What is Felting? An Introduction to Fibre Art

Felting is an ancient craft that’s captivated enthusiasts for thousands of years with its low-tech practicality and boundless creative potential.

Most of us used felt as kids, sticking coloured circles, squares, triangles and stars onto coloured paper at nursery and bringing it home to be stuck on the fridge, but exactly what is felted wool?

In a nutshell, it’s a textile created by matting and compressing wool fibres together until they form a dense, sturdy material. This process can be done using moisture, heat, and friction, or by using needles in the case of needle felting. The resulting felted wool is thick, warm, and durable, making it ideal for a variety of uses, from clothing and accessories to home decor and craft projects, and even the famous Mongolian yurts!

This felting guide will give you everything you need to know, including what to make from felt, and the answer to the question on everyone’s lips – what is needle felting?

It may be incredible to believe, but felted wool is one of the world’s oldest types of fabric, and may even predate the practice of weaving. One story about the origin of felting goes that people would pack their sandals with wool on long walks to prevent blisters, and at the end of the walk, the movement of walking and sweat from their feet effectively produced woollen felt socks!

The history of felting itself dates back thousands of years, with evidence suggesting it was one of the first textile techniques used by humans. Archaeological findings indicate that felt was used as early as 6500 BC in places like Mongolia and Siberia in Central Asia, where it played a crucial role in daily life, providing warmth and protection in the form of clothing, rugs, and shelter. It was also used in Europe and the Middle East. Indeed felting is still practised today by nomadic tribes in Central Asia, as well as in colder climates like Scandinavia, in much the same way as it was thousands of years ago.

Over the centuries, richly-coloured dyes were added to make beautifully decorated works of art and intricately patterned rugs that told stories of their cultures and traditions.

The answer to the question ‘what to make from felt’ has barely changed for centuries, but in recent years the craft has gained significant popularity, especially through social media.

So what is felting exactly? Well, there are in fact a number of different answers. There are three main types – wet felting, carrotting, and needle felting. We’ll answer the question ‘what is needle felting’ in a little more detail, but here’s a quick description of the first two:

Wet Felting

Wet felting is a technique whereby wool fibres are transformed into felt through the application of water, heat, soap, and friction. The combination of moisture and agitation causes the wool fibres to weave together and shrink, creating a dense, sturdy fabric. Wet felting is often used to create flat pieces of felt or larger three-dimensional objects like bags, hats, and decorative items.

Carrotting

This has nothing to do with vegetables! It’s a historical process used for around three hundred years from the mid-seventeenth century in the preparation of fur, particularly for making felt in hat-making. In this process, animal pelts were treated with a solution of mercuric nitrate, which gave the thin fur around the edges an orange hue when it dried, hence the name ‘carroting.’ The chemical treatment made the fibres easier to mat together, however, due to its harmful effects on workers’ health, this practice has been abandoned.

Emerging as recently as the 1980s, needle felting is a craft technique that involves using a special barbed needle to sculpt wool fibres into various shapes and forms. As you repeatedly poke the wool with the needle, the fibres interlock and compact, allowing you to create anything from simple designs to intricate three-dimensional figures.

No felting guide is complete with a list of the tools required for needle felting, and the best bit is that there’s only a few things you need to get started:

Wool

Often known as wool roving or batting, this is the unspun wool you need for your needle felting project. It’s soft and easy to shape into different forms.

Felting Needles

These are special barbed needles that catch and tangle wool fibres as you poke them. They come in various sizes and shapes depending on the level of detail required.

Cushion

A foam pad or specialised felting mat is used as a work surface to protect your needles (as well as the table, and your legs and hands!) while providing a soft base for shaping the wool.

Finger Protectors

These are optional, but they’ll help to prevent you pricking your fingers while working, especially during detailed or intricate projects.

When considering what to make from felt there’s a host of different ideas, options and styles to choose from. You can make many things using the craft of felting, including clothes, rugs, placemats, coasters, jewellery, wall art, and cute figures of animals, people, fruit or vegetables.

What makes felting such a fun and engaging craft is that it’s relatively inexpensive, it’s accessible to all, and it offers endless possibilities. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or an absolute beginner, felting allows you to explore your creativity.

In the world of fibre art, felting stands out not only for its history and versatility. Whether you’re looking to create something practical, like a pair of cosy slippers, or something purely artistic, like a wall hanging, felting offers a great way to connect with tradition while expressing your unique creative vision.