Wool felting, or felting, is a very interesting, fascinating type of needlework that is popular today. Modern craftswomen make clothes, shoes, all kinds of accessories and jewelry using this technique. Unique toys come to life in their hands. With the help of felting, a drawing is made on fabric and felt, paintings and even entire panels are created.
Felting painting
So, what is this type of needlework? Let's figure it out.
Felting from wool (from English felt - felt, felt, stuffing) - a technique in which dense felt is obtained from lush, airy wool. Only natural wool has the ability to fall down: the fibers interlock with each other due to the scaly structure.
Do you think felting is a hobby of modern needlewomen that has appeared relatively recently? You are deeply mistaken. Felting from wool is one of the oldest types of needlework: people made things from felt already about 8 thousand years ago. Currently, technology is becoming more and more artistic, with the help of it you can create truly amazing things.
Woolen beads and bracelet. Photo: inhomes.ru
Felt squirrel. Photo: madeheart.com
Stole with tulips. Photo: livemaster.ru
Felted children's vest. Photo: mbuzgorpolbk.ru
Felted bag with a cat. Photo: livemaster.ru
Wool slippers. Photo: livemaster.ru
Types of felting
There are two main types of felting - dry and wet. With the help of the dry felting technique, carried out by piercing the wool with special needles, three-dimensional products are most often created: toys, souvenir figurines, jewelry. The wet felting technique, carried out with the help of soapy water and the friction of fibers, is suitable for the manufacture of clothes, panels, canvases, bags - in other words, flat products.
Often, in the manufacture of one product, dry and wet felting is used. For example, in the manufacture of toys, using the wet felting technique, some flat elements are made: ears, paws.
Let us dwell on the most fashionable today dry felting.
For a person who has not previously encountered felting, we recommend starting to get acquainted with this technique with a felting kit: fortunately, modern manufacturers have provided a fairly wide choice. In the future, you can proceed to the implementation of your ideas.
Anna Rybalchenko
felt toy maker
Materials and tools
Whatever things you decide to make from wool by dry felting, you will need the same materials and tools.
Unspun wool
For dry felting, coarse or semi-fine dyed unspun wool is used. It is undesirable to choose too thin (merino) wool, as it is quickly destroyed by a needle - and this can lead to a product that is almost impossible to correct.
Semi-fine wool for felting. Photo: realtex-yug.ru
Felting wool is sold in the form of combed sliver and carding. Combed ribbon is woolen fibers neatly laid in a long ribbon. To make the felting process more efficient, such wool must be carefully mixed before working with it. Carded wool looks like cotton wool, only woolen. Such a mass, consisting of tangled fibers, does not need preliminary preparation and quickly falls off.
Remember that wool shrinks by about a third - so stock up on more volume.
“Some people use undyed wool called sliver (it is cheaper) as the basis of toys, then roll it with the main wool. I would not recommend using a sliver for the base, as it falls off very badly, and the toy inside will turn out to be soft, which will make it worse to keep its shape. If you want to save money, then for the base it is better to take semi-fine Russian wool in a combed tape.
In general, the coarser the wool and the greater the fineness (fibre thickness), the faster it falls off, which greatly speeds up the process of creating the product. If you plan to make a toy with the effect of fluffy wool, then lay the same wool in the base as on the surface, because when fluffing the product, the needles will pull up the wool fibers that are in the middle of the base.
Anna Rybalchenko
felting needles
Felting needles are special needles with small notches at the bottom. When sticking needles into wool, the fibers cling to the notches and tangle with each other.
Felting needles. Photo: saleslook.ru
For work, needles of different thicknesses are used: usually the felting process begins with thicker needles, which are then replaced with thin ones. With thick needles, felting is carried out directly, that is, the material is compacted, the middle ones give shape to the product, and the final touches are formed with thin needles. Thick needles (Nos. 30, 32, 36) contribute to a quick stall, but after their use, distinct traces of punctures remain on the product. It is in order to “retouch” them that thinner needles (Nos. 38-42) are used.
Needles come in not only different thicknesses, but also different cross-sectional shapes: triangular (three-beam) and star-shaped (four-beam). For initial work, triangular needles are usually used; for the final ones - in the form of an asterisk: punctures from them are more accurate and invisible.
