DIY Felted Wool "Billy Buttons"

<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">In case you didn't catch my guest post on <a href="http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/2011/05/dans-le-townhouse-tutorial.html">Young & Crafty</a>, here it is!<br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">While making felted wool beads for my DIY'd</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com/2011/05/diy-felted-bead-necklace.html"> necklace</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the yellow wool beads I was felting started to really look like stylized <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craspedia">Yellow Craspedia</a> (small, spherical flowers also known as “Billy Buttons” or “Woollyheads”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Inspired, I made some extra felted wool beads, pierced them with cloth covered floral wire and made an arrangement in an inexpensive West Elm vase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Scroll down for the how-to.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEyO98xzdLaddf_OpPDaby4gHaS7lkX6u5_Nb4hgaKyLVw87U00g3ml_F9rTpH3nClJ05eo7ZBwod4078UqWG769ZfjReomsE6_b1ncjhU3Lnn5bzgSIMSAbmBF6nuDokqq320CU6zlAE/s400/121.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My FAUX Craspedia</td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk41_Cm5Py2MI962cIrNXGE7szQUqR2cpIk6S5VxBB0HMvI3THKG3Q7ngdHmGsgw3cOQ2yQBeVzPZVCaf5-WALLl4769Fer7J0knwXh5gYjQMbX0KXfHZZdeUHwkk74tqlabF1PeADfco/s1600/billy+buttons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk41_Cm5Py2MI962cIrNXGE7szQUqR2cpIk6S5VxBB0HMvI3THKG3Q7ngdHmGsgw3cOQ2yQBeVzPZVCaf5-WALLl4769Fer7J0knwXh5gYjQMbX0KXfHZZdeUHwkk74tqlabF1PeADfco/s400/billy+buttons.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">REAL Craspedia<br /><a href="http://inbloomeventdesign.blogspot.com/2009/04/vintage-circus-wedding-flowers.html">Via Bloomerism</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2bWaJZiK_rLc4W0qkY0VbSzf7pMAURj_s7ROcJJ1_Jp0h5d3hKPJA-H_9eYOgZqQCevqovllPHRF5Vbe2h9S5D3AKQf4ZBL8zqTe8WA6XQAsEBQcbrDuiLC1US2xMCiPOqWBhhx5Txr-/s1600/billy+buttons+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2bWaJZiK_rLc4W0qkY0VbSzf7pMAURj_s7ROcJJ1_Jp0h5d3hKPJA-H_9eYOgZqQCevqovllPHRF5Vbe2h9S5D3AKQf4ZBL8zqTe8WA6XQAsEBQcbrDuiLC1US2xMCiPOqWBhhx5Txr-/s400/billy+buttons+II.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More REAL Craspedia<br /><a href="http://thatwinsomegirl.blogspot.com/2009/11/billy-button-love.html">Via That Windsome Girl</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Supplies:</span></b><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">         </span></span></span>Mustard yellow wool roving (found in yarn/craft stores or </span><a href="http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/userimages/Merino-64s-Yellow-and-Orange(1598465).htm"><span style="font-family: inherit;">online</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">)</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">         </span></span></span>One bowl of hot, hot, hot as you can stand water</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">         </span></span></span>One bowl of cold, cold, cold as you can bear water</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">         </span></span></span>Cloth covered stem wire (from the floral section of craft stores – I used 20 gauge)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Instructions:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The whole process for one ball should only take a couple minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>First, tear off a piece of your wool roving, like you would tear off a piece of cotton candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You want ragged ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Remember that your wool ball will shrink a bit during the felting process. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try starting with the same approximate amount of wool I use in the photo below to create a ball the same size as mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Real “Woollyheads” are about an inch in diameter.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezKBV7gw-d67QCKUodFow2S3r4TnuK4PLyzy-yM7JTTp5BeMtH5_ezcm-9Wa6fn45txO-na11JBxtPtqyzd9hr09F-xUYwoEu64pOVorm0bE97Br9CXedqLUB6rpQEi4eMHIJpptYEPhr/s1600/088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezKBV7gw-d67QCKUodFow2S3r4TnuK4PLyzy-yM7JTTp5BeMtH5_ezcm-9Wa6fn45txO-na11JBxtPtqyzd9hr09F-xUYwoEu64pOVorm0bE97Br9CXedqLUB6rpQEi4eMHIJpptYEPhr/s400/088.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, place a small drop of soap (I have used both hand soap and dish soap successfully) in your dry hands and also rub a tiny bit onto the piece of wool roving.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqVFc7ZONNZg_g5nOxz2q5-0K1rw9Q1SNGJI0sw4z-fywGlKdzO1SIkjT0Qcl9H8brVuwO2c-SgjH4lTHJuoR_hw-TZLf89v_wTM9NMVSV-7PHy-9vBHWT640ncCLhirlIMFrb6sp5Ai5/s1600/090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqVFc7ZONNZg_g5nOxz2q5-0K1rw9Q1SNGJI0sw4z-fywGlKdzO1SIkjT0Qcl9H8brVuwO2c-SgjH4lTHJuoR_hw-TZLf89v_wTM9NMVSV-7PHy-9vBHWT640ncCLhirlIMFrb6sp5Ai5/s400/090.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then, roughly shape the wool into a ball before dipping it gently in the hot water – you want it a tad wet, not completely drenched.