Felt Making – A Simple, Yet Effective Technique

Felt is a fabric made of wool or other types of natural materials that has been treated by using heat and moisture. During this process, you use water of two different temperatures: first warm water then cold. This fabric has been use for centuries by humans in many parts of the world as a material for clothing, and as a substitute for leather. Even though felt is not such a hard wearing material as leather, it can still be used for making gloves, cloaks, belts and slippers.

When making felt, it is possible to reduce the time the felt making process takes by using soap. What happens when you add soap is that the heat and the moisture result in opening up the outer scales of the fibers, and then the alkaline soap acts like a lubricant, helping the fibers to slide over one another easily. The keratin proteins on the fibers create a chemical bond, and a natural entanglement process happens. This process is permanent, and, once the fibers form the fabric, it is irreversible.

The felt making process is very simple and does not require many tools opposed to other textile making techniques. The product is finished very quickly and then ready to use. All you need to make felt at home is water, soap, some sort of heater to bring the water temperature up to above room temperature, something to place your wool onto and, if you wish your felt to be colorful – the wool or other type of animal fur, can be dyed beforehand in the desired shades. You can also choose to keep the natural color of the wool you are working with and that will be the color of your finished felt fabric.

Apart from the use of felt as a leather substitute for clothing material, it has many uses in its own right. Felt making provides the fabric needed for various handicrafts and hobbies. There are people who make felt soft toys for children, or decorative items for the home such as coasters, decorative pillows and many more. Felt fabric is one of the most used fabrics in handicrafts such as homemade greetings cards, accessories for clothing and decorations for celebrations and festivals.

There are many books, classes and videos about felt making and using felt as a handicraft material available online. The fact that it is very easy to work with, and comes in so many colors, makes it a delight to work with.

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