle Felting is, in general, less expensive. And, once you acquire the felting needles and pad, the only thing you need to replace is the wool. This needle felting kit is a great buy for beginners!

What does felting mean in knitting?

When someone talks about ‘felted knits’, it refers to a knitted piece that has gone through the felting process. Just like you can make felt out of raw wool or fiber, you can do the same with a knitted purse, for instance as long as the yarn used was made of 100% protein or animal fiber.

Many people look for wool sweaters at their local thrift store and will felt that in the washing machine in order to make things like felted tote bags or purses.

Note: this process works with crochet as well as knitting.

There you have it … everything you need to know to get started with this wonderful craft. I hope you give this fun fiber art a try!
Enjoy!
Annette
FiberArtsy

Get the Free E-Book ⇊⇊

What is Felting? A Complete Beginner’s Guide

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• Basic Felting
• Nuno Technique
• Cobweb Felting
• Lattice Method
• 3D or Resist
• Felted Dryer Balls
• Wet Felted Easter Eggs
• Soap Felting
• How to Needle Felt (for Beginners)
• DIY Wool Dryer Balls with Needle Felt Designs

What is Felting? A Beginner’s Guide

A Beginners Guide to how to Felt: Felting Techniques 101

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  9 Jun, 2021
  

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Have you only recently begun felting wool? What initially piqued your interest in felting? For many beginners, felting is a completely new adventure. So here is in-depth information about everything you need to know about felting wool and different felting techniques. 

Many people consider felting to be a form of art. For some, felting is an escape, a healing process; for others, it may be a profession. So, how did you discover felting? 

Things You Will Learn In This Blog

• What is Felt? What are the felting processes?
• Wet or Dry Felting
• Wet Felting
• Basic Felting Math: Shrinkage Calculation
• Mistakes that You Might Not Know You’ve Been Doing Wrong
• Bubble Wrap or Bamboo Binds
• Dry Felting: Needle Felting
• Tips Every Needle Felter Should Know

What is felt? What is the process of felting? 

Felt is a textile material made out of 100% natural sheep wool. This material is fabricated by matting, condensing, and pressing the wool together.

It is undeniably wonderful to witness the transformation of strands of wool into something beautiful and meaningful. Simply said, wool felting is the process of creating whatever your heart desires with a mold made of wool.

Felting wool is the oldest type of textile art. Felting wool can be a fascinating hobby for beginners. As a beginner, understanding the right way of felting can be perplexing, and most of the things you learn about are through trial and error. While felting is a work of style that gradually gets better with practice, it may be made simpler and easier by selecting the correct techniques and products for your project. 

Let’s begin with different types of felting. It’s best to give all felting techniques a try to understand different forms and styles of felting. This way you will have a better idea and understanding of the characteristics of wool and how to work with it. Furthermore, you will also be able to figure out which technique you are more comfortable with and enjoy. 

Do you like wet felting or dry felting?

Wet Felting is a technique for transforming wool and other animal fibers into dense fabric known as felt. Warm, soapy water is applied to layers of wool positioned at 90-degree angles to one another, causing them to hook together into a single piece of cloth. Following the completion of the wet felting process, the felted object is finished by fulling or agitating the fibers against a rough surface such as a washboard. After drying, the felted cloth can be utilized to make accessories or clothes.

Dry Felting means that the individual strands are weaved using particularly barbed needles, till they form a matted fabric. Dried felting is the process of decorating fabrics with dry strands or sheets of roving or felt, often made of wool. A felting needle is used to press the roving fibers into the fibers of the base fabric and adhere the design to the fabric. 

What are the Different Types of Wet Felting Wool Techniques?

The most basic method of the wet felting wool technique is to lay wool perpendicular layers, then wet the wool with water and soap. That is the most common method of wet felting, although there are several revolutionary wet felting techniques introduced over the years.

Basic Wet Felting

Things you need for wet felting: Wool, Bamboo mat/blind or bubble wrap, soapy water, spray bottle, and water

Wet felting process:

1. Place down a bamboo blind or bubble wrap, whichever you have on a flat surface. 
2. Place thin layers of wool. Carded wool is great wet felting wool. Small pieces facing the same direction on the surface.
3. Add a second layer of wool, going in the opposite direction, perpendicular to the first layer of wool.
4. Spray with soapy water and rub the wool gently.
5. Put a thin layer of wool, perpendicular to the second layer of wool.
6. Keep adding soapy water and layers of wool until it has reached the desired thickness and until the fibers stick together. 
7. Using the bind or wrap, roll up the felt and work it back and forth until smooth. 
8. Full the felt and rinse until the water is clear and no soap residue is left.
9. Finally, let the wet felted product dry. 

