Wet Felted Beads

Ever wonder how wool felt is made? Felt is very easy to make given the right circumstances.  Wool is a very strong and stretchy fiber.  When you get wool hot, wet and add pressure (rubbing and rolling it) it shrinks and becomes felt! In this class you will be learn to make felted balls, beads, bracelets and hand puppets!  Today I’m going to show you how to use your hands wool roving and some hot, soapy water to make round felt beads! Take a bit of roving (remember that when wool felts it can shrink from 30-50% in volume) and fluff it up by pulling it apart and stretching it out.

Start making a ball by taking a strip of the wool and rolling it up into a round shape. Begin wrapping lengths of wool around it. Make sure you wrap it tight!

Make the wool twice the size you want it to end up. Remember it will shrink!!!

Dunk the ball in hot soapy water.  Start by squeezing it slowly do the fibers bond together

Gently roll it from hand to hand. Keep rolling it and when your ball cools dunk it in the water again!

Once the ball begins to harden,you can add details to your ball, like stripes, dots or spirals! Add these details and roll your ball some more till it felts! Finally, rinse it in some clean, cold water. Under the running water is best.