In order to make your work process easier, purchase high-quality needles, preferably imported (made in England, Germany, USA).
“Despite the variety of types and shapes of needles, for felting most often you need needles No. 36 (“triangle” or “asterisk”) for working on the base and needle No. 38 “asterisk” for finer work, grinding and decorating the muzzle of a toy. I would recommend having at least five needles of both types in stock, because even the highest quality needles break at first with beginners.
In addition, there is another type of needle that helps create the effect of fluffy wool on felt toys - these are the so-called reverse needles. These needles easily enter the product and pull the fur out of it to the surface. To create the effect of wool, I advise you to use reverse needles No. 40: they carefully pull out the wool without tearing the toy.
Anna Rybalchenko
Felting brush
A special felting brush will protect the work surface and your hands from needle pricks, which, by the way, are sharper than ordinary sewing. The brush can be replaced with a sponge for washing dishes.
Felting brush. Photo: 9.paraalisveris.me
A piece of wool is placed on a brush or sponge and pierced with needles until it becomes felted.
“If it is not possible to use a brush or felting mat, then when choosing a sponge, pay attention to the fact that it is hard and does not collapse under pressure, otherwise you will not be able to felt on it.
In the case of using a brush for felting, I will reveal one secret: so that the product does not get injured on the bristles in the place where it lies, I put a viscose cloth folded in two layers (it is sold in any hardware store as for dusting). Thanks to this, the product does not suffer from contact with the brush, and the needles easily pass through the cloth.
In any case, periodically separate the part from the brush or sponge so that it does not stick to them.
Anna Rybalchenko
In order to protect fingers from needle pricks, beginner fullers are advised to use special rubber or leather thimbles.
decorative elements
Ribbons, braid, lace, beads and beads, glass eyes and other elements are used as decor for the product.
“Sometimes, in the manufacture of a bulk product, a synthetic winterizer is used: it serves as the basis on which wool is applied. I do not recommend using it, since it practically does not fall off - the toy inside will be soft and easy to miss.
Anna Rybalchenko
Anna's work
When working, the needle should be stuck perpendicular to the product or at an angle, depending on the purpose. Anna Rybalchenko talks about such a rule: at what angle the needle is stuck, at that angle it is pulled out. Quick and sharp strokes with the needle will speed up the process at the initial stage - this way the product falls off much more efficiently. However, speed and strength must be combined with mindfulness.
“It is important to constantly move and twist the product so that it rolls off evenly from different sides. This way the needle will not hit the wool in the same place for a long time and the wool fibers will not be damaged. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting woolen dust instead of a dense base.
Anna Rybalchenko
When the needle enters the felted part, a crunch sound should be heard. If the toy starts to "crunch" - continue, you are on the right track!
When creating the base, try to feel well in the middle of the product. To start, take a small amount of wool and gradually build up volume by adding wool little by little.
“You don’t need to take a large amount of wool at once and give it a shape - you either won’t succeed, or the inside of the toy will be incomplete, which will then affect the quality of the finished product. If the product is dense inside, it will be much easier to roll and grind it.”
Anna Rybalchenko
When finishing, punctures should be made as close to each other as possible. Work at this stage goes on the surface, the needle is inserted into a pair of notches. Carefully remove all irregularities with a needle - ideally, there should not be a single bump on the finished product. If in some places the strands are not aligned, you can attach small pieces of tangled wool fibers, and thus sand the product with them.
“Remember: when sanding, the size of the product will decrease even more, so this step should be started when the product is already hard and does not slip through the fingers.”
Anna Rybalchenko
If you compress the finished product with effort, but it does not change shape at all, then the roll is sufficient. Tap on the table with your finger and then with a toy - the sound should be the same.
To connect parts, which occurs by nailing them to each other, it is necessary to leave the junction “loose”. Loose fibers of one part are tucked into another with a needle. The junction is strengthened: it is laid with a piece of wool, filled up and polished.
For paired parts (for example, ears, paws), it is recommended to immediately prepare the same amount of wool. It is difficult to measure the wool on the second piece if the first one is already felted.