You can watch how Felt and Yarn does the wet felting wool process in this video. 

Nuno Felting 

Nuno felting is one new revolutionary technique of wet felting. Nuno felting is a great way to create unique textures and patterns to create beautiful fiber art. Nuno felting is more abstract and creative. Nuno felting is mostly done while creating lightweight flowy scarfs, shawls, and curtains. 

Things you need for Nuno felting: Roving wool, merino wool, bubble wrap, spray bottle, margin silk gauze, soapy water, and lukewarm water. 

Nuno felting process: 

1. Place the silk gauze over the bubble wrap, the wrap should always be larger than the gauze. 
2. Start by placing overlapping wool roving around the edges of the template, then sprinkle some water to keep the wool in place.
3. Fill the inside in a criss-cross way, this pattern allows the felt to be stretchy. 
4. Generously sprinkle the surface with lukewarm water. 
5. Add a second layer of wool with the color you want to be most dominant in this project. 
6. Place it in random and different directions for a unique and less uniform texture. 
7. Use the gauze over your work, and sprinkle water all over the surface. 
8. Then, start applying soap on the surface and gently rub it with your hands. Make sure you do not forget the edges. Be generous with your water, or else wool will not be felt.
9. Take out the gauze. Now add loose strands of wool fibers of your choice. You could use merino wool for felting or viscose fiber. 
10. Play around by creating unique patterns and designs. What your heart desires. 
11. Place the gauze over the project again and repeat the felting techniques until the wool is agitated and fully felted.  
12. Take out the gauze and trim the edges for a clean finish. 
13. Keep in mind that the further fulling process will shrink up to 40% of the felt. 
14. Now, start fulling. You can fill your felt by throwing, bouncing, rolling, and lightly scrunching your product. Do that for a minimum of 15 minutes. 
15. Finally, rinse with warm water until the water is clear. Finish up with cold water. 
16. Press down in a towel to remove excess water and shape the felt and let it air dry. 

Cobweb Felting 

Nuno felting is the origin of cobweb felting. The technique is quite close to Nuno felting, and the stages are almost identical. The primary distinction between Nuno felting and cobweb felting is that cobweb felting has thick and thin surfaces all around the project. Create an uneven surface around the project by layering thick and thin layers.

This felting process is wonderful for experimenting with wool and generating varied textures and thicknesses to create a one-of-a-kind product each time. There is no right or wrong way to perform this felting. Cobweb felting allows you to embrace and appreciate your product’s imperfections and inconsistencies.

Resist Felting

The Resist Felting Process employs some kind of barrier to prevent particular sections from bonding together. This is frequently a sheet of strong plastic. The Resist is sandwiched between layers of wool before being felted. When the Resist is removed, two layers of felt will be exposed. This type of wet felting wool can also be used for 3D felting. The resist felting is mainly used to create cat caves, felted baskets, wool felt shoes, felt bags, and bowls. 

You’re probably wondering, what’s the barrier? How do I go about making one? You can make your barriers.

Cardboard Barriers are inexpensive and easily accessible. You can cut the cardboard to make any size or form you like. The cardboard barrier, on the other hand, can only be used once. This means that you’ll have to make a new barrier for each wet felting project. Furthermore, the cardboard is quite thick and not particularly malleable. As a result, it may present obstacles while felting around it.

Thick plastic bags are also frequently recommended barriers for wet felting wool. They are both durable and malleable. The only complaint about utilizing plastic bags is that they are quite thin. During felting, you must pay close attention to the position of the plastic bag. If you don’t have sensitive hands, plastic bags can be a bother.

Here are videos of how you can create felted shoes and felted cat caves using the resist wet felting technique. 

I’m scared that my felting will shrink too small or didn’t shrink enough

It’s no secret that after your felt is entirely full (fully felted), your product will shrink by up to 40%. However, it is impossible to predict how much your goods will decrease. Different types of wool felt different. The shrinkage of the product is determined by the felting technique used as well as the type of wool or fibers used. So, what should I do?

Creating a sample is a smart rule of thumb to practice before jumping on an actual project. Create a sample using the exact products and techniques you want to use for your actual project. Here is the simple rule you should follow for creating a sample.

