Felted Wool Lace up tie bracelet / cuff with leaf design

Measure around your wrist then add 30% to the measurement (x by 1.3 on your calculator).  Decide how wide you want your cuff to be then add 30%.

Lay out your wool horizontally to meet these measurements on a piece of non slip mat.  Add a vertical layer, then finally a horizontal layer.  I used Finnish wool for my bracelet. 

Put a piece of net over the wool, then sprinkle on some warm, soapy water into the centre of your cuffs.  gently press through the net so the water spreads to the edges of the wool.  Keep gently pressing all over the cuffs.

Gradually increase the pressure as the felt begins to mesh.  Carefully peel the net back. Gently flip the cuff over.  Fold any untidy edges over.  Repeat the same process on this side.  Keep going until the felt is firm and the fibres don't pull away.  You might need to reheat the water if it cools.  You can add more soap through the net as well if necessary.  Don't make it too wet and soapy though, or the fibres will float apart.

 

 

Once the cuffs are felted, you're ready to full them!  This will shrink the cuffs down to size and strengthen them.  Put some more hot water on them if you need too.  You can mop up any cold water with a towel if there's too much.  Roll the bracelets up tightly in the non slip mat with a rolling pin.  Wrap this up in an old towel.  Roll them backwards and forwards about 50 times.  Unwrap, then switch the cuffs round the other way and repeat.  Stretch the cuffs out after each bit of rolling and add more hot water if necessary, but be careful not to get it too wet.  

 

 Once your cuffs are down to size and you can stretch them in all directions without any give you are ready for the next stage.  I used  cookie / biscuit cutters to needle felt leaf designs onto mine.

Then you need to add some more soapy water to wet felt the design onto the bracelet so the needle holes can't be seen.  Rinse the cuff with hot water to remove all the soap.  Put the bracelets to soak in a bowl of cold water with a splash of white vinegar in it.  The acid will counteract the alkali from the soap.  After 15 minutes take out and leave to dry.
Once dry you can punch holes into your cuffs and thread with a velvet or faux suede cord.
You can buy these cuffs and more at my website www.apulina.co.uk

If you want to make a felt bracelet without the lace up part, look here http://apulinacrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/how-to-wet-felt-arm-cuffs-bracelets.html

 Apulina

www.apulina.co.uk

Needle felted tree with woodland animals

First I made a wire frame using copper wire.  I then wrapped this with Merino wool and needle felted it around the wire.  The leaves are made from a sheet of wet felted green merino wool, cut into shape and needle felted onto the branches.

I shaped a length of wool into the outline of an oval and needle felted this onto the tree to form the Owl hollow.

Next I added the bee and hive and bird nest.

The backdrop for the scene is a wet felted piece. 

You can buy my bears and more at my website www.apulina.co.uk

How to wet felt arm cuffs / bracelets

 First you need to measure your hand at the widest part with your thumb lightly tucked in.  This will ensure that you can get your bracelet on once made.  You need to halve then add 30% to this measurement.  So if your hand measures 20cm around, you need to halve it (10cm) then add 30% to give 13cm.

Then decide how wide you want your bracelet to be and add 30%.  I want mine about 6cm, so I make it approximately 9cm.  The 30% extra is because your wool will shrink.  If you're not using merino wool, check what the shrink rate is.

Cut out two card templates with these measurements and pop them on a piece of non-slip mat. I have two oblongs measuring 13cm by 9cm.

I'm using this poppy design for inspiration.  You could make your bracelets all one colour or several different colours.  Use anything and everything to inspire you for pattern and colour.

 Lay down the first layer of wool.  This should overlap by a centimetre or two either end.  Try not to go too much over the edge of the template at the top and bottom.  I just used the basic underlying colours in this first layer.  Repeat for a second layer.  In felting you should lie the layers perpendicular to each other.  However, because my bracelet is quite narrow, I lay my next layer slightly diagonally so my green doesn't go into my blue.
The next layer I added horizontally.  I added some different shades of blue and green to this layer.