If the product is made according to your idea, before you start felting, make a sketch of the future product. Remember that preparation is at the heart of all work.
Anna Rybalchenko shares her experience in creating toys:
- Felting the base is a long and painstaking process. Therefore, in order to at least slightly speed up this stage, I advise you to use not one, but two or three needles at the same time when working on the base. You can combine two needles No. 36 and one No. 38, for example. This will greatly speed up the felting process.I also fluff the toy with two or three needles at once. If you do this with one needle, then the fur of the toy turns out to be rare, which looks ugly. The photo below shows how approximately I hold the needles. When the needles are exactly at this distance from each other, they are best and fastest to felt the wool. Also in the photo you can see how and what cloth I use to cover the bristles of the brush.
- To make the base of the toy dense, I start with a small skein (strand) of wool, twist it into a roller (as in the photo below) and carefully roll it, and only then, step by step, add new wool. Thanks to this method of felting, you will not overdo it with the volume of the base. When working with wool, it is easier to add volume than to remove it.
- Two or even three different colors of wool can be mixed together with two combing brushes, and then a completely new interesting shade can appear that will add zest to your product.
- If you are passionate about the idea of creating toys out of wool, but do not have artistic skills and knowledge, a detailed study of the anatomy of animals from photographs can come to your aid. Understanding the basics of animal body structure will make it much easier to achieve similarity with the original.
Felting can be a great family activity. Wool is completely safe, as long as there are no allergic reactions to it. This means that even children can be involved in such an activity, instilling in them diligence, perseverance and a sense of beauty.
“It will be easy for children to work with wool using the wet felting technique (felting beads, scarves and other simple things) - this is really a fairly safe type of needlework. I would recommend trying dry felting with a child over 10 years old, because by this time fine motor skills are already well developed, and the child will cope with sharp needles. 72
By felting wool.
Felting or felting is an interesting needlework technique that is gaining momentum. Using the technique of dry felting, you can create unusual figurines, souvenirs, jewelry, decor items and accessories. Felting is an original mixture of sculpture and needlework, which allows the master's creative imagination to be revealed to the maximum.
(Master Christina Mayorova)
Needle felting tools
Let's take a look at what we need for dry felting for beginners.
- Needles
For dry felting, you will need special serif needles. Since when such a needle is stuck into wool, pieces of wool fibers are caught on serifs and tangled with each other. There are several different needles for different types of stalling and work steps:
According to the cross-sectional shape of the needle, there are triangular, three-beam and four-beam (asterisks)
If you notice, then on each edge of the felting needle blade there are special serifs, and thus, the more edges, the more serifs, and the faster the felting process. It is worth adding that the accuracy of the holes left by it depends on the cross section of the needle.
In the direction of serifs, there are straight and reverse felting needles
Needles for felting forward push the fiber into the product, and reverse needles pull the wool fiber out of the product, this serves to make the product from felting and correct it.
Also felting needles differ in numbers. For example, the higher the needle number, the thinner it is. So felting needles numbered 30,32,36 are coarse, these needles are used at the initial stage of felting. Thick felting needles have a thicker blade, due to which they cover a slightly larger area, and pull the wool fibers deeper into the product faster, thereby dumping the dense felting base faster, but they leave behind distinct, large puncture marks, which are unacceptable on the finished product. Therefore, in order to avoid traces of punctures during felting, thin needles numbered 38 - 42 are used. Also, for finishing grinding the product, you need to use asterisk needles, because the punctures after them look neater and less noticeable.
Felting pad
Needles for dry felting are very sharp and rather long, during felting they can easily pierce a felt product through and through, respectively, the working surface, for example, a table, will be scratched. Therefore, in order not to injure yourself and not break the needle on the hard surface of the furniture, a special felting substrate or felting mat is used.
Most often, an ordinary thick foam rubber washcloth is used as a felting mat. The disadvantage of using a washcloth: in the process of felting, the notches at the end of the felting needle pull out pieces of foam rubber from the washcloth, which later get stuck between the felted wool fibers. This, as you understand, causes significant damage to the wool product.