• Use the same wool on both samples and the project. Each type of wool has its characteristics. Every wool felts and shrinks differently.
• Have the same number of layers and equal thickness for both the sample and the project. The thickness of layers also influences shrinkage. 
• Make sure you felt both the sample and project to the same degree in all directions, the more you felt, the more it shrinks. 

You should be very meticulous about these rules. You will not be able to create an accurate sample and calculate shrinkage if you don’t follow these rules.  

How can a sample assist me in calculating shrinkage? Here’s how you can do it.

• Measure your sample after lightly felting it and before you start filling your sample.  
• Then proceed fulling it until you reach the degree you want to feel it. Rinse your sample thoroughly, lay it down, and then measure it again. 
• This will allow you to determine how much your felted product has shrunk, before and after fulling. 

With this information, you can use the same formula for your bigger felting project. A simple calculation on how much percentage of your felted sample has shrunk. And while you’re doing the actual project, always add the extra %. It’s as simple as that. 

Mistakes that you might not know you’ve been doing wrong. 

• Not using enough water. Beginners in wet felting frequently underestimate how much water they require while felting. You must be quite generous. If you don’t use enough water, the soap won’t lather and the wool won’t be felted properly.
• Not correctly filling the felt. The majority of the time, beginners do not correctly fill the felt. Fulling is the process of ensuring that you truly felt your project. The most typical fulling technique is to roll, bounce, and drop the product on the surface while gently massaging it. There will be flyaways or loose fibers sticking out if your product is not correctly and sufficiently full. It will hurt the durability and integrity of your product. An incomplete filling will also result in irregular thickness, lumps, and a textured surface that is unsightly. 

How to know when you have filled enough?

The wool will not stretch when you pull it. Felting a small item, such as a handkerchief, should take at least 15 minutes. And for larger projects, a minimum of 30-45 minutes is required. 

• Using colored detergent or soap. If you’re wet felting with natural fibers with light colors, the color of your soap or detergent will dye your wool. You do not want that. You can use liquid, dish soap, or soap bars, the brand doesn’t matter as long as it’s clear. However constant exposure to soap can dry out your hands, especially if you have sensitive skin. For that, some filters swear by olive oil soaps. Using soaps made with mineral oils or moisturizing soaps can help you with over-drying your skin. 

Make sure you moisturize your hand every time after you are done with wet felting. 

• Thinking costly wool will lead to quality felting. To create quality felting, you don’t need to buy costly wool. When practicing or beginning your felting journey, don’t invest in expensive wools which will give the same outcome as other cheaper yet better options. 

A natural wool roving is ideal for novices to feel with. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive wool and kits. Wool with thin microns, which may be possible to be felted but is very expensive and complicated to feel with; commonly is used to make thread and textile. Whereas, 29-micron sheep wool and 19-micron Merino wool are the best for felting. Any wool l For felting, less than 19 microns is extremely thin and delicate which makes it unsuitable for felting.

Bubble wrap or bamboo blinds? 

Bubble wrap is the most often used felting surface. They are used by both novices and professionals. As a beginner kit, bubble wrap is ideal. They are affordable and conveniently available. Bubble wraps are excellent for wet felting and are well-liked by the majority of filters all around. The only minor negative is that it can be a little slippery, especially when wet felting wool.

If needle felting wool is your profession, bamboo or matchstick blinds are ideal. They are reasonably priced and easily accessible. Bamboo blinds are very useful for big projects and are a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bubble wrap.

Finally, bubble wraps are fantastic for novices and are best suited to little felting tasks. Bamboo blinds are appropriate for large and small felting projects. While purchasing bamboo blinds or matchstick blinds, just ensure you don’t purchase dyed blinds which can stain dyes to your wool. 

Dry Felting: Needle Felting for Beginners

Needle felting for beginners is the most prevalent dry felting technique. It does not require soap or water, but rather needles, wools, and a lot of wool stabbing.

Needle felting is ideal for adding fine details and precise features to your felt project. Needle felting can be done on a flat surface or to make 3D sculptures, which are all the rage these days.  Needle felting is a great soothing hobby, the repetition of the same action over and over again helps relax the human brain. And the ultimate result is well worth the time you put into this project.

While there is no specific way to needle felt, there are methods to needle felt efficiently and make the whole process easier.

