Pom Pom Garland Tutorial (Needle felt & Wet Felt)

Suitable project for beginners, or even a project to share with a child (younger ones can do the wet felting part - lots of fun! it is very satisfying and addictive making these pom pom balls! You can make the balls as big or small you like by using different amounts of wool. 

You can needle felt them completely, or needle felt them halfway and then wet felt them as in the instructions below. You could even put them in the washing machine, but don't expect them to always come out perfectly circular!

Pom Poms

Materials:

Wool:  Mini ball = 1g, Larger ball = 10g of dyed wool batts - our mixed Rainbow packs are perfect for this!

Extras: Thin waxed linen thread or similar to string up, darning needle

Tools:  Felting needle: medium (#38) , Foam mat

Optional if wet felting: Soap & hot water, plastic lunch box

Instructions:

Take a pinch of coloured wool, a bigger pinch creates a bigger ball, which is easier to start off with. Fold the pinch in half.

Fold the edges in.

 

Roll up. Hold this ball closed  on your felting mat with your less dominant hand .

Begin to stab your medium felting needle into the wool, starting with the last loose fibres you wrapped around.

Then begin stabbing the needle in to felt all over. The tiny notches on the needle catch the fibres and tangle them together.

Wet felting: Add 2-3 drops of washing up liquid and a splash of hot water into a lidded lunchbox with your felt ball (or a few balls) Shake the lunchbox for 30 seconds, be careful of the hot water!

Take the ball out (it may still be hot!) and very vey gently begin to roll the ball between your palms. You will feel the ball slowly tighten up after about 30 seconds, slowly start to increase the pressure.

After about a minute your ball should be feeling much firmer. You can see if it is fully felted by throwing it, if it bounces it is ready! Rinse the soap out, squeeze the water out, and dry somewhere warm.

When dry, thread up your needle and push it through the middle of the ball.

Thread up lots to create a beautiful display.

You can also space them out. Beautiful pops of colour to decorate your space!