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSBeXdN6l3K_UaqLeabBTpQdA2DyMGObhQom8o0JiYTGy7C0liA-wknZyjyXqLg3cINsRwobWi_1qjZT3IW3ppbifkHXwoF1YlkevNoeS4wNRmOTTjk8laLQpSLkpiDyyjK2VVh2YyeNB/s1600/091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSBeXdN6l3K_UaqLeabBTpQdA2DyMGObhQom8o0JiYTGy7C0liA-wknZyjyXqLg3cINsRwobWi_1qjZT3IW3ppbifkHXwoF1YlkevNoeS4wNRmOTTjk8laLQpSLkpiDyyjK2VVh2YyeNB/s400/091.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Very, very gently roll the wool roving between your palms – like you would a clay ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>At this stage, don’t squish the wool any harder than you would a baby chick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Then dunk the roughly shaped ball into the cold water (this time you can soak it) and keep rolling. Then dunk the ball into the hot again, then the cold, rolling between dunks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The change in temperature helps “shock” the wool fibres and is part of the felting process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Plus, you want to rinse out the soap.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVO0uOyCDkXcUoaCLI72eUzQyt6Og4QdTPBXMQw6CFqH2exwxww1ELiWv4Tm7LM95rXO8EYquDebj-JcUAn7Fadsk5TdJ7dvRrbJFDIuMAq2Iby1IRfmJ8avFFT-ddw5AQW-lr0ZAFR1NT/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVO0uOyCDkXcUoaCLI72eUzQyt6Og4QdTPBXMQw6CFqH2exwxww1ELiWv4Tm7LM95rXO8EYquDebj-JcUAn7Fadsk5TdJ7dvRrbJFDIuMAq2Iby1IRfmJ8avFFT-ddw5AQW-lr0ZAFR1NT/s400/098.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">                               </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">As your ball becomes firmer (and thus smaller), you can apply more pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Your ball is finished when it is firmer to the touch and feels “dense”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You can see in the next photo how much smaller my ball has become.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-Iktp_BezTx4E_aCePXjEO94ND0bf9Co8HI1ywOPoxToI-yntexVnAfdxBzR5AM1mSfpvC6SYzZjttFIjzXZOiuKOT9k4zt2Dpn82tgNT6lRwjdTKeCHgLziyY3KPiAgb3rVg4r5O4wF/s1600/100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-Iktp_BezTx4E_aCePXjEO94ND0bf9Co8HI1ywOPoxToI-yntexVnAfdxBzR5AM1mSfpvC6SYzZjttFIjzXZOiuKOT9k4zt2Dpn82tgNT6lRwjdTKeCHgLziyY3KPiAgb3rVg4r5O4wF/s400/100.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZepmzBWrJoLiloZ_hsTI0vG5Gf4xiGTfZ9ufDT6UYa686mLsoxcSfPb94vLks43PkQl09g7WXE8pIASrg12WDYTaI4cqsUKOBc40dibqCrQ4FyYB5uCzbSSx-bPcWMX8MdFZRLnA4-ZwE/s1600/101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZepmzBWrJoLiloZ_hsTI0vG5Gf4xiGTfZ9ufDT6UYa686mLsoxcSfPb94vLks43PkQl09g7WXE8pIASrg12WDYTaI4cqsUKOBc40dibqCrQ4FyYB5uCzbSSx-bPcWMX8MdFZRLnA4-ZwE/s400/101.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leave the felted wool ball(s) to dry, for 24 to 48 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The dry felted wool ball should have a slight bounce to it when dropped on a countertop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I recommend making a few as a “test” before diving into a dozen or so for an arrangement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once your felted wool ball is dry, simply pierce it with the end of the floral wire and twist & wiggle the wire into the felted ball until it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost</i> pops out the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Your ball should be dense enough to grip the wire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I flung my finished “Billy Buttons” around and no felted balls went flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Then bend the wire as you please, making some droopy flowers or more rigid ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Bend the wire gently – you don’t want any kinks – just soft bends.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmTLKZAeIAFziQzJzzM-es86g2UAeRt02dUrmCwguwcnBViQ7-_xGvFXr0HC-XD6AnqWQHSCHxBI5UyRfy725E46I59DzKomCtq2mvBZNHrBmWKsTzSAuDwQkAjYzL6T-umascG0o8bd0/s1600/104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmTLKZAeIAFziQzJzzM-es86g2UAeRt02dUrmCwguwcnBViQ7-_xGvFXr0HC-XD6AnqWQHSCHxBI5UyRfy725E46I59DzKomCtq2mvBZNHrBmWKsTzSAuDwQkAjYzL6T-umascG0o8bd0/s400/104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">                             </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, voilà!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUj9bEiTwsrYpfi-WTZsjYZ7WkiGUqkeh7yoQw_mXYkOnUodP03hgFfCGzugGzojHSBDFXM_rvDWE3_1REyz6bhiz1nSNmJMwPE4rlS1H746EOgyptmNzPIAGI5Uwo4q6-jc_HvzYsSwcU/s1600/119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUj9bEiTwsrYpfi-WTZsjYZ7WkiGUqkeh7yoQw_mXYkOnUodP03hgFfCGzugGzojHSBDFXM_rvDWE3_1REyz6bhiz1nSNmJMwPE4rlS1H746EOgyptmNzPIAGI5Uwo4q6-jc_HvzYsSwcU/s640/119.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkG5SCvW3FzyrnVPBjmf4Ip-gWiWordSrRd3_QA07E3YE9SOlPGfZc3ffztZnHSt1mlPBnlnUC6JiLPQZsGEa9Do9UJ4qbpcaM_TvsKxRwt8_4pkqNQmLqXHDE53FIQ_-JlNgKpmDViJjt/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkG5SCvW3FzyrnVPBjmf4Ip-gWiWordSrRd3_QA07E3YE9SOlPGfZc3ffztZnHSt1mlPBnlnUC6JiLPQZsGEa9Do9UJ4qbpcaM_TvsKxRwt8_4pkqNQmLqXHDE53FIQ_-JlNgKpmDViJjt/s640/029.JPG" t8="true" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCsLLOwWANpd5t5iCXfkAdqBfCQgDYWZrIe9wzfDfMiuQa-kG_b-CXD1Y_u-bWDe0aWp-NCV4ayCOrLSBo6-FIfECtqPEOib_UHzuIt5x-8S2ZguNMNYRB_YMFQ_5Y6de2Dt2Zw1YAPgx/s1600/123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCsLLOwWANpd5t5iCXfkAdqBfCQgDYWZrIe9wzfDfMiuQa-kG_b-CXD1Y_u-bWDe0aWp-NCV4ayCOrLSBo6-FIfECtqPEOib_UHzuIt5x-8S2ZguNMNYRB_YMFQ_5Y6de2Dt2Zw1YAPgx/s640/123.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;">                          </span></span></div>