Often in the work you can find felting substrates, or the so-called "felting rugs", which are made of polyethylene foam. Such felting mats are much more durable and of higher quality than the above-described washcloths. A big plus: each of the sides of such a felting rug has a surface designed for different types of felting wool.
For beginner needlewomen in the felting technique, we recommend using polyethylene foam film, which is used to pack ordinary household appliances. If your passion for needle felting grows into something more, change the felting mat for a more professional one.
Another option for a dry felting substrate is a brush mat. It is quite expensive, but the felting brush mat is the most convenient to use as a substrate for dry felting, because special bristles made of synthetic fiber do not interfere with the movement of the needle and at the same time prevent the felting needle from coming into contact with the hard surface of the desktop. thereby preventing damage to the needle.
An inexpensive alternative to a professional brush mat is a regular brush with bristles. This version of the brush is quite suitable for the experience of dry felting for beginners.
Rule: Before using the mat again, carefully remove the wool fibers that remain between the bristles, otherwise there will be a mixture of wool in the next product.
felting thimbles
Use leather or rubber thimbles to protect your fingers from being punctured while felting wool.
Wool for felting
For dry felting, natural wool for felting is used. Felting wool differs in thickness - the smaller the number of microns, the finer the wool. Wool is thin, semi-fine and coarse . Semi-thin dyed wool is best for dry felting, you should not take too thin merino wool, it will quickly collapse with a needle, leading to a warp of the product, which is almost impossible to correct.
For the basis of toys, in order to save money, they often use cheaper, low-quality undyed wool, such wool is called Sliver. Then it is rolled over with the main wool.
combed tape
The combed ribbon is straight elongated wool fibers neatly laid in a long ribbon in one direction for felting.
Before felting, the wool must be strongly entangled. The better the fibers are entangled, the more efficient and accurate the felting process will be, this can be done with an animal brush or by repeatedly pulling and criss-crossing the fibers.
Carded wool (woolen wool)
Carded wool is a ready-made mass of wool for felting, consisting of tangled fibers, thanks to which the carding quickly falls off and saves the time of the master due to the lack of the need to pre-prepare the wool for felting. Great for beginner needlewomen.
Here are some useful tips and rules from felting master Christina Mayorova.
- Use quality needles.
- Insert the needle perpendicular to the felted surface
- Take your time at work
- Remember that the needle goes much deeper than you think.
- Quick and sharp needle strokes do not speed up the process. This will break the needle and damage the wool fibers.
- Insert the needle deep to the center, try to stretch the wool fibers inward, then at first it will create density inside the wool crafts, and the outer layers of the product will gradually become denser.
- When the needle enters the wool product, you should hear a sound similar to a crunch
- A product is considered sufficiently felt when it does not change shape at all when pressed. To do this, tap on the table with your fingers, and then with the product, if the sound of the knock is the same, then the knock was a success.
- When grinding the product, use a thin needle with an asterisk section, the punctures should be close to each other
- Remove any bumps in places where you cannot drop the strands, attach small pieces of tangled wool and sand the product.
- When processing with a reverse needle, you should also diligently make punctures close to each other
- The parts of a wool product are connected by sticking to each other, for this it is necessary to leave the junction fluffy, then we fill the free fibers of one part into another part with a needle. After that, we strengthen the junction of the parts - lay a bunch of wool, fill up and grind
- When working, we take into account that the wool falls off by about a third
- For paired parts, we immediately prepare the same amount of wool for felting
Wool felting master class for beginners video
Text prepared by: Veronica
In everyday life, this type of needlework is also called felting or felting. Unique crafts made of felted wool are very popular, and buyers are very eager to purchase such crafts. Felting toys from wool with your own hands is possible even for novice craftswomen and allows you to create unique products with your own hands. Before starting work, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the master classes on felting lessons for beginners.
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What is necessary for creativity
For the manufacture of products by felting, special attention should be paid to the quality of the acquired wool and tools. Creativity needs purchase natural wool, which can be bought in all specialized stores for creativity.
In most cases, the coarse wool of a camel or sheep is used to make toys by felting. In stores, such wool is called sliver - combed wool of a sheep without awns. Tow is used as a material for stuffing toys, and merino wool is used to decorate the product.