This felting technique necessitates the use of razor-sharp needles, which can be quite dangerous. So, not recommended for children without adult supervision at all times.

What Do I Need For Needle Felting? 

Needle felting is relatively inexpensive. Most felt supplies bought for needle felting last you for a long time. It’s only the wool you have to replace and occasionally replace or upgrade your needles. 

I’m not sure what wool I should use.

Unlike wet processes, the wool used for needle felting does not have to be a protein, sometimes known as animal fiber. However, animal fibers, such as sheep wool, may needle felt more easily since the filaments are not as slippery as silk or synthetic fibers. 

Wool is available in a variety of forms, ranging from raw, unwashed wool to processed roving and yarn. Any of these fibers will suffice. Corriedale wool roving is the greatest bait for a beginner. They are simple to work with and felt quite nicely

I don’t understand the difference between all needles and do I need them all? 

Felting needles are barbed needles of varying thicknesses. The sizes are determined by a number, with a higher number indicating a thinner and more pointed needle. The general guideline is that the thinner the needles, the more precise the details will come out. Thinner needles are therefore recommended for more detailed projects.

Individual needles are typically sold in sets of varying sizes. They are fairly affordable. Individual needles can be used to make flat or felt 3D crafts. However, using a single tiny needle for larger projects can be time-consuming. In that situation, you can use two needles simultaneously.

For creating a base, or larger surface, instead of holding multiple needles which can be uncomfortable. You can purchase needle pens as a great alternative. These needle pens come with 3 needles. And for even larger or coarse wool, you can get tools that hold up to 5 needles. 

When you frequently use the needles, they will get worn out and dull. Most of the time, while learning how to needle felt, you will break a needle or two. It is not uncommon so it’s always great to have spare needles with you. 

Finger Guide

The finger guide is opted out by most filters. People who are experienced with needle felting have good control over their needles. They are aware and trained in pressure management and the direction of wool, so they barely poke themselves with these sharp needles. However, for beginners, finger guides are highly recommended. The poking of needles is not only painful but can lead to more serious events. 

Finger guides mostly come in universal sizes. The material is mostly thick faux leather, suede, or thin metal. It’s totally about preferences on which one is better. 

Padding

Padding is used as a surface to needle felt on and to protect your furniture while felting. There are many pads you can buy, however, you don’t need a premium and expensive pad for needle felting. A thick foam is more than enough to use as padding. Padding should be dense, thick, and soft.  

Tips that every needle felters should know

• Always poke vertically and never sideways to prevent the breaking of your needles. During needle felting, if the needles are bending, that means you are poking it diagonally which is the wrong way to needle felt. 
• The more you stab the wool, the firmer and tighter you will feel. Your result should be firm, it should bounce back to its shape after squishing. 
• Making a knot, or rolling your wool while felting to create the base easier and faster. 
• When you have fully felt, your result will be 30% smaller than what you originally started with. 
• Always use less wool than you have anticipated. Add small amounts of wool at the time. Remember, you can always add more wool but never take away wool. 

So, here is everything you possibly need to learn about different types of felting wool techniques and what you should and shouldn’t do. Comment down below if there were any steps you did thinking it was right, but it was wrong.  

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Felting for Beginners: 15 Best Workshops

Welcome Edition

Wool is a natural and truly versatile material that expands the horizons for a wide variety of creative directions, from creating clothes to making soft toys. In this article, we have collected 15 of the best dry and wet felting workshops for beginners . Choose any lesson, follow the instructions of experienced masters and learn a new skill with pleasure – you can find a detailed description of each master class by clicking on the link or photo.

Have fun!

Let’s start with warm and cozy jewelry:

“A woolen ball of tenderness” — this is how the author described this mouse brooch. And we fully agree with this definition 🙂 Instructions for creating a touching baby are presented in the form of a step-by-step photo tutorial. More >

A lesson at the intersection of two technologies: learn how to make bright decorations using dry and wet felting methods. Plus, the author shows how to securely insert decorative elements, in this case, glass cabochons. Read more >

The workshop is based on the basic techniques of both dry and wet felting – ideal for understanding the principles of working with wool. And as a result, you will get an incredibly airy and delicate decoration. More >

The basics of wet felting will help you learn the following lessons:

Be sure to try the author’s way of creating patterns from wool: the principle of work is very simple, and ready-made balls can be used for festive or everyday decor. The lesson is accompanied by detailed photos, so you can use the idea, including for children’s creativity. Read more >

