Felt Beads
Ruth has been wanting to do some felting for some time and yesterday was the day we made it happen. She said she wanted to make something “useful” not just a flat piece of felt, so beads were it.
First you choose the colours you want and gently pull off fine bits of wool.
Make piles of wool about the same size.
Some people do this more neatly than others!
Then you need to make a neat ball with out any rough edges (these become deep crevices if you leave them). this is easier said than done.
Then you dip them in warm soapy water (I made mine too soapy at first and it turned into a thick gloop as it cooled down). Get them really wet and then ring them out a fair bit. Next roll them around in your hands just like making playdough balls when you were small. They shrink a lot at this stage but not as much as I thought!
Then I added on some patterns with needle felting (still got Sam’s needles – whoops). Yes I did prick my finger – I do every-time I try needle felting!
Then You’ve got some lovely felt balls.
Unfortunately they didn’t shrink as much as I had remembered so Ruth now has giant beads. Not sure quite how useful that is going to be for her.