DIY Felted Wool "Billy Buttons"

In case you didn't catch my guest post on Young & Crafty , here it is! While making felted wool beads for my DIY'd necklace , t...

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I'm Over at Young & Crafty Today!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCbHDtcPYAQr9rwsZA5BkKjGM6K-FIyUe5JZOdvTfRa7Se0JBmDjvdCtMGJHZY_NWW6HKXA0Qb_63WeF1n-hPpnxWJDKdBv2trVNy85Rk7h8VehAeaB-Yj04WAXoNqQ4bBKb_l39vs1sw/s1600/youngandxcrafty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCbHDtcPYAQr9rwsZA5BkKjGM6K-FIyUe5JZOdvTfRa7Se0JBmDjvdCtMGJHZY_NWW6HKXA0Qb_63WeF1n-hPpnxWJDKdBv2trVNy85Rk7h8VehAeaB-Yj04WAXoNqQ4bBKb_l39vs1sw/s400/youngandxcrafty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I emailed Hannah, from <a href="http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/">Young & Crafty</a>, photos of my <a href="http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com/2011/05/diy-felted-bead-necklace.html">DIY felted wool bead necklace</a> and she invited me to share a tutorial with her readers.  Check out my guest post <a href="http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/2011/05/dans-le-townhouse-tutorial.html">here</a>, to find out how I made these felted wool Yellow Craspedias (a fabulous, spherical flower also known as a "Billy Button" or "Woolyhead"):<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrTt_8fzDkQB6ABGGoYX3mUZ2zvBCaYRG9h1r5NGr_Wd9LeoUi7RIJz4Sy__ga3v81SOulCKRIEVUD9EOkjdklfO8lkXxoBZqDAGKGPAXpBJfyG4spnw6_Dgn2p42xJp09gt1pjTaEeC5/s1600/121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrTt_8fzDkQB6ABGGoYX3mUZ2zvBCaYRG9h1r5NGr_Wd9LeoUi7RIJz4Sy__ga3v81SOulCKRIEVUD9EOkjdklfO8lkXxoBZqDAGKGPAXpBJfyG4spnw6_Dgn2p42xJp09gt1pjTaEeC5/s400/121.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>

I'm Over at Young & Crafty Today!