Tatyana Sapelnikova shows how to make a “ball on a ball” out of wool: it will take no more than half an hour and a minimum of materials to make such a weightless Christmas decoration. More >

Learn how to create such an indispensable winter accessory as mittens with your own hands! Here the author talks about an interesting way of decorating felt items – lamination. More >

Felted toys are a whole world of endless delight and tenderness! Here are three tutorials that will help you create a wool friend, even if you’ve never held a felting needle before:

This lesson is the perfect opportunity to discover a new and exciting hobby! The author claims that if you make one such cat, you won’t be able to stop — after all, these restless creatures don’t like being alone 🙂 More details >

“Why just pile, and not sew, dazzle or glue? Yes, because wool is so similar to snow – just as light and fluffy! — the author explains his choice of materials and technique. We believe that everything is logical – and we suggest you try to make a toy yourself. Read more >

It is simply impossible to remain indifferent to this master class! We create a touching baby using the technique of dry felting: great photos, a simple lesson and a gentle result. More >

Continuing to discover the possibilities of felting, try woolen floristry:

Lena Bymuth shows how to create a delicate bud of sleep-grass from wool. The finished flower can be used as a decor for other products or as an independent decoration – an impromptu necklace or bracelet. Read more >

“When people ask me what is the best way to get acquainted with felt, I most often say flowers and beads! My favorite option is the poppy flower, ”the author of this lesson shares. And we are sure that according to such a detailed master class, everything will definitely work out. More >

And, of course, we can’t do without felted decor:

We make bright vegetable decor with our own hands – for autumn surroundings, good mood and children’s creativity. And such a pumpkin can become a faithful assistant to a needlewoman – a needle bed. Read more >

The advent of LED lamps has opened up new possibilities for using wool: now we can create unusual lampshades for lamps. In this case – in the technique of nuno-felting. More >

We present to your attention one of the best lessons in the history of the Masters Fair: Diana Latysheva shows how to please your beloved pet with the help of a charming handmade thing. Or you can make such a pumpkin just to decorate the interior 🙂 More >

After the experiments, leftover pieces of felted fabric? Great! After all, you can make original, especially cozy woolen tags out of them. More details >

How to sew a cover for anything: 12 workshops >
How to sew a doll: 15 workshops + BONUS for painting the face of a textile doll >
What can be made from old jeans: 8 master -classes + 3 inspirational picks >

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Warm and relaxing hobby: felting wool

Felting from wool offers surprisingly wide possibilities. With it, you can create a variety of things – from carpets and coats to toys and jewelry. In addition, interaction with wool is tactilely pleasant: this needlework helps to calm down, relax and relieve stress.

What is wool felting and what is it like

Wool felting is a type of needlework that involves turning unspun, that is, wool not twisted into a thread, into felt. The ability to make a dense material out of loose fibers exists due to the fact that they are not absolutely smooth – their surface is not uniform. When felting, due to this feature, the wool fibers interlock with each other, get tangled and intertwined until a canvas or some kind of figure is obtained from them. For felting, first of all, natural unspun wool is used (usually sheep or goat wool), artificial fibers are most often not suitable for this.

Turning wool into felt in industry today is automated, there are special machines for this. And in felting, as in the form of needlework, everything is done by hand – not least because the process itself, due to interaction with fluffy, soft, tactilely pleasant wool, brings a lot of pleasure.

There are two types of felting: dry and wet. The process in each technique takes place in its own way, and the products in the end come out also different.

Wet felting is called so because the unspun wool in this case is felted raw. It is moistened with a special solution or ordinary liquid soap diluted with water, and then rubbed, stroked and squeezed with hands. Wools are tangled, intertwined and eventually form a flat felt. Also, it can be given a certain shape in the process. Wet felting is used to make carpets, stoles, clothes (from vests to coats), accessories, such as handbags or hats, slippers.

In dry felting, also called felting, the wool fibers are intertwined and piled with the help of special needles. These needles are quite long, have a handle by which they are held, and a notched point. The wool is folded into a blank, and the needle is stuck into it many times. The notches pull the wool fibers behind them, due to which the long hairs get tangled, compacted, and the workpiece gradually takes the desired shape. In the technique of dry felting, it is good to make voluminous products – first of all, toys and other small figures. Working with needles, you can give the blank a variety of, including thin, shapes, add wool of the desired color and make, for example, stripes on the skin of an animal, and ears and a nose on the head. With the help of dry felting, a variety of decorations are made.

