The book “Toys made of wool step by step” has been published. Felting technique." We felt from wool. Moomin troll wallowing in the washing machine

Elizaveta Rumyantseva

Nothing is impossible for diligence and art.

Felting (felting, felting) belongs to ancient varieties of needlework. Felted wool products created by craftswomen from all over the country sell like hot cakes in stores. Step-by-step wool felting for beginners allows you to make unique items. Felting is the creation of wool crafts by interlocking and interweaving fibers using several methods. The modern art of felting includes: wet felting, dry felting, nanofeltting.

Features of wool felting

Before you begin step-by-step wool felting for beginners, you need to figure out what you will need for this fun artistic process. The first thing you need to order is any natural wool. The material is available on the shelves of specialized department stores and in online stores. What raw materials and tools are best to purchase?

Crafts are often made from coarse sheep or camel wool. As a base for the product, it is recommended to buy sliver - combed sheep wool without awns. The stuffing, for example, of cat toys or slippers is often flocked, while merino is suitable for decorating objects. Felting cannot be done with a needle. Special tools come in different sizes (thin, thick and medium), and different cross-sectional shapes (crown, triangular, star-shaped). So, we purchase a wool felting kit for beginners and move on to master classes.

Master classes on felting wool with a step-by-step description of the work

This section is for those beginning craftswomen who want to try their hand at felting. Let's find out what the dry felting method is, wet felting and felting using a washing machine. A detailed study of the master classes will allow you to make products of absolutely any level of complexity: from small decorative parts to clothing items.

Dry felting technique for beginners

For step-by-step felting from wool for beginners using the dry method, you need unspun wool (the best option is carding) and special needles with notches. Dry felting is the entangling of material fibers with each other, as a result of which they are transformed into felt. Felting using this method is carried out using needles with a triangular and star-shaped section. We prepare wool, needles for felting, a thick piece of foam rubber and move on to practice. Further:

1. We put the material on the foam rubber and tangle it with a needle. The base of the craft is sometimes made of padding polyester, covered with wool on top.
2. When working with needles, you should be as careful as possible because they are sharp. The needle must be held perpendicular to the craft. The process of creating any thing from felt begins with the use of a thick needle, which gradually changes to a thin one.
3. Defects in the form of unevenness on an artistic object are smoothed out using additional raw materials.
4. Dry felting is voluminous souvenirs (badges, keychains), accessories (wallet, bag, book bindings), coats made of felted wool, hats, felt boots, and so on.

Wet felting

Wet felting of wool on gauze is done using a warm soap solution (some replace it with liquid soap). The material is laid out in pieces on gauze, according to a pre-selected pattern. The mixture is made like this: grind a couple of pieces of soap on a grater, pour two liters of hot water into the shavings, mix well, wait 2 hours until the solution becomes thick. Next step by step:

1. We spread the oilcloth on the floor or other convenient flat surface. We put gauze on top.
2. Then we lay out the base, the background and the selected pattern on it.
3. The threads are applied crosswise in stripes. We make sure that there are no holes left in the canvas, and that the layers of material lie perpendicular. Their thickness should be the same.
4. When the material has already been laid out in accordance with the drawing, you need to sprinkle water on the leg, cover it with a nylon cloth and lubricate it with a soap solution. Remove excess liquid with a paper napkin.
5. The next stage is felting wool into paintings, panels, toys or jewelry (brooches, beads). Wet felting of any product involves rubbing the fabric by hand in different directions.

Felting in the washing machine

Felting using a washer is the easiest and simplest method of creating items from felted wool. We will need dense forms for deboning, which are wrapped with wool hairs and placed in nylon golf (or part of ordinary nylon tights without holes, arrows). Let's proceed directly to creating felted crafts:

1. The workpiece must be placed in a washing bag and placed in the washing machine. Pour detergent for washing woolen items into a special recess and set the cycle without soaking and drying. To achieve optimal results, set the temperature to 50 degrees.
2. When the machine finishes the washing process, we take out our finished felted item. If you decide to use a form for deboning, it is better to remove it from the workpiece using scissors.

