Wool is traditionally associated with warm rugs, cozy sweaters and a cup of hot raspberry tea in the winter cold. But there is one type of needlework that allows you to create amazing pieces of jewelry and decor from it. And it is called wet felting.
Technology Basics
Wet felting is a surprisingly simple process: a preschooler can cope with it. The main thing is to study and correctly apply all the tips on the performance technique.
What do we need? The first and main is natural wool. To create objects from it, different colors are necessary, but the coloring should be of high quality so that the paint does not leak during the work. The second element is soapy water. It is simple to prepare: half a liter of hot water should be mixed with two tablespoons of liquid soap or dry, crushed on a coarse grater. You will also need gauze and a film in which fragile objects (“with bubbles”) are wrapped. And the last major elements are a bamboo mat and a washboard.
Wet felting from wool is as follows. The wool is divided into thin strips and laid out diagonally with the first thin layer on the oilcloth. The second is already stacked vertically. Try to ensure that there are no gaps between the layers. In total, you need to lay out six layers. After the right amount is done, check the canvas for gaps by gently pressing the material. Found a flaw, fill it with wool.
! Tip: in order to achieve a better result, the wool should be laid out on a pattern!
Then the prepared layers are “covered” with gauze, and the time comes for “hygienic” procedures. Using a sponge, carefully apply a soap solution to the coat. Wet felting implies that the canvas is first exposed to water, and then squeezed out of the material. The latter is carried out with the help of hands and a mat. First, the canvas is squeezed between the palms, and then, laying it on a bamboo mat, gently twist them together. After removing water by this method, the cloth rubs on the washboard to seal the material.
At the very end, the resulting cloth should be rinsed to remove soapy water from it and dried.
Wet felting - flowers made from wool
This type of needlework allows you to create not only objects for the soul, but also quite practical things. For example, you can decorate a hat or coat using wet felting from wool. Let's try to create poppies.
We will need almost the same set that was proposed above with some additions.
So, wool needs the following colors: orange, red, black and green. Rounded petals (three pieces) are laid out from the orange color , so that they overlap with sharp ends. On top we cover a couple of layers of red, which is inferior to the orange layer somewhat in area. Black wool is laid in the same way.
After the drawing is laid out, we use wet felting. Flowers made in this technique are very picturesque, the main thing is to follow all the rules of the instruction. When the workpiece is ready, it needs to be shaped. This is done using special tools or ... children's drumsticks of different sizes.
The flower should be deepened in the middle and wrap the petals. Next, we fix the resulting form. Many needlewomen recommend salvitose solution (one teaspoon in two hundred milliliters of water).
After the petals have been created, roll the ball from green wool, dry it and attach it with a thick thread to the petals. Mac is ready.
Try wet felting. This process will captivate you and your children, but this is a great way to spend rainy evenings, which autumn is so rich in.