How to Make Felt From Wool Fabric

When you think of felt, you may think of the flimsy, frayable polyester mainstay of kindergarten craft projects everywhere. But this synthetic imitation felt is a poor imitation of felted wool. Wool felts have been used for all sorts of projects--from waterproof coats to briefcase linings to poodle skirts from the 1950s. And with modern washing machines, it's quite simple to turn pieces of wool into versatile wool felt.

Things You'll Need

• Top-loading washer
• Detergent that is safe for wool (such as Woolite)
• Pieces of wool cloth to felt
• Clean towel

Instructions

1. 

   Many traditional tartans are made of 100 percent wool, and retain their design when you felt them.

   Choose the fabric you want to felt. It should be roughly twice the size of the finished size you're aiming for. So for example, if you want a 3-inch square of felt, you'll need a 6-inch square of wool. Be sure you're using 100 percent wool, and not a blend; a wool-polyester mix won't felt as easily, and might not felt at all. If you're using old woolen clothing, tear out the seams before felting--the thread usually isn't woolen, and therefore won't felt. This can lead to misshapen results or tearing.

2. Set the washing machine to hot wash and cold rinse.

3. Add the wool pieces and the detergent to the washing machine, and start the cycle.

4. Check on your piece of wool periodically, at least the first couple times you try this, to be sure it's not shrinking more than you desire.

5. When both the wash and rinse cycles have finished, remove the felt from the washing machine. Do not put it in the dryer. Lay a clean towel on top of your washer, or in some other waterproof and well-ventilated place. Place the felt on top of the towel and let air-dry.

Tips & Warnings

• This procedure can also work on knitted and crocheted items, if they are made of 100 percent wool yarn. When planning to felt knitted and crocheted items, use a larger-gauge needle than usual, to compensate for shrinkage.

• The purpose of the cold wash is to stop the shrinking process; if you put it in the heat of the dryer, it will begin to shrink again.

• To clean your felted item after felting it, you can wash it in a cold wash/cold rinse, with the agitator on the gentle setting. Let it air-dry afterward.

References

• Woolcrafting: Learn How to Felt Wool using your Washing Machine!