Where to buy and how much do felting kits and wool cost?

For every beginning needlewoman who has decided to try herself in the art of felting, information on where to purchase all the necessary materials and tools for felting will always be useful. Below are tables showing points of sale of felting kits and wool in Moscow and St. Petersburg. You will find everything you need for felting in the stores presented in the tables.

Online stores

Video tutorials on felting wool products for beginners

With the help of free felting lessons, everyone will have the chance to learn how to felt unusual, beautiful and useful objects. Try felting wool toys, make flowers or beads as decorations. Find out how to create a bright beret and what felting wool slippers looks like in a master class. Treat yourself to your favorite MK by making an exclusive bag or warm scarf.

Age: 14 years old.

Teacher: Bogaturova Irina Vladimirovna, deputy director for HR MBOU Knyagininsky secondary school No. 1.

Description of the work, step-by-step process of its production

1. Description of the work “Kikimora”.

The work completed for participation in the “Do-It-Yourself Holiday Gifts” competition was made using the dry felting technique (filting, felting).

The product is a three-dimensional toy.

Such a gift can be presented for various holidays (New Year, March 8, Birthday, etc.) to both little girls and women. “Kikimora” can become not only an interior decoration, but also a favorite toy.

2. To make the Kikimora craft you will need:

Sintepon for creating the basis of a future toy;

Wool for felting in green (swamp), pink, white, cornflower blue shades;

Pink floss threads for embroidering lips, fastening water lily petals and flower details, blue for sewing a bow to a dress and dark green for fastening individual parts;

Copper wire 10-15 cm long and about 30 pcs. chameleon-colored beads for stamens;

Wire about 50-60 cm long for the base of the arms and legs of the product;

Plastic “eyes”;

Purple satin ribbon 0.4 cm wide and 10-15 cm long for a flower;

Blue satin ribbon 0.6 cm wide and 10 cm long for a bow decorating the dress;

A sheet of white cardboard for the core of a water lily flower;

A sheet of cardboard and a sheet of dark green velvet paper in A4 format for making a water lily leaf;

Needles for felting;

A thick sponge (to avoid getting hurt during work);

Glue “Moment”, sewing needle for fastening parts;

A rod with a diameter of 0.4 cm, hairspray, hair dryer for curling curls.

And, of course, before you start work, be patient, have a good mood, and have a lot of imagination and inspiration!

3. Step-by-step process for making crafts.

Step 1. From padding polyester we make blanks for future crafts: head, torso, palms, feet, arms and legs. To make the arms and legs of the toy bend, we roll pieces of wire with padding polyester: 2 pcs. 10 cm long and 2 pieces about 13 cm long.

Step 2. We roll each of the parts with dark green wool. When deboning, we apply layers of wool transversely to each other. The layers should be dense to eliminate white spots.

Step 3. Using a sewing needle and dark green floss threads, we sew the palms to the hand blanks, and the feet to the legs. In this case, the excess length of the arms and legs can be cut off. We profile the edges of the cuts and seams.

Step 4. We assemble the parts: we sew the arms and legs to the body, while shaping their position. We profile the seams.

Step 5. To “curl” curls from white wool, we form about 30 strips 15 cm long. Then we spray each of the strips with hairspray, wrap it in a spiral around the rod and dry it with a hairdryer. We attach the finished “curls” and a piece of wool-“bang” to the head. The more voluminous you want your hair to be, the more “curls” you will need.

Step 6. From pink wool we make 4 flower blanks - hair decorations. We fill the core of the petals with white wool and give them a convex shape using a felting needle. We make 3 stamens from copper wire and beads, and 4 “petals” from purple satin ribbon. Using a sewing needle and pink floss threads, we collect all the details of the flower and sew it to the head.

Step 7 We glue the “eyes” to the head with “Moment” glue, and embroider the mouth with pink floss threads. Now we sew the head to the body, forming its slope.

