How To Make Felted Wool for Crafting
Easy tutorial on how to make felted wool from thrift store sweaters for boot cuffs, hand & mug warmers, pillow covers, and more!
For a while now, I have been trying to work with what I already have…and repurpose as much as I can. Not too long ago, I came across a couple of projects that called for felted wool. At first, I thought what I needed was wool felt. After doing a little more research, I discovered that felted wool and wool felt are NOT the same thing. Confused?
So was I! It’s really very simple though. Wool felt is purchased like fabric. From a bolt by the yard, in squares, or sometimes in strips. Felted wool can be made simply by throwing a thrift store wool sweater, or any wool fabric, in the washing machine!
Why would you want felted wool? BECAUSE IT DOESN’T UNRAVEL. The cut edges do not need finished off in any way. When I found this out, I was determined to learn how to make felted wool, and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.
How to Make Felted Wool
1. Find old sweaters that are at least 80% wool. 100% wool is best, but they are hard to find in the thrift stores. (I found a couple of perfect sweaters in my husband’s closet, but he refused to part with them.) My trip to Goodwill resulted in just 3 sweaters that I could use.
2. Turn your sweaters inside-out. Using the normal amount of laundry detergent, wash them on the hot wash/cold rinse cycle. Select the largest load size, so you have lots of water swishing around.
3. Dry them on the hottest head setting that’s available on your dryer. Remove them from the dryer as soon as they are finished. You may have to iron them in order for the wool to be flat.
That’s it! Now you are ready to transform your felted wool sweaters into all sorts of wonderful things…plus you will be repurposing something, which is always a good thing.
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