How to Felt
Want to learn How to felt? Want a cloth that you could make without actually doing anything to weave? Learn How to felt now. It’s easy!
There are different kinds of felts that you can make. You can either make those very soft ones, or the very tough ones that are enough to form construction materials. Making felts can be entertaining too, you can choose what colors, what shapes and what sizes! You can choose what to do with your felts too!
Materials needed:
- 50 gm of Divine Wooltops
- 1 piece of bubble wrap 60cm square
- 1 water spray bottle
- 1 few drops of washing detergent
- 1 piece of tuille(netting)
- 1 old towel,
- 2 rubber bands
- 1 piece of PVC tube about 70 cm long and between 2 to 5 cm in diameter.
Seven Steps of Felting:
One: Place the bubble wrap on a table, bubbles facing upward. Split the Divine Wool tops into 3 equal lengths to make your three separate layers. Begin your work around 5 cm in from the edges of the bubble wrap.
Two: Make your first layer by pulling tufts off the end of the Divine Wool tops and placing these side by side on the bubble wrap to create about 5 rows. All the tufts and rows should be overlapping a little with each other. Finish the last row, and leave about 5cm of bubble wrap left around the edges. Turn the bubble wrap 90degrees and then start your second layer. Lay the rows of tufts of Divine Woo tops over the first layer (they will be perpendicular to the previous layer). When complete, turn the bubble wrap 90 degrees again and complete the third layer.
Three: Place the tulle over the top of these 3 layers of Divine Wooltops. Add a drop or two of dish-washing liquid to your water spray and then wet down the fibres by spraying this solution on to the netting. Rub your hands gently over the netting to encourage the fibres to soak up the water. Continue this rubbing, adding more water if required, until the fibres have all totally flattened down. Continue rubbing the piece all over for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the netting, making sure that none of the fibres are entangled in it.
Four: Replace the netting and place the tube at one end and roll the piece up protecting it with rubber bands. Roll the tube back and forth with the palms of your hands for 200 rolls. Undo the roll, remove the netting and put the piece back up in the opposite direction onto the tube, secure with bands and roll for an additional 200 times.
Five: Remove the felt from the bubble wrap and place it in a bucket of warm, warm water. Slowly massage it with your hands in the water for 3 minutes.
Six: Get out the piece and squeeze excess water out. Hold the piece about 50cm above the bubble wrap and drop it on the bubble wrap. Repeat this for 50 times slowly increasing the strength until it becomes a forceful toss.
Seven: Just clean it in cold water and put up on the line to dry.
You Just mastered the Art of felting! Enjoy your felt!!!!
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