Wet Felting

Wet Felting means that you are working from the fiber (most often wool) to make a felted fabric or product using soap and water. Choose from our wide selection of wet felting materials, tools and supplies.

Wet felting can be a fun alternative to needle felting. There are no needles or sharp objects involved, making this a child friendly activity as well! Wet felting is the process of using water and soap to join fibers (most often wool) together. Plant and synthetic fibers typically don’t felt well, so it’s important to use fibers like wool or alpaca.

You might be wondering what you can make with wet felted material and the answer is whatever your imagination can come up with! Some common things that can be made with felt are hats, rugs, tapestries, bags and purses, scarves, and coasters. The possibilities are truly endless.

Check out this ultimate beginner wet felting kit that has everything you need to get started on your wet felting journey. When you’ve gotten comfortable with the process, The Woolery offers a decorative kit that utilizes wet felting techniques to create adorable acorns!

Wet Felting Step by Step

First, separate the fiber into smaller pieces to have more control with how you work with it. You’ll want to lay the fibers in even rows on a sheet of bubble wrap, making sure that the rows slightly overlap and all face the same direction.
Next, you’ll add another layer, this time in the opposite direction. Depending on the desired thickness, you can keep layering fiber or begin the felting process.
After covering your layered fibers with mesh fabric, you’ll spray them with hot, soapy water. We offer Ball Brauses for this purpose! Once the fibers are saturated, gently rub your hands across the top of the fibers, but be careful not to felt the mesh to the wool.
Once the wool stays in place and doesn’t stick to the mesh, you can begin rolling. If the material isn’t sticking to the mesh after rolling, pinch the fabric to test if the fibers are felting together enough. To do this, just pinch the felt up. If it comes up as individual fibers, keep rolling, but if it pinches as one solid piece you can start the fulling process.
Fulling your felted wool involves agitated the fabric to shrink it down to your desired size. You can do this with your hands or a roller like this one. Once the felt is the size you’d like, rinse it under hot and cold water to shock the fibers. Make sure that there’s no soap residue left before you soak the felt in water with a bit of vinegar.
The last step is to squeeze the vinegar-water out without rinsing and lay flat to dry. Once the felt is completely dry, you can use it to make whatever you’d like! Check out Uniquely Felt or Making Felt Hats for ideas!

If you don't find exactly what you want, or would like a wet felting product recommendation, please call the shop directly at 800-441-9665 or contact us for assistance.