Dry Felting

I actually enjoy this felting better than the wet felting. It's the process of taking the roving and applying it to something else or making a solid object using a roving needle. A roving needle s like a sewing needle. It has little burs/hooks on the sides of the sharp end that helps attach the roving. I'm actually doing this to my backpack for a project in one of my art classes. It's really pretty cool how easy it is!

What to Get:
Roving needle
Roving

How-To:
1. One and only step! Take a little bit of the roving you want and whatever you want to apply it to (or nothing at all), and literally stab it with the needle.
**the burs help to push the fibers down and back up through the material. It helps to have something underneath to stab into like a balled up socks or a yarn ball so you don't stab yourself**

This is a felting needle. It helps to compress the fibers.
http://www.feltalive.com/links.htm

Felt picture!
http://calamitykim.typepad.com/calamity_kim/spinning-with-a-lendrum-wheel/

Semi creepy felted face (example of felting a solid form)!
http://feltalive.com/

Wet Felting

This isn't so much my favorite technique, but is something very versatile. It's pretty much the process of taking roving (wool fibers) and making felt through a process of applying pressure, friction, and water. The only two styles of wet felting I know how to make are flat felt pieces and little felt balls. They can be applied to any number of projects; both be usable or just to look pretty. And it's fairly inexpensive!

What to Get:

Roving (many colors available)

Plastic table cloth or garbage bag

Bubble wrap

Small container of soapy water

How-To (flat piece):

1. Start by picking your color(s) of roving and decide how large you want your piece of felt.

2. Cut and arrange each layer evenly, horizontally and vertically for every other layer to ensure that the felt doesn't just fall apart

**You will need at least 4 layers, but 6 to 8 are preferred to make a nice sturdy piece of felt**

3. With the the roving laying on either a table cloth or a garbage bag, lightly drizzle the water over it.

4. Take the bubble wrap and brush the roving in the direction that the layer in laying.

**if you go opposite the fibers, you will pretty much just destroy the layer**

5. Be sure to brush both sides evenly. The piece will be done when you can poke/push your finger into the roving and the fibers don't separate.

6. Last step! When everything is fully attached to each other, take the piece of felt, wash it out to make sure you get all the soap out, and hang it to dry. When it's all done, you can cut it and use it however you want!

https://freshsimplejoy.wordpress.com/tag/decor/

How-To (felt balls):

1. Pick the colors of roving you want and decide how big or small you want your felt balls.

2. Separate little amounts of fibers at a time from the big ball of roving

3. Dip it into your container of soapy water and roll the roving between your hands. 

**the friction and pressure will cause the fibers to knot up and create a perfect ball**

4. Last step! Let dry and attach to the flat pieces or felt you've made or to whatever else you want to add cute little accents! Great for kids stuff!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/65757934/wholesale-100-count-20mm-felted-balls-by