Step 8“Sew” the outfit. From cornflower blue wool we felt a dress (back and front “shelf”) and 2 sleeves for it. Then we attach all the details of the dress to the doll. We tie a bow from a blue satin ribbon and sew it to the dress. You can wear any outfit, it all depends on your taste and imagination.

Step 9. We felt 5 petals for a water lily from pink wool, giving them the desired shape with a felting needle. Using a sewing needle and pink floss thread, sew the petals together. Cut out the core of the flower from white cardboard and glue the flower to it with Moment glue. We line the cardboard with pink wool.

Step 10 From cardboard and dark green velvet paper, cut out a water lily leaf one piece at a time. We glue them together. The velvety surface of the leaf is its upper surface.

Step 11. Sew the doll to the water lily flower. Glue the Flower with the doll inside and the water lily leaf to each other using Moment glue.

Step 12. Comb the doll's curls. Set the position of the arms and legs. Kikimora is ready!

", namely the chapter that describes the creation of the funny Moomin Troll.

Materials and tools:

• Unspun ecru wool
• Needles for felting: coarse No. 36, fine No. 38 star; regular needle and thread
• Blank made of padding polyester in the shape of the toy's body
• Brushes
• Gloss varnish
• Artistic acrylic
• Foam sponge
• Glue "Moment-crystal"
• Paperglue
• Wire
• Sanding paper
• Cigarette paper

Master Class:

1. Blanking will not only save wool, but will also speed up the creation of a dense blank for a future toy. All shapes and volumes are maintained due to density.

Using a regular thread and needle, sew the padding polyester through, thereby pulling all the edges towards the center of the workpiece. Make sure there are no seams: they will interfere with the falling. Fluff the wool well and roll the padding polyester blank with a coarse needle No. 36. The needle should go as deep as possible, thanks to this the blank is compacted inside and remains loose on the outside, which is what you need for work. In the place where the neck will be, leave the wool in a loose state.

2. Immediately select all the main elements of the workpiece: tummy, back and butt.

3. Mark the spine. Using a needle, collect the wool from its edges towards the center.
Remember that the wool falls as the needle moves.

4. Form a belly button: it will be a fun touch in the image of Moomintroll.

5. Fluff the fur and begin matting the head. Insert the needle deeply. Form a depression with your fingers and secure the result with a needle.

6. Continue felting, adding or removing wool as necessary.

7. Connect the head to the body. Felt the hair that was left in place of the neck deeply into the head. Add wool to the joint until you are happy with the thickness and density. As you work, ensure the accuracy of the forms.

8. Using wool, extend the back of the head or add the missing volume to other parts of the figure.

9. While the head is still loose, form the eye sockets, into which you will then glue the eyes.

10. Add wool to the bridge of the nose, felt until dense. The fur under your fingers should not be wrinkled.

11. Take two identical pieces of wool and start creating the legs. To ensure that the felting occurs evenly on all sides, you need to felt in a spiral between your fingers. Stick the needle as deep as possible.

12. Leave the wool unfilled on one side and fold it in on the other. This is necessary for the formation of the foot.

13. Felt one leg to the body. Add wool to the joint to firmly connect the parts together.

14. Proceed to tighten the buttocks. The toy should be the same density everywhere.

15. Felt the second leg, giving it the desired position. There will be a cast on this leg: it will protrude forward in a straight line.

16. Proceed with surface treatment. To speed up the process, you can connect two needles No. 38 star together. Often, often, poke after poke, grind. Sand very carefully in hard-to-reach places. Be patient - the work is long.

17. Sand all finished shapes and volumes. Leave anything that will undergo modification and further joining in a loose state for now.

18. Fold Moomintroll's hands in a spiral. They should be thinner than the legs.

19. While the handles are still quite loose, use your fingers to set a bend in the right place and secure with a needle.

20. Form the palm, the curve of the hand. Add wool if necessary. Seal the handles.

21. Compare both handles: they should be the same in size and density.

22. Moomintroll will hold a cigar in one hand. You need to select the finger that fixes it.
Felt it separately between your fingers, leaving loose wool at one end.