In the manufacture of some products, both types of felting are used. For example, this is how you can create round woolen beads: first form them in a dry technique with a needle, and then make them denser and smoother in a wet felting technique.

The oldest technique for making textiles

It is felting that is considered the most ancient of all methods of making textiles. When exactly people learned to turn animal hair into a dense fabric is not known for certain, but the evidence found suggests that felting already existed at least 8 thousand years ago. Naturally, it was used more often by peoples who were engaged in breeding animals that give wool suitable for felting. Also, clothes and shoes made using the felting technique were especially needed where weather conditions dictated the need for proper insulation or protection from wind, rain, and the scorching sun. Things made of natural felt are quite light in comparison, for example, with the skins of animals, at the same time they are warm and dense.

For some peoples, primarily nomads, for a long time felting was practically the only way to create textiles. Not only clothes and shoes were made from wool. Felt cloths were also used to insulate yurts, made felted carpets, blankets and so on from wool.

And Russian felt boots – they were also created and are created from wool by the felting method – have completely become shoes that have become famous throughout the world. By the way, in Rus’ not only shoes were rolled, but also clothes and hats, as well as carpets.

With the development of technical progress, hand felting has ceased to be as common as it was before. Now various canvases, including felted ones, are made in production. But in recent decades, in the wake of an increase in interest in handmade and handmade, felting has become popular again – now as needlework and a hobby that gives pleasure and allows you to have a great time. Modern masters are able to create very complex things using the felting technique, such as coats, cardigans and jackets, bags, hats, amazingly beautiful flowers and paintings from wool, realistic or fantasy toys. If you just want to try your hand at this needlework, you can start with something simple, such as making a scarf or a simple animal figurine.

Felting: what a beginner needs to know

Since the techniques of dry and wet felting are quite different, let’s talk about each of them separately.

Needle felting for beginners

Which wool to use?

The main thing is natural. Most often, beginners recommend merino, it is a soft yarn made from the wool of merino sheep. Felting wool is sold in needlework stores.

Which needles are needed?

For needle felting, special notched needles are used. They are different in length and thickness, as well as in the shape of the profile. Usually, three types of needles are needed to work on a product. The thickest – triangular needles (with a trihedral section) are used at the beginning of work: with their help, things are given the initial shape. For further work, use medium needles. And the thinnest, including those with the so-called star-shaped notch, are needed to give the work the final touches. Needles are marked with numbers: the higher the number, the thinner the needle. For the first simple product, you can get by with one medium needle.

What else do you need?

In order not to hold the work in your hands, risking injuring your fingers, the product is placed on a special brush for felting. But at first, for this purpose, you can get by with a sponge for washing dishes or a piece of foam rubber. A brush or sponge is covered with a small piece of cloth, such as viscose. You can also use thimbles for additional protection of your fingers. If you want to make a toy, then immediately pick up eyes and a nose for it, for example, plastic ones. They can also be found in handicraft stores.

Where to start?

Find a workshop on social networks or the Internet. Don’t start with something complicated right away, look for something for beginners. It is important that the master class contains detailed step-by-step photos or videos. At the beginning of the master class, you will be told in detail what materials and fixtures are needed. Follow these and other instructions and you should be fine.

Wet felting for beginners

Which wool to use?

As with wet felting, use merino wool.

What else do you need?

Wet felting requires more tools than dry felting. First, you need a substrate. If there is, take a pimply film, but oilcloth is also suitable. Secondly, you will need a piece of mosquito net. It can be replaced with a piece of gauze. You also need an old towel and a bamboo napkin, this is often used for table setting.

You also need a spray bottle, mild liquid soap or shampoo and rubber gloves.

Where to start?

Find a workshop with a photo or video. To get started, choose something simple, such as a panel or a scarf. Make a sketch of future work or be guided by the drawing that will be offered in the master class. Stock up on the necessary materials and fixtures – and start felting!

Benefits of felting

Both dry and wet felting is a pleasant and rather meditative process. By doing this needlework, you can find a new way for yourself to relieve stress and achieve a calm and relaxed state.

It is also a very creative activity. There are no templates or exact patterns in felting: you can create such products as you want, and you can change your idea in the process. Like any creativity, felting helps the brain work, stimulating, among other things, thinking, imagination, attention and memory.