Wet felting basics
What is wet felting?
This is a method of using soap, warm water and agitation to tangle fibres together to create felt. It is different to needle or dry felting. You may have already accidentally wet felted your favourite woolly jumper by washing it on too hot a wash, felting the fibres and shrinking them.
What fibres are suitable for wet felting?
Most of our fibres are suitable for Wet Felting, with the exception of our Lanolin Rich Core Wool, and our natural dyed fibres. Synthetic fibres such as our Angelina fibre and Sparkly Stuff are slippery and therefore need to be mixed with wool so that the wool will help to hold the slippery fibres in place. Our Starter Wet Felting or Fairy Wool Mix is an ideal mix for wet felting.
What equipment do I need for wet felting?
The minimum you will need is:
- soap (try our Handmade Soap Pieces, olive hand soap or even a gentle washing up liquid such as Ecover),
- hot water (as hot as you can stand, cooler if felting with children),
- fibres to felt
- an old towel
- a Wooden Roller can also speed up the felting process.
What projects can I do with wet felting?
We have basic tutorials for a few ideal first projects to make a ball (or worm for children), or a picture.