Wool Bead Felting
Created by: IRRC
Subject: Art
Time Required: Discussion 10 minutes
Felting: ~5 minutes
Date:
Grade Level:
Standards: Understanding and applying media, technique
and processes (National content Standards for Education in
the Arts).
Overview
Students will learn about wool products and how to felt wool.
Goal(s) &
Objective(s)
Materials
Students will understand the wool fiber structure.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Wool roving
Metal darning needles (make sure it has a big eye)
Hot water
Dawn liquid dish soap
Pipe cleaners
Hand-held magnifying glass
Introduction:
Wool Overview: Sheep have wool that is usually sheared every year.
Different types of sheep will produce varying quality of wool. Characteristics of
Instructional
Approaches/Strategies wool include length, thickness, texture, and strength of fiber. Wool can be
spun and made into yarn for sweaters, socks, blankets, etc. It can also be
felted (matted together) for lining of vests and boots. Felt is also made into
hats, purses, and decorative items.
Teaching
Activities:
What is Roving?
Roving is clean, unspun wool.
What is felt:
In its simplest form-Felt is matted wool. Felt is non-woven fabric or tightly
bound fibers that do not ravel. When moistened, agitated heated, and
pressure is added, wool has the ability to coil upon itself, interlock and shrink*.
How does wool get felted:
When moisture, heat and pressure are applied to wool it becomes felted
How are we going to felt wool?
Hot soapy water makes the wool fibers to expand or to “open-up.” By agitating
these fibers, they become tangled. When these tangled fibers dry they lock
Bead Felting 1
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together creating felt.
Procedures
1. Look at the roving with a hand-held magnifying glass. Talk about what
the fibers look like.
2. Form a small amount of roving into a ball
3. Dip wool in hot/ soapy water (make sure the water isn’t sudsy). It
should feel slick and slightly slimy. The more soap the harder it is to
manipulate the wool into a bead.
4. Squeeze excess water out of wool and roll it into the palm of your hand.
Press the wool while rolling it in a circular motion.
5. Dip back into water as needed.
6. When the wool bead is to the desired size and tightness thread pipe
cleaner through needle eye and then thread needle and pipe cleaner
through the wool bead. **This is best done when wet. It is easier to get
the needle through the felt bead.
7. Now you have your first bead, create as many as you want to create a
bracelet, necklace, key chain etc.
Closure
1. Students can create as many beads as they want for bracelets, key
chains, necklaces etc.
2. Examine the beads with the magnifying glass. Discuss what the fibers
look like now.
Assessment:
Have students describe wool fibers before and after felting and discuss other
wool products.
*Felting Wool for Applique, Sketchbook Crossroads, National 4-H Council, (4-H Cooperative Curriculum System),
page 31. 2005.
Bead Felting 2
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