Felt Valentine
February is one of those months that need a little special attention. Here’s a quick project to make your sweeties felt valentines. It’s simple and fun.
Stuffing wool
Merino top-color of your choice. Outback Fibers is a great source for wool and supplies. http://www.outbackfibers.com
Felting needle
Liquid dish soap
Sandwich-size plastic “zipper” bag
Assorted beads, buttons and ribbons for embellishing
Old, clean towel
White vinegar (tbsp. for rinse water)
Place the folded towel on a firm surface to make a workspace.
Using the stuffing wool, create a firmly needle-felted heart shape.
Wrap and lightly needle three layers of merino wool top around the heart shape
You’ll need
a container large enough to immerse your heart in hot soapy water. (I use a squirt of Ivory liquid dish
soap.) Remove the heart from the bag and
continue to massage the heart using the palms of your hands to rub the felt
surface until the fibers are firmly meshed. Rinse well
under warm running water. Place
the heart in a vinegar bath for 5 to 10 mins. (1 tbsp vinegar to 1 quart of warm water.) This brings the pH of the wool back to
normal and neutralizes any soap residue.
Dip the
heart into the hot soapy water and put it in a zipper bag.
Begin gently
massaging the heart until it reaches a soft felt stage. Pinch the fabric and pull
up. If the fibers come up, you
need to continue massaging until the fibers have securely meshed.
Wrap the heart in a clean towel to dry. Press firmly to remove excess water. The heart can also be placed in a standard oven at 225F for about an hour to speed drying.
Embellish to your heart's content.
Cheers,
Deborah