Then it's time to add the decoration!  I used silk noil to add clouds and red nepps for the poppies.

 

Once you're happy with your design lay over a piece of fine net (you could also use a piece of dust sheet).  Sprinkle some hand hot, soapy water in the middles of your designs.  I used a small watering can for this.  The idea is for the wool to all be wet, but not so water is leaking out the sides.  I do this on my dining table with a waterproof cloth over the top no problem.  If you accidentally use too much water just mop it up with a towel.  If you use too much water or soap the fibres will just float past each other and not felt.

Gently press through the net and spread the water across the design, except  for the edges that go off the side of the template.

 Once it's all wet, very carefully peel off the net.

 At this stage I added some blobs of red wool and damped them down into the design to make my poppies.
I put some black nepps in the centre of each.

 Carefully flip your bracelets over.

 Fold down both sides with a bit of water.  If you have any overlapping bits at the top and bottom then fold these under themselves.  You should still be able to see the card at the top and bottom.  This is where your hand goes through.

 Repeat all the stages again for the other side.

 Then fold over the sides.  You might have to lift up and reposition some elements of your design where they overlap.  I had to pick up some of my poppies and clouds.

 Your water is probably quite cool by now, so either reheat in the microwave in a microwaveable container, or get fresh.
Replace the net over the design.  Mop up any excess cold water with a towel through the net if you need to and replace with hand hot, soapy water.
Start pressing gently at first though the net.  Imagine you're stroking a baby rabbit.  If any of your design gets dislodged you can repostition it at this stage.
Gradually build up the pressure of your hands, making sure you pay attention to the sides of the bracelet.  Run your fingers down the edge, otherwise you'll end up with thin bits coming off the edge.  Turn your bracelet over periodically.
Keep going, this bit takes quite a while.  Reheat your water if it gets cool. 

 Once you can pinch a section of your felt without fibres coming free you're ready for the next stage.
Roll your design up in the non-slip matting with a rolling pin.  Then roll that up within an old towel.
Roll the whole thing backwards and forwards about fifty times.  Make sure you roll it the whole way from your elbow to your hands to ensure the whole design is under pressure.

 You can see here the design is already beginning to shrink from the rolling.

 Flip the bracelets around and roll the other way.

 After 50 rolls in each direction I removed the card templates.  You might have to gently pull apart the top and bottom if any fibres have overlapped here.

 Now get some soapy water and rub around inside and on the open edges as these areas may be less well felted.
Then return to the rolling!  Keep rolling the bracelets in all different directions.  Add more hot water if it gets cool.  Make sure you check for sizing as you go, you don't want it to shrink too small.

Once you are happy with the size of your bracelets and you can pull the felt in all directions without stretch you're done.
Rinse the bracelets in warm water then soak in cold water with a dash of white vinegar for about 15 minutes.
Squeeze the water out (but don't wring) then leave to dry.

Your bracelets are finished!

You can but theses cuffs and more at my website www.apulina.co.uk

   Visit my shop www.apulina.co.uk

How to make wet felted arm warmers / fingerless gloves with poppy design

 

First you need to measure around your hand at the widest part.  Halve this measurement then add 30% for shrinkage.  So if it measures 20cm around your hand, half will be 10cm plus 3cm (30%) to make 13cm.  You can do this by just multiplying by 1.3 on your calculator.  This is how wide your template will be.  Decide how far up your arm and hand you want the glove to go and add 30%.    Remember you don't want it too far up your hand otherwise you won't be able to move your fingers! Draw an oblong of these dimensions onto thick cardboard.

 take a measurement of where you want the glove to start on your han and add 30 %.  This tells you how far down the oblong to position the tab for your thumb.  Measure the circumference around the base of your thumb.  Halve this and add 30%.  So if it measures 10cm, halve it (5cm) and add 30% (1.5 cm) to make 6.5cm.  Draw a tab this long on the side of your oblong.

