Felting flowers: master class

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:35

How is the felting of flowers? Is it possible for beginners to master the technology? Felting is a process in which natural wool fibers are mixed and fused together to create a dense, smooth or embossed surface. The result is a material called felt. One of its varieties - felt, resembles a soft woolen fabric, but is a very densely connected fibers of natural wool of various animals - alpaca, sheep, most often merino. In needlework, felting from the latter type of wool is common, because it is soft and easy to work with.

Variety of felted wool products

From the felt obtained in this way, a variety of decorative and warm products are created. The most famous of them in Russia are felt boots, which do not lose popularity today. But not only shoes are created in this way. Felting flowers from wool, as well as toys, dolls and variousjewelry is a common pastime among many lovers of creating unusual gizmos with their own hands. There are three different ways to turn individual villi into an original craft. The first of them is dry felting of flowers with the help of special needles. It is often used to create study crafts.

Features of dry felting wool

Watching the work of needlewomen, quickly and seemingly chaotically making holes in blanks with this tool, it may seem that some special skills are needed. And the story about the process often turns out to be very incomprehensible, because with experience a lot begins to happen automatically. The master feels where the product should be additionally felt, when it is time to change the needle, what additional tools to use. All this comes with experience.

You can find many workshops on dry felting flowers on the Internet. But sometimes the story of how to make this or that craft sounds much more complicated than it actually is. If you take your time and act carefully, the process of making crafts will seem very pleasant and give nice results. The wet method uses ordinary soap diluted in warm water to bind the fibers, while the dry method is an alternative.

First dry felting experience

It is recommended to start acquaintance with this technique with simple products, such as flowers. With just a few basic tools and simple instructions, even beginners can createdelightful tender buds made of felt. And use them as decorations for hair or clothes. Dry felting flowers does not require a large variety of needles and a lot of time. And the result is indistinguishable from professional work.

How to use needle felting tools

Felting with needles requires first of all accuracy. A fragile tool breaks quickly if not used properly. In order to avoid this, it is important to keep the needle strictly perpendicular to the plane. At the initial stage, it is better not to rush. For dry felting flowers, different tools and even different types of wool are used. But basically it all comes down to turning wool into a three-dimensional craft using special thin and thick needles with different sections. When wool is pierced with them, the fibers are mixed. As a result, they are fastened together, creating a durable material that retains the shape it was given in the process.

For dry felting flowers you will need a special needle, not for tapestry and not for sewing. A sponge for washing a car or a brush is suitable as a working surface. Needle felting techniques vary depending on what you are doing. Once you start experimenting and get the hang of it, you'll figure out how to stick a felting needle into wool to get different effects. Typically, instruments of different thicknesses are used. Large needles are suitable for the initial felting of the product, roughprocessing. They leave wide holes visible to the naked eye. As the wool is felted, the diameter of the needles is reduced. And very thin ones are used to work out details.

Wet felting flowers from wool. Nuances

In felting, it is not necessary to use needles, with careless handling of which it is easy to get hurt. In addition, this option is not suitable for classes with a child, and many needlewomen mothers prefer to learn new techniques with their children. The wet method seems easier, and it is clearly safer, because the main tool that is used here is hands dipped in soapy water. With palms, you need to smooth the wool and dump it, giving it a shape. There are no sharp objects and complicated instructions for felting flowers in this way. Therefore, it is preferred by all novice masters.

Washing machine felting technique

The mechanism for creating wet felt is quite simple: wool becomes dense when it is exposed to moisture, heat and pressure. Hot soapy water makes it slippery and causes the fiber flakes to "open up". Another option is wet felting in the washing machine. For this, a knitted product or wool is used, placed inside a special form. To protect the machine from clogging, you need a laundry bag. Felting occurs due to the vibrations of the drum, therefore, usually a few more products are added to the product in order to strengthen it. But a flower felting master class is best done in the usual way. It is important to remember that this may reduce the original size of the product by half.

Special tools for wet felting

Felting with needles mimics the wet process, but instead of agitating the wet material, a similar process is done with a very sharp needle. Therefore, when creating shoes or clothes, a pattern is made, focusing on the percentage of shrinkage, which differs for different types of material. For complex shapes and products, where very dense felt is needed, additional tools are used: rolling pins of different sizes, rubel - a wooden bar with teeth, a goat - a wide bar with planks nailed to it, and more. Professionals use them to speed up work that can take several days. But for felting flowers from wool, a master class on which will be lower, such devices are not needed. Let's consider the work process in more detail. This is very exciting!

Flower by dry felting

For a simple bud, such as chamomile or poppy, you will need 3 needles of different sizes. But for the first experience, it is advisable to purchase more, since while the hand is stuffed, they can break. A set of wool colors for felting should be selected depending on the product. For example, for a chamomile, you need three: white, yellow and green for the stem. Additionally, in order not to injure your hands, it is advisable to purchase special thimbles, as well as a felting sponge or brush. Then, pinching off identical pieces of wool from the ribbon, form the petals. Each of them is processed separately. The petal must be placed on the sponge and, holding the widest needle availablevertically pierce the hairs many times. Gradually, the wool will begin to thicken and decrease in size. When the needle stops entering the product, it must be replaced with a thinner one.

The rest of the petals and the middle, as well as the leaves, are processed in the same way. When all parts are ready, they are connected to each other with needles. The main thing in dry felting is patience and perseverance. The more times the needle enters the wool, the denser the product, and its surface becomes smoother. Therefore, you will have to work very actively with a needle, you should prepare for this. And do not worry too much if the needles break. This happens to professionals, and at the initial stage, the number of broken needles is directly proportional to the experience gained.

Wet felting and its features

For the wet method, you will need a soapy solution, a mosquito net and a flat surface. Usually this option is chosen by needlewomen for felting flowers. But it will also require patience, because the process of waving is not fast. For the wet method, the layout is used - the distribution of wool over the surface. Flowers are usually round, so it is made in a circle. The wool is distributed evenly so that the petals are the same. Then the surface is wetted, and after a few minutes, when the material is saturated, the felting process begins.

The workpiece is covered with a mosquito net, hands are moistened in soapy water and begin to smooth the hairs, moving from the center to the edges. Sometimes the product is turned over,and try not to press hard so that it does not stick to the grid. When the wool becomes dense enough, wading is continued without soap. After that, the flower is rinsed in clean water, given the desired shape and left to dry.

Wet and dry felting is a fun way to create unusual decorations for hair, brooches and clothes. Try both and choose the one you like best.