How to make DIY wool slippers

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Animal wool was one of the first materials that our ancestors learned to use to create clothes and bedding that replaced modern mattresses.

Especially the art of felting, or, as it is scientifically called, felting was developed by the nomads. They resorted to this craft in the manufacture of their dwellings - yurts - and warm shoes. It was from nomadic tribes that our ancestors learned to make felt boots, which were a real salvation in the winter cold.

Today, such ethno-shoes, like other products made of natural wool, are in great fashion, including because of their environmental friendliness.

Of course, it is naive to hope that you can immediately learn how to make felt carpets or elegant felt boots, more reminiscent of boots. But what is stopping you from making slippers from natural wool? Decorated with initials or a funny inscription, they will be an original and exclusive gift for your beloved man, father or grandfather, who will wear them with pleasure and gratitude.

What you need for felting slippers

To make such products, it is enough to have a very simple set of tools at hand, such as scissors and a pencil, as well as:

• water;
• soap;
• film with pimples, like the one used for packaging household appliances;
• oilcloth;
• paper.

Wool slippers: master class

On a sheet of paper you need to draw the outlines of the feet of the person for whom the shoe is intended. To facilitate the task, you can simply circle his old slippers with a pencil. Then proceed as follows:

• draw a dotted line around each piece with a 1cm allowance for shrinkage;
• transfer sketches to oilcloth and cut out;
• gently wrap the resulting parts with felting wool in several layers so that they are not visible (try not to tear the wool off the skein);
• blanks are placed on bubble wrap;
• preparing a fairly saturated soap solution and pouring it into a spray bottle;
• moisten the blanks well and cover with the free edge of the film with bubbles.

The felting time, during which future wool slippers need to be periodically kneaded vigorously with your hands, should be about two hours. After that, the film can be removed. Next, roll them with your hands until the felt begins to move away from the oilcloth patterns inside the workpiece.

Processshoe shaping

When the parts are well knitted, you can start making wool slippers.

To do this, cut out holes for the leg (the size should be slightly smaller than necessary, as it usually increases during the formation of the product). Next, they remove the oilcloth from both slippers and begin to give them the desired shape, constantly wetting their hands in soapy water.

This is a rather time-consuming process that can take about an hour on average. After this period, wool slippers should be washed under running water, squeezed out, cut off excess parts with scissors and put to dry on a radiator.

Edging: what you need to work

Felting slippers from wool (for beginners it is advisable to choose simple models) can be finished after the shoes are thoroughly washed and dried. However, if you want to make homemade slippers that will last long enough, then you should turn them over.

For this you will need:

• brush-mat;
• felt needles (No. 38);
• wool for piping (matching slippers or contrasting tones).

How to edging

To make products last longer, their edges need processing. It is called edging, and to produce it, you need:

• tear off a piece of wool and stretch it a little;
• nail with a needle from the outside of the slipper along the edge of the neckline;
• raise a strip of wool;
• take it over the edge and inside the slipper, nailing and leveling the needle from allsides;
• treat the second slipper in the same way;
• steam both slippers with an iron using a cloth.

The last operation should not be performed if you intend to decorate products with embroidery, as the needle does not penetrate well through heat-treated wool.

Next, you need to sew on soles with heel pads, which will make the slippers more comfortable to wear.

Decoration

To make wool slippers not only warm and comfortable, but also beautiful, they can be decorated. There are many ways to do this. For example, on the front side of the upper part, you can embroider the name of the person for whom slippers were made. Another option is to make an application. To do this, you can sew or stick on pieces of fabric cut in the shape of flowers or leaves, or make parts from wool of a different color by felting. Volumetric jewelry will look especially beautiful.

As for warm children's slippers, which can also be made by felting wool, it is best to stick figures of animals and cartoon characters cut out of fabric on them and sheathe them around the edge with colored threads.

Wool slippers: what you need

When you master the art of felting, you can take on the creation of more serious products. For example, try making slippers from camel hair or pointy shoes in ethnic style. In the latter case, the products will have to be decorated with embroidery, as well as sewn on at the top of the cuffs, knitted from thick yarn of the same shade or color of the future decor.

In addition to unspun wool, you will also need:

• medium thickness laminate or other similar material for making a template;
• water;
• bamboo rug;
• laundry soap;
• mesh;
• needle and knitting needles;
• yarn;
• leather.

How to make turn-toe wool shoes

Work on such a rather complex product begins with the manufacture of a template. To do this:

• circling the leg;
• measure in length;
• multiply by 0.5 (the resulting figure gives an increase that should be taken into account when cutting out the template);
• also calculate the increase for the width;
• cut out a pattern resembling a felt boot, but without a top, with a high heel and a turned-up toe.

Now start laying out. 200 g of wool is used. Lay it out in two layers: one - along, and the second - across.

Then:

• cover the template, hidden on both sides with wool, mesh on top, then pour warm water;
• press her hands, lather and stroke her fingers;
• after 10-15 minutes the grid is removed and processing continues;
• turn the workpiece over and begin to iron it with your hands now on the other side;
• pull out the excess along the contour and make it thinner;
• wrap them on the workpiece and grind again, paying special attention to the spout so that holes do not form on it;
• spread more2 layers of wool on each side and repeat all operations;
• cut both slippers from the heel towards the toe and take out the template;
• tinder product inside and out with hands;
• shape the toe and heel, giving the slipper the desired shape;
• starting to felt the product, rolling it into a roll in different positions.

The last procedure requires special attention and patience, as the quality of slippers depends on it. It is recommended to roll first in all directions 50 times, pressing not too hard, and then 100 times more intensively. At the same time, you should periodically moisten wool slippers with hot water and lather.

At the end of the process of creating indoor shoes, they are put on the lasts. If there are no ready-made ones, you can make such a device from synthetic winterizer, which is wrapped with tape, giving the desired shape.

Cut the edges of the slippers and wipe where needed. Then the products are rinsed in a washing machine and squeezed out (no more than 400 revolutions). After that, the slippers are again put on the blocks and dried. When dry, sew on the leather sole.

On 5 knitting needles, an elastic band is knitted in 40-46 rows. Fold it in half in length and sew to the slippers. Embroidered on the surface of products, including bent socks, ornament with threads in a contrasting color.

If you don't like the shape of the sneaker, then you can make shoes of a more familiar silhouette.

Now you know how to knit wool slippers (the master class is presented above), and you can pleaseyour dear men or children a useful gift.