23. Roll it to your hand and immediately sand those places that will be difficult to get to later.

24. Try on the handles to the workpiece, focusing on the intended gesture. If everything is ok, continue working. If not, correct the shortcomings.

25. Felt the handles in the desired position, paying attention to symmetry.

26. Level and sand the joints, and then the handles themselves. Do not use any frames; the felting should be as tight as possible, otherwise the shapes and bends will not hold.

27. Start with the legs. Start with the one that will be plastered. The second one will be adjusted to the size so that the toy has support and stability.

28. Compact the part, increase the volume at the toe. Level the sole. Sand only the very tip that will protrude from the plaster. The rest will be hidden.

29. Start sculpting parts and applying plaster. The plaster will be real, and the process of applying it will be close to real technology.

30. Using a utility knife, cut a strip of the required width from the bandage.

31. Carefully wrap it around the leg so that the strip fits snugly and completely covers the surface.

32. This is what Mumiy Troll’s bandaged leg looks like. Do not wrap the toe.

33. Dilute the plaster with water in a container, mix and apply as a layer. Work quickly as the plaster sets quickly. It is advisable to dilute it very thinly so that the bandage is well saturated.

34. This is such a neat leg in a cast! Wait until the surface is completely dry.

35. After adding wool, felt the second foot. Adjust it to size and make it stable.

36. After making sure that the figure stands confidently, place a wire, checking the length of the future cane.

37. Carefully coat the wire with glue and wrap it with thread on top. This is necessary so that the modeling compound does not slide along the wire.

38. Cover with plastic. You can take either self-hardening or baked. It is convenient to use paper glue - a self-hardening material.

39. Make eyes and a cigar. Dry them.

40. While everything is drying, it's time to start making accessories. Place the well-fluffed wool on the sponge in the form of a bow.

41. Begin felting, turning occasionally to prevent the butterfly bow from falling into the sponge.

42. Very carefully, holding the bow between your fingers, trim the edges.

43. Separately felt, and then felt the middle of the bow.

44. Felt the brim of the hat in the same way, laying out the wool in a circle.

45. Finish the edges.

46. ​​From a fluffed piece of wool, felt into a cylinder in a spiral.

47. Continue rolling until the workpiece becomes firm. At the junction of the parts, leave the wool unfilled.

48. Connect the parts together.

49. For the ponytail, take a strand of wool and lightly roll it in your palms. Start rolling between your fingers in a spiral.

50. Create smooth curves, compact and sand the tail. Leave the wool unfilled: on one side - for connection, on the other - to form a brush.

51. Roll the ponytail to the desired location.

52. Sand the dried molded parts with sandpaper. Use coarse sandpaper first, then zero sandpaper.

53. Glue in the eyes. Place a drop of glue at the bottom of the eye sockets, making sure that it is slightly absorbed into the felt. Press the eye blanks firmly and hold them pressed for a few seconds.

54. Carefully compact the fur around the eyes.

55. Having previously felted two small identical balls, increase the eyebrows.

56. Cover the cigar blank. To achieve the effect of a tobacco leaf, glue the paper, without stretching, in a spiral. It is advisable to use tissue paper.

57. Paint all accessories with art acrylic using hard synthetic brushes.
The paint dries instantly, so you need to work very quickly, thinking through each stroke in advance.

58. Pay special attention to the eyes. First draw a circle of gray-blue color, then an iris of a darker shade.

59. Draw pupils, highlights, create smooth color transitions of different shades, darken in the right places and varnish. Don't forget about framing the eyes and edges.

60. Connect all the parts together.

To create compositions, sketches are usually required. It is advisable to think through and draw the exposure before starting work. You can use pictures from the Internet or characters from children's books and coloring books.