The felting technique means the use of special tools that can have different thicknesses and different cross-sectional shapes.
How to felt: basic techniques
The felting technique can be used to make unique handicrafts, toys, accessories, clothing items. Today, there are several popular felting techniques. A detailed study of master classes will allow you to make any level of complexity.
The following main techniques can be distinguished:
- dry felting;
- wet felting;
- felting using a washing machine.
How to felt dry
Dry felting is the technique of tangling wool fibers together, resulting in felt. The following items are required to work:
- not spun wool, for which the use of kadoches is recommended;
- special needles with notches in the form of triangles or stars;
- a working surface, which during dry felting can be a small piece of foam rubber.
The manufacturing process includes the steps of sequentially applying wool fibers to give the object the necessary shapes and sizes. In some cases, as the basis for the product can be used a synthetic winterizer, on top of which wool fibers are superimposed.
Care must be taken when working with needles, as these tools are very sharp and can cause injury. The creation process begins with the use of a thick needle, followed by the use of a thin needle for more precise work. When working, the needle should always be perpendicular to the workpiece.
In the technique of dry felting are made:
- voluminous crafts in the form of key chains, badges, toys;
- accessories in the form of wallets, straps;
- garments, for example, hats, coats, felt boots.
How to felt wet
Wet felting technique involves working with wool on gauze and film using a soap solution or liquid soap. When using ordinary soap the solution is prepared as follows:
- a bar of soap is ground on a grater;
- the resulting chips are poured with two liters of hot water and mixed well;
- after two hours, the solution should thicken and can be used for work.
It should be noted that the concentration of soap in the solution must be large, otherwise the wool fibers will not connect to each other and the craft will not work.
The essence of felting is in rubbing the material manually in different directions. The manufacturing process involves the following steps:
- an oilcloth is spread on a flat surface, on which gauze is spread;
- the basis is laid out, the main background and elements of the picture are made;
- at the end of the laying out of the fibers, a cloth is applied on top, abundantly moistened with soapy water;
- after a certain time, excess liquid is removed with napkins.
An important point is that the fibers are laid out crosswise or in stripes. At the same time, there should be no holes and gaps in the canvas, and each of the layers should lie perpendicular with the same thickness.
How to roll in the washing machine
This felting technique is considered the most an easy way to create objects from wool. To work, you need the following items:
- dense form for rolling;
- durable nylon tights;
- wool;
- washing machine.
The prepared workpiece is placed in a laundry bag and loaded into the washing machine. When washing, a small amount of washing powder is used, and washing should be carried out in the washing mode without soaking and drying. The optimum temperature is considered to be 50 0 C. The finished felted base is removed from the washing machine and after complete drying it can be used for creativity.
Wool felting: toys for beginners
Beginning craftswomen are advised to start learning the felting technique from a master class on making felt toys of the simplest models, which will allow them to learn the basics of creating products using this technique, avoid unnecessary waste and damage to materials. In the technique of felting, you can make a wide variety of toys. Volumetric felted toys are environmentally friendly for children, so making this technique is considered an ideal option for creating a children's toy with your own hands.
Master class: felting a panda bear using the dry felting technique for beginners
The manufacturing process is necessary start with the preparation of the necessary materials and tools for work:
- black and white wool or other desired colors;
- special needles for felting;
- eye beads;
- eye glue.
To prevent scratching by needles, it is recommended to protect the work surface. For convenience, it is recommended to use foam rubber, on which basic manipulations with wool and needles are performed.
The manufacturing process is as follows:
If desired, the toy can be decorated with other elements in the form of a creation on the head, imitation beads on the neck and other accessories.
Master class: voluminous felted hare
Cute felted bunnies, depending on the size, can be used as a decorative pillow or as a children's toy. In the manufacture, the technique of dry and wet felting is used. Finished toy color and size determines the master himself, depending on his own desires and preferences.
The following tools and materials are required for work:
For the process of creating a toy, you must choose a flat surface for work. When working, a rather large amount of water is used, so it is recommended to pre-cover the surface with a film.