I emailed Hannah, from Young & Crafty , photos of my DIY felted wool bead necklace and she invited me to share a tutorial with her read...

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DIY Needle Felted Art

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yep, I was on a wool craft kick a couple weeks ago.  You already saw <a href="http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com/2011/05/diy-felted-bead-necklace.html">my felted bead necklace</a>.  I planned more posts about Houston, but I'm super jazzed about these three needle felted abstracts that I finally popped into some inexpensive <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/00078051">Ikea frames</a> - I couldn't wait to share.  It is hard to capture on camera, but the abstracts are three-dimensional, and really vibrant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhxR1_urZsXZ4EbMYNj-dDvgHwBZkPRrwNHGtgAhwMYwjsOdCi8dAR6sAE62cBQxAh0A4C9gZYITZwx16JKCuok3Idp3YlZ5Hq3g1oyOt_LB_bENGfFgp35WJrS_XxVLieNxRdN6jfoIY/s1600/175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhxR1_urZsXZ4EbMYNj-dDvgHwBZkPRrwNHGtgAhwMYwjsOdCi8dAR6sAE62cBQxAh0A4C9gZYITZwx16JKCuok3Idp3YlZ5Hq3g1oyOt_LB_bENGfFgp35WJrS_XxVLieNxRdN6jfoIY/s640/175.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrW67WDnZOkOH5ePYaRUqMC9NWTzXGmX8I2aIh8BZCV5EMRAmdAU0TcrIDjApHhMaaYZhQmLaN0xS8iMZfNUza1tuzoYNDx-krk5sp_UKspuRifyWgAHIBc2D_0MyO3-ta8W55fyO3MIaF/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrW67WDnZOkOH5ePYaRUqMC9NWTzXGmX8I2aIh8BZCV5EMRAmdAU0TcrIDjApHhMaaYZhQmLaN0xS8iMZfNUza1tuzoYNDx-krk5sp_UKspuRifyWgAHIBc2D_0MyO3-ta8W55fyO3MIaF/s640/004.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg001DU0y6Y2XBbb-SQczrGKfvwXDcC5TdyqZpoPxelwLbA0SDeBo1zQ4UzkuJS7wrD0p9bdHdkofCAat4IB6xiq60VwaATZuCQvrj1docX2X3V0LyEeg2F-G42hIQhwM4pU9qLcJYyoXEk/s1600/176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg001DU0y6Y2XBbb-SQczrGKfvwXDcC5TdyqZpoPxelwLbA0SDeBo1zQ4UzkuJS7wrD0p9bdHdkofCAat4IB6xiq60VwaATZuCQvrj1docX2X3V0LyEeg2F-G42hIQhwM4pU9qLcJYyoXEk/s640/176.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />I used my favorite of <a href="http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com/2011/03/bedroom-update.html">the three paintings I made for the bedroom</a> as my colour inspiration:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpSFxXW1qGAmMJUPLfBKq8SInznRP30ldCdJV8Q1Ni3w-1TqvIFvydQHjujwOqeZDRaUZHS07ggVwas3w2xOCj6VVGuQ-Yw5UG70YSzKozQQE3bP8eyjbIxdSqI2k_wYg37sNKJnshco_/s1600/197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXpSFxXW1qGAmMJUPLfBKq8SInznRP30ldCdJV8Q1Ni3w-1TqvIFvydQHjujwOqeZDRaUZHS07ggVwas3w2xOCj6VVGuQ-Yw5UG70YSzKozQQE3bP8eyjbIxdSqI2k_wYg37sNKJnshco_/s640/197.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><strong>Here's the how-to. </strong><br /><br /><strong>Supplies:</strong><br /><ul><li>A square piece of foam</li><li>Felting needle</li><li>Piece of felted wool (you can felt an old wool sweater, or buy felt in fabric or fibre stores - the piece will act as your "canvas")</li><li><a href="http://sarastexturecrafts.com/userimages/Merino-64s-Pink(1598480).htm">Wool rovings</a></li></ul><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIkZZyaFWlrdHXbG4wMm6emeHmdJV4q5qYREFoibhjRqrmwB9ep3uEDEs97hZVjf-aK_rA0lCBe-o2Cc4uM6avdQIlFMyYb3sbTiV9qhSJEJCZnVYa-88wa8C5vFtEcypGr_RI7MX7N6u/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIkZZyaFWlrdHXbG4wMm6emeHmdJV4q5qYREFoibhjRqrmwB9ep3uEDEs97hZVjf-aK_rA0lCBe-o2Cc4uM6avdQIlFMyYb3sbTiV9qhSJEJCZnVYa-88wa8C5vFtEcypGr_RI7MX7N6u/s640/046.