Felting wool is a fairly popular form of creativity today. Can you feel anything? beads, bags, brooches, phone cases and much more, which is enough for your imagination. But out of all the variety of wool products, toys are the cutest and some of them even look like real ones. However, the toys don’t turn out like this the first time. As in any business, experience is needed here to get the hang of it.

At first glance, it may seem that felting is a very complex process and a beginner cannot cope with it. However, do not be afraid to start; the main thing here is patience and accuracy. But first, a little theory to better understand how the felting process occurs, and then the master class itself on making felted toys with your own hands.

How does wool felting work?

Natural wool, mainly sheep's, is used for felting. Now purchasing it is not a problem; wool can be found in any craft store. It is sold in various colors, qualities and thicknesses. It is also necessary to mention that there are two types of wool felting technique:

Dry felting, the process of which consists of matting wool with special needles, while the wool is not wetted. This type of felting is mainly used for making three-dimensional products (beads, toys, etc.);

Wet felting is used to make flat products (paintings, scarves, stoles, etc.). In this case, the wool is moistened with a water-soap solution.

More details about wet felting can be found among the many videos on the Internet. This article discusses dry felting, because this is the method used to create toys.

Everything you need to know about felting needles

In the process of dry felting, special needles play an important role, because it is with their help that the wool fibers become tangled and matted. Needles come in different diameters and have different sections, each of which is used at different stages of felting. The notches on the needle are located in opposite directions, which allows you to felt the wool to a high density.

• Before starting work, you need to pay attention to some points of work:
• The needle must be inserted perpendicular to the surface of the wool;
• It is important to make hand movements when inserting a needle clearly and uniformly;
• The needle should be above the product while working, and not vice versa;
• At the initial stage, it is important not to felt the workpiece to its final density, otherwise it will be impossible to further work with the product.

Felting wool toys for beginners: step-by-step master class

On the Internet you can find many photos of ready-made felted toys that will definitely make you want to try making such a toy with your own hands for yourself or as a gift. Next we will talk about the most interesting thing - step-by-step felting of MK toys from wool. The first step is to prepare everything you need, namely:

• Wool of the desired colors;
• Beads for eyes or ready-made eyes for toys;
• Glue for gluing eyes;
• Needles for felting of various diameters and sections;
• Foam rubber or a special brush to protect the table from scratches.

Depending on what kind of animal you need to create, you may need additional accessories or wire for the toy’s frame, etc.

It is important to remember that during the felting process the wool significantly decreases in size, so you need to take it twice the intended size of the toy part. Work is always carried out from larger parts to smaller ones. Therefore, it is better to start with the body of the future toy. First you need to fluff the wool and twist it into the approximate shape of the part. Now the wool lies on a brush or foam rubber and is evenly pierced with a needle.

It is very important that at this stage the needle is stuck as deeply as possible, in which case the wool will fall off inside the workpiece. When the parts of the toy are felled, the joints of the parts remain fluffed up, not tumbled, so that it would be easier to connect the parts in the future.
After the body of the toy is ready, the head of the toy falls off in the same way. To connect the head and body, the place where the head is connected is fluffed, the head is inserted into this place and the entire fluffed part falls into the head of the toy to obtain a smooth transition from the head to the body.
If it is necessary to add another color, then the wool of the desired shade is taken, fluffed, applied to the main workpiece and, in the same way, rolled with a needle until a smooth surface is obtained.

In the same way, the remaining parts of the future toy are created and attached to the body. To form a place under the eyes or other recesses in the product, you need to stick the needle into the desired place several times. The more such sticking occurs, the deeper the recess will be.

Next, when all the parts of the toy are completely assembled, the surface of the product is fluffed using the so-called reverse needle. The final step in creating a toy is decorating it. Here everything depends on the imagination of the needlewoman. These could be additional eyelashes, bows, beads, etc.

These instructions for felting toys from wool are intended to create only the most basic products. But once you start creating toys with your own hands, experience will definitely come, excitement and toys will be born more and more complex and interesting!

Video on the topic of the article