How to Repair Holes in Boiled Wool Garments

You can repair a washed wool garment by needle felting the damaged area.

When you have a wool garment that has been boiled, which is also referred to as "felted," it becomes thick and dense. If a tear, rip or hole appears inside such as garment, it can be difficult to know how to properly repair the garment. Fortunately, by needle felting the garment in a specific way, you can repair the cloth so the damage is imperceptible.

Things You'll Need

• Washed wool garment
• Wool roving
• Felting needle

Instructions

1. Place the boiled-wool garment onto a table.

2. Place wool roving into each hole in the garment. Try to match the color of the roving to the color of the garment exactly.

3. Poke the barbed felting needle into and out of the wool roving and into the garment to compact the wool roving across the hole.

4. Add more wool roving if you notice that the felted section appears thinner than the rest of the garment.

5. Continue to felt the wool into the garment until the desired thickness and density has been achieved.

References

• Frugal Kiwi: How to Repair or Embellish Sweaters with Needle Felting
• Canali Designs: Needle Felting Repair

Resources

• Wool Crafting: Boiled Wool-A Felting Alternative