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felting needle and foam block</td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo921sKbDWK26iEtlg5Y8WYFwcNI8sYogQu5GlmEEmDIsp6aeOpBAbsyCLBtrniyZV6Voa-D_eszJv6RBZvZy6B1xv5usNQg-ndng84aJYTShj2wu8vHKVlAb3ag4iGcgzQmpdCvKl6_R-/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo921sKbDWK26iEtlg5Y8WYFwcNI8sYogQu5GlmEEmDIsp6aeOpBAbsyCLBtrniyZV6Voa-D_eszJv6RBZvZy6B1xv5usNQg-ndng84aJYTShj2wu8vHKVlAb3ag4iGcgzQmpdCvKl6_R-/s400/052.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wool rovings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><strong>How-to:</strong><br /><br />Needle felting is super simple.  Just sketch out your plan on a piece of felted wool (or free-hand it).  Lay your piece of wool on your foam block and grab some wool rovings.  Tear pieces of the wool roving off, like you would cotton candy.  Then you use the felting needle and pierce the wool roving through the piece of wool, using the foam as a surface to stop the needle.  Just keep piercing again & again (& again & again - this is a good craft for tension relief!)  The felting needle has barbs and it catches the wool roving, pushing through the piece of wool which tangles the fibres and locks them.  Like paint, you just build up layers of rovings - you can layer different colours to create depth or just to mix new colours.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-Lv_PB47tghvkA7WW_1S5WiVz2HsVDwVL__B4tIjGyoCcUPI_rrVBrZ48Pz0HNGJe6LnE6kAiAgM_RdETXOyoVmD6GRL3IEKmqZ1VUb3lhZ6WqO_c5FDegIsuwHIH7ZJx3hDY_QneOhE/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-Lv_PB47tghvkA7WW_1S5WiVz2HsVDwVL__B4tIjGyoCcUPI_rrVBrZ48Pz0HNGJe6LnE6kAiAgM_RdETXOyoVmD6GRL3IEKmqZ1VUb3lhZ6WqO_c5FDegIsuwHIH7ZJx3hDY_QneOhE/s400/005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1wcd9DTTY3PHgsvPG06VT7YZFcvicVW2rYvdX4yBafVMYxaGQjzTpfayQLmoV_-_B1KEZFmXSAhPVs5hmMO1goFfPkIJJzwlvEFAHK12Ujnnt2kl3ASi4ywSpu9WmOpDUi3kcIwgSlhO/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1wcd9DTTY3PHgsvPG06VT7YZFcvicVW2rYvdX4yBafVMYxaGQjzTpfayQLmoV_-_B1KEZFmXSAhPVs5hmMO1goFfPkIJJzwlvEFAHK12Ujnnt2kl3ASi4ywSpu9WmOpDUi3kcIwgSlhO/s400/013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrmnHm2zjTogCGwnQeDVebDkOrSB6vPMR-E9yvkcDmpb-Xd-RZRcENoQ6yFR4QkSKe_7mnF0dQa_TLDU0y_XtZcMqHxHoA7NydXJA2wGfedKBi69C9IsPjXFxiRn4S5hwsucBNFVyIch7/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrmnHm2zjTogCGwnQeDVebDkOrSB6vPMR-E9yvkcDmpb-Xd-RZRcENoQ6yFR4QkSKe_7mnF0dQa_TLDU0y_XtZcMqHxHoA7NydXJA2wGfedKBi69C9IsPjXFxiRn4S5hwsucBNFVyIch7/s400/014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnrlDnSxO0xdqcq50PJxmG-UUMk0mAbPKlLEIiONd_NeW_2it4NcNKGRM8fTWBYVCV4c0j23QFIzqiyWOCQyHRoqsUX7Wfpt9L7T39V49qsmCGC3Dx8A5NYQCAqlmYG4I3EkHWaBQ_N1J/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnrlDnSxO0xdqcq50PJxmG-UUMk0mAbPKlLEIiONd_NeW_2it4NcNKGRM8fTWBYVCV4c0j23QFIzqiyWOCQyHRoqsUX7Wfpt9L7T39V49qsmCGC3Dx8A5NYQCAqlmYG4I3EkHWaBQ_N1J/s400/011.