It should look something like this:

Next decide what colours you are going to use for your your gloves.  Laying them out next to each other will help.  I'm going to try to recreate this poppy field scene, but you can do something much more simple using just one or two colours.

Put your templates on a piece of non-slip mat.  Lay out your first layer of wool horizontally.  This will need to overlap the edges of the gloves by about 1-2cm at the sides.  It doesn't need to overlap at the top and bottom because the ends will be left open.  The layers underneath will show through, a bit like a watercolour painting.

Repeat but this time with a vertical layer.  I've introduced some different colours this time.

Finally a third horizontal layer.  After this you get to add your design if you're using one.  I added some white wool and Mulberry silk scraps for clouds.  The wool will be transparent, but the silk will add an opaque, shiny white cloud.  I also used Merino nepps for the  poppies and Super Bright Trilobal Nylon Rainbow Top.  This is a synthetic material so you need to have wisps of wool over the top otherwise it won't get stuck down.

Next you need some soapy hand hot water in a small watering can.  Sprinkle this on just in the middle of your design.  You don't want it to get too wet, just so the wool is wet.


 Place a piece of dust sheet over the top (you can get these from hardware stores).  You could also use a piece of fine net curtain.   Press through the plastic/net until the water is spread across the wool - but not on the edges which overhang the template.

When this is done, carefully peel back the net/plastic and flip your templates over.  Now wet the dry bits and fold them down on the sides.  At the top and bottom fold any extra bits back on itself where your arms and fingers come through.

Now repeat adding the layers of wool on this side in exactly the same way as before.  If you want the design to follow through match up where the colours begin and end.  Wet this side the same way as previously and flip the template back over.  Fold the dry edges over.  I had to peel up and 'restick' some of my poppies where I folded over wool from the other side.

Put the plastic/net over the top and press through.  If you're using the net put a bit of soapy water on the top.  This will help your fingers glide across the plastic (you don't want to be scrubbing at your wool).  Begin gently at first, you don't want to dislodge the wool or upset your design.  Flip over your gloves and repeat on the other side.  Make sure your rub along the edges too.  Keep doing this, building up the pressure and flipping the gloves over from time to time.  You will probably need to add more hot soapy water.  I just reheat mine up in the microwave in a microwaveable container.  If you accidentally use too much water you can mop it up gently with a towel.

Keep going until you can pinch a piece of felt and it makes a tent like shape.  Your design should be fixed in place.

Now you need to full your felt.  This basically means shrinking it.  Roll the gloves up in the non-slip mat with a rolling pin, then roll a towel around it. Roll it back and forth all the way, from your finger tips to your elbows, giving your back a nice stretch.  Careful with your posture so you don't hurt your back.  Rolling all the way ensures you don't end up just rolling on one spot. After about 50 rolls, turn the gloves around and roll them the other way. The felt will shrink in the direction you are rolling, so you need to keep rolling in all directions. 

Keep going!  This might take a while.  You will probably need to add more hot water to help the fulling process.  After a bit take out the cardboard templates.  At this point it's a good idea to try the gloves on.  The top and bottom might have felted together a bit if the edges were overhanging, just gently open them up.  Inside the glove might not be as well felted as outside.  Get some hot, soapy water and rub around inside until it's felted.  Pay attention to the edges as well.  Then continue with the rolling!

You need to keep checking your gloves and trying them on.  You don't want them to shrink too much.  Remember the direction you roll is the direction it shrinks.  I did some extra rolling on the bit of the glove that goes over the arms to make them a bit narrower than the hand part.  Remember though that the whole glove has to fit over your hand!

Once you are happy with the size of your gloves rinse them in hot water to get rid of the soap.  Squeeze the water out, but don't wring them.  Then soak the gloves in a bowl of cold water with a little white vinegar added.  The acid of the vinegar will neutralise the alkali in the soap. After 15 minutes remove the gloves, reshape them then leave them to dry in a warm place.

Apulina

See my other felted creations at www.etsy.com/shop/apulina