The manufacturing process includes the stage of creating a blank and the stage of filling the base with synthetic winterizer to give the toy the desired volume. It should be noted that when using the wet felting technique, the size of the product decreases during drying, therefore, taking into account this feature, the pattern should be made larger than the planned size of the final product.
Foundation creation:
After that, it is necessary to repeat the cycle of actions for turning the workpiece over with successive application of dense layers of wool fibers. The total number of turns should be 6 to 8 times. When making, you can add a few spots of a different color to give the future toy a more interesting appearance. It should be noted that in the process of applying layers, the fabric base must be inside the workpiece.
After laying the base layers you can start rolling:
Giving volume:
- using wooden sticks, push the workpiece apart so that the toy can be filled with padding polyester;
- fill the interior of the toy with synthetic winterizer to give the desired volume;
- close the lower incision with wool fibers or with a special needle.
The final stage of this will be the stage of creating an eye and decorating. Eyes can be made from wool fibers of contrasting colors or glue special ready-made details in the form of eye-buttons.
Felting is a very exciting activity. The master can make a toy out of wool in this way quite quickly. To make a toy using the dry felting technique, you do not need a lot of material and tools, in addition, you can interrupt and continue the lesson at any moment.
Sheep wool, alpaca, camel, llama and yak wool are suitable for felting, as well as cashmere, anagoras and mohair.
In ancient times, carpets, flooring, clothes, and hats were made from wool. Now needlewomen are fond of creating decorative items, toys, jewelry and souvenirs from felt. In the process of felting, the wool fibers get tangled and form a dense lump, which in the hands of the fullers acquires the desired shape. The main thing is to take into account that the initially taken amount of wool during felting will shrink by 2-3 times. Therefore, when creating toys using the dry felting technique, you need to stock up on the necessary amount of material.
If irregularities have formed in the product, they can be repaired by adding additional pieces of wool. Often felted toys are created from several parts, which are made separately, and then connected by nailing one element to another using small pieces of wool.
felting tools
This type of needlework, like dry felting of toys, does not require special equipment. In the initial set, it is enough to have needles of different diameters and sections. You will also need a synthetic winterizer, from which the felting work begins. It is inexpensive, therefore, for the manufacture of large toys, it is taken as the basis for a future product. You also need wool for the top layer, which wraps the prepared synthetic winterizer part and clings to the base.
Many people use a tool such as a needle holder. It is a plastic or wooden handle with holes that holds several needles at once. The needle holder speeds up the work process, helping to capture the most of the area. Dry felting of toys cannot be performed on a hard surface. A needle that pierces the product through and through can break from hitting the table. To avoid this, you need a special felting mat, brush or foam sponge.
Please note that this type of creativity is not suitable for children under 10 years old and those who like to create while watching TV. If you are too distracted, you can pierce your finger through - the needles are very sharp! When working with a needle, the felt product cannot be kept on weight; it must be placed on a special device that cannot be knocked down. When working, the needles cannot be tilted and moved, but you need to keep them perpendicular to the craft, as they are very brittle.
General principles and stages of dry felting of all toys:
1. The main figure of the object is formed from a twisted bundle of wool.
2. The muzzle of a future toy is lying around.
3. By repeated piercing, you need to make recesses-eye sockets and mouth.
4. Ears are formed on a sponge in the form of thin felt from identical bundles of wool.
5. Connecting the parts, the seams are closed with wool fluffed along their edges at the attachment point.
6. According to the same scheme, you need to make blanks for the remaining parts of the toy (tail, paws, horns).
7. Beads are carefully glued into the eye sockets, where one side with a hole is hidden, and the other is visible as a pupil.
8. Then, with a No. 38 star needle, you need to polish the surface of the toy, filling in the flaws with the addition of wool.
9. To complete the image, the toy is decorated according to the idea.
For inspiration:
video of creating a wonderful mouse from Elena Fedoryak
Video "Fluffy Chicken"
Using a regular needle, you can create unique creations. A curious world invites you to get acquainted with the works of masters of dry felting technique.
There are many different types of needlework. One of the most unusual types of craftsmanship that helps to create beautiful, but also practical things is felting from wool. Several techniques have been developed that allow you to get material from it for further work, so those who want to master this type of needlework will need to carefully study them and then choose the best option for themselves.
