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People have been turning wool into felt for hats,
clothes, and many other things since ancient times.
Now you can practice this ancient art. Making
felt is easy to do. All you need is some wool, water,
and dishwashing soap. Then the fun begins as you
roll the wool around in your hands and watch it
transform into a ball that can be used as a toy or an
ornament.
Follow the instructions on this page to make
your own felt balls.
Materials and Preparation
• Felting wool (pre washed and carded—can be
found at your local craft supply store)
• Liquid dishwashing detergent (choose a brand
without scents and dyes)
• One-quart pitcher
• Measuring cup and spoon
• (Optional) Decorative accessories such as ribbons,
beads, buttons, or straight pins
• (Optional) Thick rubber dishwashing gloves
Note: This activity involves hot water. You should be
especially careful not to burn yourself. You may want to
use thick rubber dishwashing gloves for this reason.
Instructions
Step 1: Making the Basic Felt Ball
1. Beginning with a small wad of wool, wrap lengths
of wool tightly around it. Keep adding layers
until your ball is twice the size you want it to be.
2. Pour 6 cups of hot water into the pitcher, and
add 4 tablespoons of dishwashing detergent.
3. Dunk the ball in the hot soapy water and
then gently roll it from hand to hand without
squeezing. Keep doing this for about 10
minutes, dipping the ball in the hot water
when it cools. The wool will initially be a wet
mess, but the ball will soon begin to harden.
5 Taking Action!
Making Felt Balls
Step 2: Adding Designs to Your Ball
1. If you wish, you can now add designs such as
stripes or dots. To make stripes, work wool
strips of a different color into the ball with
your fingertips. To make dots, wind some wool
of a different color into a small circle, dip it
into the soapy water, and work in onto the ball
with your fingertips.
2. After adding the designs, roll the ball in your
palms, dipping it into the hot soapy water if it
cools.
3. Once the ball has reached the desired size,
rinse it with cool water.
4. Let the ball dry completely.
Step 3: Turning Your Ball into Art
1. One way to turn your ball into an ornament
is by using a decorative straight pin to tack a
ribbon to it. Make the ribbon into a loop for
hanging the ball.
2. Another option is to glue together three
balls of different sizes to create a snowman.
Decorate your snowman with beads or buttons
for the eyes.
© FACING THE FUTURE www.facingthefuture.org & SNOW LEOPARD TRUST www.snowleopard.org
KATHRYN BARNARD