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the back of your piece will look like</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMpdV4GHCN1lfqMjHl0Wpcbed3QqPn1GV7FRetcLr_4QMLb_d0OA_TD9UxTx3ExIaicM1Cif7QFEqKSuCoG08ZjjKBkPTXCdTbsGFcRurkq2M2tOIkUuuRfGEvxRFZCDc6xFuRt3TPDBE/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMpdV4GHCN1lfqMjHl0Wpcbed3QqPn1GV7FRetcLr_4QMLb_d0OA_TD9UxTx3ExIaicM1Cif7QFEqKSuCoG08ZjjKBkPTXCdTbsGFcRurkq2M2tOIkUuuRfGEvxRFZCDc6xFuRt3TPDBE/s400/004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The felting needle has sharp barbs - so be careful</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Here are my pieces unframed.  I used a piece of paper with a square cut out to help me frame up the composition as I worked.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-ke5jPEXGqvRlYuh1ki3roGEwmM-O9NKGEgnG0JTcTnl_35BUAj0qIj_hK09jX-7mFEh4sXEy8eyfLO8dO-_U8zON3La19hdsEC0-37LqXcKM_L0BNHHNPG_36AlT_Q-xdwXPLGSDtdJ/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-ke5jPEXGqvRlYuh1ki3roGEwmM-O9NKGEgnG0JTcTnl_35BUAj0qIj_hK09jX-7mFEh4sXEy8eyfLO8dO-_U8zON3La19hdsEC0-37LqXcKM_L0BNHHNPG_36AlT_Q-xdwXPLGSDtdJ/s400/035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjog0Y7aZrlbzxaIlmq-79u3Vi6PBbpOnDJ4Dkfx6A_NNtp2la-ZssNztBvZDz39CM5MRpzkIBLkdSeM9DWUu70G6D_n0NqXO-xGlOM-BoDoV0n2Uz9RME4-OdGkmfhC2xQ4uyMBTqCNJ2Z/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjog0Y7aZrlbzxaIlmq-79u3Vi6PBbpOnDJ4Dkfx6A_NNtp2la-ZssNztBvZDz39CM5MRpzkIBLkdSeM9DWUu70G6D_n0NqXO-xGlOM-BoDoV0n2Uz9RME4-OdGkmfhC2xQ4uyMBTqCNJ2Z/s400/038.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "faux" matting for framing up the composition</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Some other felted wool pieces I have made:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzholJVtFfBO15zRM3M_302Sh7g63R1gTJv6enRKbpVmgLnuSD3EcXIMqvn15t3RjYe6cLaY4VBAOxdX-KCpppq5rQgzFDrP4ielUFQQGnJgp9Lq8SQx_nsyB21FuoYjvqDsHWoFIPaBWI/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzholJVtFfBO15zRM3M_302Sh7g63R1gTJv6enRKbpVmgLnuSD3EcXIMqvn15t3RjYe6cLaY4VBAOxdX-KCpppq5rQgzFDrP4ielUFQQGnJgp9Lq8SQx_nsyB21FuoYjvqDsHWoFIPaBWI/s400/032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn962hYD4jjFFxLA6XkZOkStabt-XOat8tFWEX5WxtXHbOywNf0GNOp3UHCvdd8oTuQ77SG3M6nSRiYFlKhrTHf5j6cnkTwXG2Rfb4fcT73k0h3IUjXRZmDXKiWJ2nBTO27V-7R_cxjEYk/s1600/034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn962hYD4jjFFxLA6XkZOkStabt-XOat8tFWEX5WxtXHbOywNf0GNOp3UHCvdd8oTuQ77SG3M6nSRiYFlKhrTHf5j6cnkTwXG2Rfb4fcT73k0h3IUjXRZmDXKiWJ2nBTO27V-7R_cxjEYk/s400/034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsK1tSCHhzxWu_E37I9FPbCTjugp8wB8mMJg1WfNhG0a0KDZEPDdaL0C3A0qi9uOl1nzCvXwWWhG6dZ6PgJC0VtGaNyT1I3gZd7KRbrJG5VMXEezgfhGezni9L_za_ngABf4elmNFdKRO/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsK1tSCHhzxWu_E37I9FPbCTjugp8wB8mMJg1WfNhG0a0KDZEPDdaL0C3A0qi9uOl1nzCvXwWWhG6dZ6PgJC0VtGaNyT1I3gZd7KRbrJG5VMXEezgfhGezni9L_za_ngABf4elmNFdKRO/s400/033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>

