Turning Fleece Into Flowers!
A spot of needle felting to make a unique Christmas gift! (or something just for you to make your friends jealous!)
Posted by Catherine W.
About
I really enjoyed joining the Tullie Textiles group to learn this simple technique with great results!
It's the perfect time of year to have a go at making your own felt sculptures, as you can make anything from a lovely wee flower brooch, a jazzy Christmas tree decoration, or an embellishment for a unique greeting card. It makes the perfect home-crafted gift for someone!
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You Will Need (4 things)
- Unspun Wool
- Barbed Felting Needle
- Small Sponge
- Plasters ( optional !)
Steps (10 steps, 120 minutes)
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1
Firstly select the colours of wool you'd like to use for your flower....
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2
....Then retrieve it from your naughty cat!!
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3
Once you've saved the wool separate a small piece, roll and fold it into a loose ball, inter-twining the wool fibres and forming the circular shape for the centre of your flower.
I'm starting off small, but you can make the balls as big as you like - simply keep adding layers of felt as you go along. -
4
Use the sponge as a cushion and stab the felting needle through the wool. Poke the needle up and down through the wool in a random pattern.
The barbs on the needle will bind the fibres of the wool - I'm sure there's a science behind it - but basically, the more you stab the needle through it, the more solid it becomes!
Keep turning it around to make a nice smooth circle and to stop it getting attached to the sponge. -
5
Use the same technique to make the petals. These can be circular, or a little more oval - it's completely up to you!
The wool is very malleable, and you can coax it into different shapes as you go along.
These can then be 'fused' together into the shape of a flower in the same way by simply stabbing the needle through the bound shapes 'sticking' them together. -
6
....Here's where the plasters come in! - I got a little over-zealous with my 'stabbing', and had to administer some emergency first aid!!
Take care with the needles, as it's easy to get carried away and I've learnt how sharp they are the hard way!
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7
I've used a brooch fastening and a green feather to complete my flower, but you could use it for lots of things - smaller ones could make little earrings, you could use it to embellish a homemade greetings card, or why not jazz up a jumper by simply sewing it on!
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8
Ta-daaa!....sit back with a cuppa and admire your brand new bespoke brooch!
I'm really pleased with my first attempt at needle felting!
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9
Attach it to your favourite jacket....
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10
....and chase off the curious cat again!!