Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Felted Flower Tutorial




Choose your wool.

Layout the inside color of the flower.

Layout in circle pattern.

Continue until you feel the layers are even.  Don't go too thick or your flower will not be as flexible for shaping.

Choose a length of wool for your stem. Mine was about 14 inches long.

Place stem onto back of flower.








I use tulle to cover my wool before wetting it.  I kept the stem away from the flower, only the end was on the flower.







Wetting the wool.  I used hot water with a bit of hand soap.








Wrap stem separately from the flower before rolling.








Roll, roll, roll.....








Rinse soap, and roll in your hands.  Open the flower, close the flower and continue to roll.  Continue this until the flower fibers stiffen.  Also roll the stem during this time.









Sometimes I need to trim the top of my flower to help shape it.  After I cut, I will repeat the previous step.










Finally shape flower and let dry.
For the center, I needle felt a ball, that I then needle felt into the center of my flower when it is dry.








Another variation to this project is to wet felt floral wire inside the stem.  It works well to allow the flower to stand up in a vase.  Hope this tutorial helps! :)

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for this tutorial - it's great! Love the way you do the stem! I will definately have a go at making a flower or two when I get chance. I'll let you know how it goes! Thanks again!

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  2. Thank you SO much for posting this - such clear photos too - I so want to try these - I like the idea of using wire to stiffen the stems but wondered how hard it would be to wrap the wool round evenly - I guess the only way to find out is to try. Yours look lovely though and what an endless scope for colour combinations there are, I'll hope to have a go over the summer. xx

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  3. Thanks! I am such a visual person that I really had to force myself to add words...:) I have done one with wire and found if I placed the wire inside a thick piece of roving and then twisted tight before I added soap and water it stayed put. Once it started to felt I continued to roll it like a clay rope.

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  4. Kelly--This is fantastic!! Your flowers are really spectacular, and the tutorial is very clear. I've never done well when I've tried to make flowers, so you've inspired me to make another attempt soon!! Hugs--

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  5. oh so nice details and pictures,
    thank you and greatings
    from Anna

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  6. Very clear visual tutorial, Kelly. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Love this tutorial! Is it possible to add the stem after the flower is felted? Thanks so much!

    Louise at Scarf It Up!

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  8. Hi Louise,
    Yes, you can wet felt the flower first then wet felt the stem. I would keep a small section of the end of the stem dry so that you can needle felt it onto the flower after the flower has dried.
    Thanks for stopping by!
    Kelly

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