DIY Needle Felted Art

Yep, I was on a wool craft kick a couple weeks ago.  You already saw my felted bead necklace .  I planned more posts about Houston, but I...

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DIY Felted Bead Necklace

This is the part where I complain about the weather: it is tooooo hot in Texas to create or wear this felted bead necklace.  But when I was at home in Canada last week, it seemed like a great idea.  I've actually wanted to create one of these felted bead necklaces since 2002!  Isn't that insane?  Surely the trendiness has evaporated and now this felted bead stuff is out, right?  So out is it in again?  Meh, who cares!  A dream has been realized.  <br /><br />First up: a snapshot of the finished piece, then I'll get into the nitty gritty how-to.  Now, I don't normally blog about human accessorries but this post provides essential backstory to a home accessories project/post I'll be feverishly working on when I'm back home.  <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBmrGl7_uy8vPMnJuYmTfO2XwvzHS8kNtudJM3e2DEXwpY2_UDT7X8Fao22kTvz80YGOxyKkhRExgGgB8fD4k7l-0EiuKVXwR10zXKr3guCPdSpM7pzhiGiCtqvy85E-Yp86Svqs53Ig8/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBmrGl7_uy8vPMnJuYmTfO2XwvzHS8kNtudJM3e2DEXwpY2_UDT7X8Fao22kTvz80YGOxyKkhRExgGgB8fD4k7l-0EiuKVXwR10zXKr3guCPdSpM7pzhiGiCtqvy85E-Yp86Svqs53Ig8/s640/086.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkPrpZf2u8UQUu6fi3aNzf-vHEpabaup6KTBk6DsEVtN0p88jag33E0BmOns_vMvqmUhkeVNL4e6sp3ZAbWoLWuWiViLHu7T4XvIVZLHGNGVFvpzOUmS7LRajaI_BPazZmimllyFTBWUh/s1600/088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkPrpZf2u8UQUu6fi3aNzf-vHEpabaup6KTBk6DsEVtN0p88jag33E0BmOns_vMvqmUhkeVNL4e6sp3ZAbWoLWuWiViLHu7T4XvIVZLHGNGVFvpzOUmS7LRajaI_BPazZmimllyFTBWUh/s640/088.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzxK2VpEVDr3HKYzfha3sA6kFEg5saEqarg9HKFjyIhwIkQ9xjeRhyphenhyphen6tQRsog3VzdTiqk28ZjtnyyTwmA_rHBfBuDoxKhXX3vNc-zTwTiLyCZ38qXGzOpJWdsI1gSJzrEnthcpkKyM0sX/s1600/090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzxK2VpEVDr3HKYzfha3sA6kFEg5saEqarg9HKFjyIhwIkQ9xjeRhyphenhyphen6tQRsog3VzdTiqk28ZjtnyyTwmA_rHBfBuDoxKhXX3vNc-zTwTiLyCZ38qXGzOpJWdsI1gSJzrEnthcpkKyM0sX/s640/090.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xZcIv4OyFkWBcBLpNnjKqxlL47yFCCAB4iKCN115-10vJGU9t_1P8O2m6eLPIMczYaNpEr_CSG8OoKiSGHvcjepE4la8MqWlcw4e1bBwm645RurFt5fOsdl940EDcAUdGMPWuQ6Xn-fT/s1600/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xZcIv4OyFkWBcBLpNnjKqxlL47yFCCAB4iKCN115-10vJGU9t_1P8O2m6eLPIMczYaNpEr_CSG8OoKiSGHvcjepE4la8MqWlcw4e1bBwm645RurFt5fOsdl940EDcAUdGMPWuQ6Xn-fT/s400/075.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To be honest, I'm not yet 100% sure I love it.  But I am 100% sure that the video below is by far the best video for learning how to make the felted beads.  I watched many more flashy/professional videos with pancake results (you'll see what I mean).  This gal, Sara, is a total pro.  I'm including her video because, really, why re-invent the wheel?  My instructions are just be a clumsy version of her instructions, as I totally thieved her method.  Although I did do <em>something</em> different: I didn't run the water the whole time.  Instead, I used small bowls filled with hot and cold water to save water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sOl-RXkq4Bo?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sarastexturecrafts.com/index.htm">Sara's Texture Crafts</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This video is flashier, but not as effective a method.  But it is just soooo pretty!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rou9TRNxrD4?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Basically, felting a ball is super simple.  Start with a wool roving (purchased <a href="http://www.thefeltedewe.com/rovings.html">online</a> or in felt/wool/knitting shops), pictured below, and tear it apart like you would cotton candy.  Add a bit of dish soap, a bit of water, roughly shape it into a ball and then start rolling it between your palms like you would a piece of clay.  