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The dyed
Merino Wool tops are easily felted
and here we show how simple it is for a beginner to learn the
technique of making felt balls. Crafting your own baubles
adds a personal touch to the decorations on your Christmas
tree.
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Use a rolled up ball of cling film as the core for your ball
so that the bauble is not too heavy on the Christmas tree. |
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Pull wisps of the wool fibre from the roving and wrap
lightly around the cling film ball. |
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Wrap wisps of another colour over the first layer. |
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There are a number of techniques for starting the ball off.
A drop of washing up liquid and wetted hands works well. Slowly
and carefully
roll the prepared ball in the palms adding water to make the
ball slippery and smooth. Stop to reposition fibres that
have slipped off the cling film core or add more fibre to cover
gaps. Increase the pressure as the fibres begin to felt. |
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The baubles do not need to be round. For
this bauble (picture right) the cling film
core was elongated before covering with fibre. In this image the fulling process has started. This means that the fibres
have felted and are beginning to compact together.
Holding the object under hot running water while continuing to
roll it will help with this process. |
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The ball will be solid and not pull apart when
fully felted. Rinse out the soap, squeeze out excess water
and dry on a radiator. Using a needle and thread, stitch
into the felt to attach a hanger, here thread was used but
ribbon can be sewn on to make the bauble more special.
Use different coloured wool tops to match the theme of your
Christmas tree or experiment with shapes. Sew bells, buttons or sequins onto the surface
or embellish with stitch. |