How does felting of flowers occur? Is it possible for beginners to master the technology? Felting is a process in which the fibers of natural wool are mixed and fused with each other, creating a dense smooth or embossed surface. The result is a material called felt. One of its varieties is felt, which resembles soft woolen fabric, but it is a very densely connected to each other fibers of natural wool of various animals - alpacas, sheep, most often merino. Felting from the last type of wool is common in needlework, because it is soft and easy to process.
Variety of knitted wool products
A variety of decorative and warm products are created from the felt obtained in this way. The most famous of them in Russia are felt boots, which do not lose popularity even today. But in this way not only shoes are created. Felting flowers made of wool, as well as toys, dolls and various ornaments is a common pastime among many lovers of creating unusual gizmos with their own hands. You can turn individual villi into an original craft in three different ways. The first of them is dry felting of flowers with the help of special needles. It is often used to create studied crafts.
Features of dry felting from wool
Watching the work of needlewomen quickly and seemingly randomly making holes in the blanks with this tool, it may seem that you need some special skills. A story about the process often turns out to be very incomprehensible, because a lot of experience begins to happen on the machine. The master feels where to further respect the product, when it is time to change the needle, what additional tools to use. All this comes with experience.
There are many workshops on felting dry flowers on the Internet. But sometimes the story of how to make one or another craft sounds much more complicated than it really is. If you do not rush and act carefully, the process of making the crafts will seem very pleasant and will give nice results. In the wet method, ordinary soap diluted in warm water is used to bind the fibers, while dry soap is an alternative.
The first experience of dry felting
Getting started with this technique is recommended with simple products such as flowers. With just a few basic tools and simple instructions, even beginners can create delicious, delicate felt buds. And use them as jewelry for hair or clothing. Dry felting of flowers does not require a large number of various needles and a lot of time. And the result is indistinguishable from professional work.
How to use felting tools
Felting with needles requires first and foremost accuracy. A brittle tool breaks quickly when used improperly. In order to avoid this, it is important to keep the needle strictly perpendicular to the plane. At the initial stage, it is better not to rush. For dry felting of flowers, different tools and even different types of wool are used. But basically it all comes down to turning the wool into a three-dimensional craft using special thin and thick needles with different sections. When they pierce the wool, the fibers are mixed. As a result, they are bonded to each other, creating a durable material that retains the shape that it was given in the process.
For dry felting of flowers you will need a special needle, not for tapestry and not for sewing. As a working surface, a sponge for washing a car or a brush is suitable. The needle felting technique varies depending on what you are doing. After you start experimenting and master it, you will understand how to stick a needle for felting in wool to get various effects. Usually used tools of different thicknesses. Large needles are suitable for initial respecting of the product, rough processing. From them remain wide openings visible to the naked eye. As the wool is respected, the diameter of the needles is reduced. And very thin are used to study the details.
Wet felting of flowers made of wool. Nuances
In felting, it is not necessary to use needles, which can be injured if handled carelessly. In addition, this option is not suitable for activities with a child, and many mother-needlewomen prefer to learn new techniques with their children. Wet method seems easier, and it is clearly safer, because the main tool that is used here is hands moistened with soap and water. With palms you need to smooth the wool and dump it, giving shape. There are no sharp objects or complicated instructions for felting flowers in this way. Therefore, it is preferred by all novice masters.
Felting technique in the washing machine
The wet creation mechanism of felt is quite simple: the wool becomes dense when it is exposed to moisture, heat and pressure. Hot soapy water makes it slippery and makes the flakes of fiber “open”. Another option is wet felting in the washing machine. To do this, use a knitted product or wool, placed inside a special shape. To protect the machine from clogging, you need a laundry bag. Felting occurs due to vibration of the drum, so usually several more products are added to the product to strengthen it. But a master class of felting flowers is best done in the usual way. It is important to remember that in this case the initial size of the product may be halved.
Special tools for wet felting
Felting with needles imitates a wet process, but instead of mixing the wet material, a similar process occurs with a very sharp needle. Therefore, creating shoes or clothes, a pattern is made, focusing on the percentage of shrinkage, which differs for different types of material. For complex shapes and products where a very dense felt is needed, additional tools are used: rolling pins of different sizes, ruble - a wooden block with teeth, a goat - a wide block with planks nailed to it, and more. Professionals use them to speed up work, which can take several days. But for felting flowers made of wool, a master class on which will be lower, such devices are not needed. Consider the work process in more detail. It is very interesting!
Felting flower
For a simple bud, for example, chamomile or poppy, you need 3 needles of different sizes. But for the first experiment, it is advisable to acquire more, as long as the hand is full, they can break. The set of felting wool colors should be selected depending on the product. For example, for chamomile you will need three: white, yellow and green for the stem. Additionally, in order not to injure your hands, it is advisable to purchase special thimbles, as well as a felting sponge or brush. Then, plucking the same pieces of wool from the tape, form the petals. Each of them is processed separately. The petal must be placed on the sponge and, holding the widest needle available, pierce the hair vertically many times. Gradually, the wool begins to harden and decrease in size. When the needle stops entering the product, it must be replaced with a thinner one.
The remaining petals and the middle, as well as the leaves, are processed in the same way. When all the parts are ready, they are connected to each other using needles. The main thing in felting is patience and perseverance. The more times a needle enters the wool, the denser the product, and its surface becomes smoother. Therefore, you will have to work with the needle very actively, you should prepare for this. And do not worry too much if the needles break. This happens with professionals, but at the initial stage, the number of broken needles is directly proportional to the experience gained.
Wet felting and its features
For the wet method, you will need a soap solution, a mosquito net and a flat surface. Usually it is this option that needlewomen choose for felting flowers. But he will also need patience, because the process of respect is not fast. For the wet method, a layout is used - the distribution of wool on the surface. The flowers are usually round, because it is performed around the circumference. The wool is distributed evenly so that the petals are the same. Then the surface is wetted, and after a few minutes, when the material is saturated, the process of felting begins.
The blank is covered with a mosquito net, the hands are moistened in soapy water and begin to smooth the hair, moving from the center to the edges. Sometimes the product is turned over, and they try not to press hard so that it does not lean against the grid. When the coat becomes dense enough, respect is continued without soap. After that, the flower is rinsed in clean water, give it the desired shape and left to dry.
Wet and dry felting is an interesting way to create unusual jewelry for hair, brooches and clothes. Try both and choose the one you like best.