Rinse it in hot water, then cold, to "shock" the fibres into felting (you continue doing this throughout the rolling process).  It will feel like it won't work, then it will start to felt.  Trust me.  Add increasing pressure as your felt ball becomes firmer and when it is nice and firm, set it aside to dry for a day or two.  Remember your finished ball will be smaller and denser than the rough ball you created when the roving was dry.  Once my beads were dry, I simply strung them with some heavy duty beading thread and the sharpest needle I could find.  You can fuss with a clasp (I did - click <a href="http://www.thebeadmonkey.com/non-shop/training/pdf/linkedCRIMP.pdf">here</a> for a fab how-to) or just tie a knot and slip it over your head.    </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYux20zmb9OfSVMi_xt0WFH29rbxqHY-8caFvNy5xFjYDs_yVv4KAXvCXVCSZHL-Zn5Aa0Wz2qcwkeT7-zSau7iC3QzgAX80A29bPHPjgG6k6oChQ7o2GUkzWzaYz8SDiF62Yawznfouz/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYux20zmb9OfSVMi_xt0WFH29rbxqHY-8caFvNy5xFjYDs_yVv4KAXvCXVCSZHL-Zn5Aa0Wz2qcwkeT7-zSau7iC3QzgAX80A29bPHPjgG6k6oChQ7o2GUkzWzaYz8SDiF62Yawznfouz/s400/052.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wool Roving</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTeAquAlox7J7AV5jgdzQiGMGDB-ArJarjAMA4-OgI4kP3WqHcaZf2lJKlHtvmy4ih2cgZSBPnuLLwUIwSjQQQijKLcvHguJyJl9kv6bePw9aGyMm-0e9sNRp9fH499NgFDGEtZiAK9lp/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTeAquAlox7J7AV5jgdzQiGMGDB-ArJarjAMA4-OgI4kP3WqHcaZf2lJKlHtvmy4ih2cgZSBPnuLLwUIwSjQQQijKLcvHguJyJl9kv6bePw9aGyMm-0e9sNRp9fH499NgFDGEtZiAK9lp/s400/053.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wool roving pulled apart and ready to shape</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Like I mentioned, I did have a couple "pancake" moments before I found Sara's awesome how-to video:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BrRXYVDwpCHdusWrIcY3FKy4RJaMFnaxtZC2PtVQFzSIckshQzyfSc0DW1P3XI2lbNrYNkIjmj17FuLi01sI4vRNjw9L9xXrB5Nq39lgSNuxulVlY5yVknJocnKYxQfk3ZCL9w33CSgv/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BrRXYVDwpCHdusWrIcY3FKy4RJaMFnaxtZC2PtVQFzSIckshQzyfSc0DW1P3XI2lbNrYNkIjmj17FuLi01sI4vRNjw9L9xXrB5Nq39lgSNuxulVlY5yVknJocnKYxQfk3ZCL9w33CSgv/s400/051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How NOT to create a felted ball - squoosh too hard in the beginning</td></tr></tbody></table><br />P.S. I laid out the beads as I worked to get a sense of the pattern I wanted and to make sure I had the right number of each colour.  If you don't do this, your project might be delayed a couple days as you frantically make more felted beads and then impatiently watch them dry for two days.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdcwrQmwP871LoWCrhp5ul_bB4iZSpw-asbOAJ3oshrDc5icLMDIaRXOLVBVZ0IsCHVi2-29_arxYH-4kAlTC4EbV14ejLhf_XXMfnhBVY7s9kw_0y8hTk5grP4pFQ0ix7aHwYTmzuiAX/s1600/050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdcwrQmwP871LoWCrhp5ul_bB4iZSpw-asbOAJ3oshrDc5icLMDIaRXOLVBVZ0IsCHVi2-29_arxYH-4kAlTC4EbV14ejLhf_XXMfnhBVY7s9kw_0y8hTk5grP4pFQ0ix7aHwYTmzuiAX/s640/050.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />P.P.S. An unwelcome felted bead hazzard: prune hands that lasted two days.  Stupid felt.  I better wear this necklace <em>all the time</em>.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMnloYjEEGnj5z-L1ZQOunFgYe5zzMKSv0L2WOt3t8_95na5uwrhlYh4G9T_yBo71VV4DeOE3Mdn-0TYJTJ72KWQ2W_RJIZpClRDwOK7TFoOF5M3J7-xTcwV7hyphenhyphenBegdLnrQ6q5MO9uDCE/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMnloYjEEGnj5z-L1ZQOunFgYe5zzMKSv0L2WOt3t8_95na5uwrhlYh4G9T_yBo71VV4DeOE3Mdn-0TYJTJ72KWQ2W_RJIZpClRDwOK7TFoOF5M3J7-xTcwV7hyphenhyphenBegdLnrQ6q5MO9uDCE/s400/026.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felting wool = prune hands</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Stay tuned for my home accessories related felting adventure . . .

DIY Felted Bead Necklace

This is the part where I complain about the weather: it is tooooo hot in Texas to create or wear this felted bead necklace.  But when I was...

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