One of the most unusual types of craftsmanship that helps to create beautiful, but also practical things is felting from wool.
So, if you want to know how felted wool products are created step by step from scratch, read our article.
The simplest and most understandable for a person who has not previously been involved in this type of work will be dry felting.. The technique, due to its convenience and ease of development, quickly gained popularity, becoming one of the most popular.
In order to start the process of turning wool into crafts, felted figures, toys or decorative elements, you will need:
- natural wool;
- Needle designed for felting (notched, curved or triangular);
- Patience and perseverance.
The simplest and most understandable for a person who has not previously been involved in this type of work will be dry felting.
It is very important to remember that the process requires maximum attention, rush is not allowed, therefore, children who are under 10-12 years old should not be involved in it. The technology of felting resembles the process of creating a sculptural composition, where the object of work is wool.
The technique assumes that the unspun ribbon will be separated from the wool. Then you will need to rub the material a little between the palms so that the fibers are tangled.
Next steps:
- Roll the workpiece into a cylinder (tight);
- Seal it by sticking a needle;
- Next, you need to carefully turn the cylinder, achieving uniform bearing.
As a result, the workpiece will be compacted, the surface will become even. You can finish the process when the deformation of the wool stops during compaction.
Gallery: felting from wool (25 photos)
In order to felt the wool as efficiently as possible, you must follow the following recommendations and listen to the advice:
- The relief is created as follows - treat a certain area with a needle 5-6 times;
- Before the main work, be sure to rub the wool with your palms - this will speed up and facilitate the dumping;
- In order to work with large products, you should use trimmings of padding polyester or a slipper for the inside (preferably).
It is important to remember that it is not necessary to felt very tight, as the fibers will begin to tear.
With the help of this material, you can decorate products or hide a flaw that has appeared on them. It is quite simple to do this - you will need to attach the required number of fibers to the existing base, observing the shape and size. The ideal basis is clothes made of dense fabric, shoes made of felt. This work is called creating an application.
Wool felting for beginners (video)
What crafts can be dumped: a variety of options
You can make a variety of crafts with your own hands. These can be things that can decorate the interior, make it special, cozy and homely. You can also learn how to make themed decorations for holidays and important events.
Having learned a certain technique, you should move on to creating more complex crafts - toys. They will have to be done with the help of additional elements, such as a base, a pattern, decorations or decorative elements can be added to help achieve the intended result.
You can make a variety of crafts with your own hands
Also, crafts can become part of decorations for dishes, shoes, furniture - the needlewoman is limited only by her imagination. Any loose items can be attached (sewn or glued) to the chosen base, which will help to "revive" or complement it.
Felting from wool: how to make a toy for the interior
You should start working with wool with simple crafts, but, having learned the art of felting, you can move on to more complex and voluminous ones. Among them, toys and figurines are the most popular, as they can be used both for decoration and for playing.
In order to correctly create all the elements, you must first select the main material - wool. Step-by-step instructions for any option suggest that you should start by drawing all the details so that you have a convenient diagram before your eyes.
You should start working with wool with simple crafts, but, having learned the art of felting, you can move on to more complex and voluminous
Large parts are made first, then small ones. Colors and shades of all materials are also selected in advance. In many works, different types of wool are used - hard, soft, and you can always attach an additional part to the finished element if the idea requires it.
In 95% of cases, such fragments of the toy as the head and torso are created as a single part - it is more convenient and easier to achieve the desired shape. Small details (paws, tail, ears) are best created separately, as they require less time to work, but more focus on it.
In order to carry out the process of connecting all parts of the future toy, loose woolen strands should be left in the places where they will be attached. This is necessary to make it easier to attach each element and not to use other materials in the work. Attachment is carried out as follows - strands of the attached part are superimposed on the existing base (torso and head), all the available wool is placed inside the product with quick movements.
How to make Hello Kitty toys step by step tutorial video:
Is it easy to learn felting
Felting or felting is a process that is easier to learn than it seems.
The work is carried out in several ways - for beginners, the dry option will be optimal, and for those who have a certain skill - wet (using ordinary water).