How to Use Old Wool Sweaters and Blankets to Make Felt

By recycling old woolen products into new felt the planet's resources are extended just a tiny bit more. This is a great classroom project or rainy day at home distraction. Be sure only to use garments that have passed their sell by dates and are unwanted. The guidelines below are for a wool sweater but any wool garment or wool blanket works to make felt.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wool
• Scissors
• Washing machine
• Soap
• Water
• Dryer
• Lint roller

1. Collect all your old woolen sweaters and wool blankets and check the label. For this process you only want pure wool so ensure the label says just that, before you cut it off with a pair of scissors.

2. Use scissors to cut the sleeves off the sweaters by slicing across by sides of the sleeve at the join to the neck. Cut a straight line down the length of the sleeve tube and flatten out.

3. Separate the body of the sweater into 2 separate pieces by trimming along the collar and down the side seams. Repeat these first three steps with all your wool garments before proceeding to step 4.

4. Wash all wool pieces in extremely hot soapy water before finishing in a cold rinse. This contrast in hot and cold will shrink the sweaters drastically. Be generous with the detergent.

5. Dry all wool pieces in a very hot dryer until completely dry. This process may create a lot of lint in the dryer and you may have to wipe out the excess lose fibers from the dryer's interior at the end of the cycle.

6. Shake off excess fuzz by hand before taking a lint roller to the surface of the wool to remove remaining lint and fibers.

7. Cut the felted wool into squares and sew together to make felt blankets or use in other fabric craft projects. The possibilities are up to you.

[ChristineRenee]

on 3/15/2009 Interesting. I've always cut up the sweaters after felting them. But I think your way makes more sense and would result in flatter pieces of felt.

[ChristineRenee]

on 3/15/2009 Interesting. I've always cut up the sweaters after felting them. But I think your way makes more sense and would result in flatter pieces of felt.