How to Make Felted Fringe

Create fringe before felting the wool.

Felting is a process of condensing and matting woolen fibers, and can add a dense and textured finish to the material. Those working with woolen materials may want to add fringe to a piece of cloth they plan to felt. For the best results, the fringing process should be done before the felting. Add fringe to any woolen design -- including a scarf, tablecloth or pot holder -- to create a one-of-a-kind look.

Things You'll Need

• Woolen material
• Measuring tape
• Chalk
• Scissors
• Washing machine
• Laundry soap
• Dryer

Instructions

1. Measure how long you want the fringe to be on the fabric. Remember that wool materials will shrink during felting, so measure these fringe lines about an inch or two longer than desired. Also, add another inch to this measurement to account for knots. Use chalk to mark the fringe lines on the material.

2. Cut along the marked chalk lines on the material using scissors.

3. Tie a basic knot at the top of each fringe piece. This knot should be made right where the fringe piece meets the unfringed part of the material. Make a knot at the top of each fringe piece.

4. Pick up one piece of the fringe in your hand. Move it between your fingers to twist the material to the right. Keep twisting the material together in one direction until it kinks in place. Repeat the process on each fringe piece, keeping the fringe material together and preventing the strips from blending and matting together during the felting process.

5. Adjust your washing machine to run a cycle with a hot-water wash and cold-water rinse. Set the machine to fill with enough water that it will allows free movement of the material you wish to felt, but not so much that the material will float to the surface. Place laundry soap in the washing machine with the material to be felted. Turn on the washing machine and let it run through the cycles.

6. Place the wet material in a dryer. Turn the machine to a hot heat setting. Turn on the dryer and allow the material to tumble in the heat until it's dry. This will further tighten the felting texture of the material.

7. Remove the material from the dryer. Use your fingers to separate any fringe pieces that may have gotten tangled. To further define the fringe, rub each piece back and forth between your hands.

Tips & Warnings

• If the desired amount of felting was not achieved, repeat the washing and drying.

References

• All Fiber Arts: How to Make a Twisted Fringe
• Mother Earth News; Recycle Old Sweaters: Learn How to Felt Wool; Crispina Ffrench; December 2010