Instructions for wet felting a wool ball...with a bit of needle felting.

Basic supplies:
*felting needle(s). 
*foam pad.  I use chair pads from joanns. This pad is your work surface, a place for the needle to land.  If the needle goes all the way through your project (and it will) you don't want to have your needle tip hitting a hard surface.  The needle(s) will ruin the surface and the needle tips can break. *** This supply is required if using needles.
* wool.  batting/roving.
*section of of lycra nylon/tights

Basic safety.
*keep your work on the foam.  Don't get in the habit of picking up the project with one hand while needle felting with the other.   You're sure to stab yourself. 
*listen to tv but do not watch tv while you felt.  You may *think* you  have great depth perception and spatial awareness, even while looking away...you don't.  You will learn this after felting a thumb to your project.
*do not share needles.
 

Simple Combo (needle and wet) ball.

#1 Take a chunk of wool batting and pull it into 2 pieces
#2 make one piece a ball(base) and leave the other piece flat

#3 place the ball onto the flat wool batt

#4 Draw up the the flat piece like a pouch around the base and needle felt into a ball.  ***the barbs on the needle force the fibers to join together. ie felt.

#5 (optional only if you're wet felting) place ball into a section of lycra tights.  You can use pantyhose but the lycra gives up the wool easier.  Once tied up at both ends, send it through the washer. For a front loader, I've experienced good felting at warm.  For a top loader, I prefer hot on high aggitation.  Remember, once you felt you can't go back.  You can get a harder felt, but not a softer one.  So you may want to experiment with settings to get your desired felt density.

#6 Remove felted base from stocking and place on a  smooth out section of roving.  Roll the base up in the roving.

#7 felt into the shape of a ball again.

#8  Start adding your decoration.  I recommend using LIKE FIBERS if you're wet felting.  Don't mix batting and roving here.  Personally, I don't even mix breeds.  I've found you get a cleaner felt if you don't cross breed. lol

sailboat and tree

#9 Place back into the tights and send through the washer again.

#10 wet ball fresh from the washer...set on top of the dryer to dry.

More examples of the same process....

Comments

[Beth Workman]

Thanks for the lovely tutorial! Your work is so beautiful. How do you get the "egg" to fit so perfectly inside the "shell" on the second to last photo? It's a great trick!