Basics

• Felt can be be purchased quite inexpensively. You can also create your own felt from knitted or woven wool fabric through a process of agitation, hot water and soap. This is usually accomplished by putting a wool sweater into a washing machine and laying it flat to dry. This process, also called machine fulling, only works on 100 percent wool. While purchased felt is limited to the colors found at the store, felt created from wool garments can be made from any color wool on hand. Wool can also be dyed and fulled to get the desired color.
  
  

Felt as Fabric

• Pieces of felt can be used like fabric. You can cut to to any desired shape or pattern and sew felt pieces together. At the fabric store, felt is available in small squares or on large bolts. Purchase from the bolt when you need felt for larger projects such as book covers, slippers, shoulder bags, pillows and lampshades. In "Simply Felt," by Margaret Docherty and Jayne Emerson, the authors combine larger pieces of felt with embellishment to create items for around the house. Felt pieces can also be used to create toys and stuffed animals.
  Hand sewing is recommended for small pieces while larger projects can be sewn on a sewing machine. Choose the correct needle for the thickness of the felt as thicker pieces probably need heavy-duty needles.
  Find felt patterns in general craft books or in books specifically geared to using felt.
  
  

Needle Felting

• A needle felting project which was made by pushing wool fibers into material to make a pattern.
  
  Dry needle felting is the process of pushing needles through layers of wool to bond them together without sewing. This technique uses wool fiber strands, called roving, and is made from either fleece, merino or mohair instead of flat felt pieces.
  Dry needle felting can be used to create flowers and others designs as embellishments which are felted to larger items, such as coats or purses. Likewise, smaller pieces that stand on their own, such as coasters, wall hangings and jewelry like pins and bracelets, can be made by dry needle felting. Designs can be created freehand or paper templates can be used.