Spring Bunting (Hessian Motif) Tutorial

How to make our Spring Bunting or other hessian motifs:

You will need:

Spring Bunting Templates (below)

Pencil

Water Soluble Paper

Hessian

Felting wool

Felting needle (coarse or medium)

Felting mat

(Optional: 7x Felting needle handle and brush mat)

 

Instructions:

You can print the spring motifs below or make up your own. The picture below should be printed at A4 size to make a motif for a 10 x 10 cm piece of hessian.

Trace a motif onto the water soluble paper.

Have your felting mat in front of you. Lay the water soluble paper over the mat. The next stage is like colouring in with wool. Take a small pinch of your chosen colour felting wool, and lay it onto your water soluble paper, inside the motif. Take a felting needle, holding it near the bent end (or use your felting needle holder). Stab the needle through the wool, the base paper and into the felting mat a little way. Repeat this process, you will notice the little notches on the needle catch the fibres of the wool and push them down into the base fabric, and as you work the surface becomes less fluffy and more fixed. You can lay other colours over the top to add details. You will need to peel your shape carefully off the mat every now and then to prevent it sticking.

Cut out your motif and then felt the whole motif into the hessian. You would not need to dissolve the water soluble paper in this case, it can just be left in.

The edges of the hessian can be frayed to create a decorative edge, simply by pulling a few of the threads away from each side.

Make a few motifs and you can string them up to create a bunting, or add them to cards, gift tags or frame them.

Needle Felt Spring Bunting Motifs