How to Make Felt Slippers | Wet Felting Tutorial | Start to Finish for Beginners
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- In this video I show you how to make a pair of felt slippers, from start to finish. This tutorial is long and detailed, because I wanted to make sure that each step is clear and well explained. Even if you are an absolute beginner, this tutorial will help you get started with your first felting project. I have watched so many wet felting videos in order to teach myself how to wet felt, and there are some fantastic videos on RUclips. However, I found that some of them are quite short and abbreviated, and it's hard to know how long each step should take from watching them.
Wet felting is not difficult, once you understand the technique. Felting takes time though, and it requires patience. In this video I show you in detail how to design a template, how to layer your wool, how to felt, and how to shape your slippers so that they look beautiful and fit you well.
Inspired by Polish folk designs, I chose to embroider my slippers using two traditional embroidery stitches, "herringbone stitch" and "feather stitch". I have also sewn a cork sole to the bottom of each of my slippers so that they are more robust.
To make a pair of felt slippers, you will need the following items:
1. Thick cardboard, from a recycled box
2. Parcel tape, which needs to be plastic unfortunately, as it needs to be waterproof. You can always reuse your templates to minimise waste.
3. Wool roving or other felting fibres. I use "botany lap waste" from World of Wool (not sponsored, I bought it myself) but you could also use plant based fibres or plant based fibre waste if you are confident that the fibres will felt. "Botany lap waste" is a substandard animal based waste product from processing wool. As I am vegan, I choose to use secondhand or waste wool when I am crafting or selecting clothes. This is a personal choice and something I am happy with, as for me it aligns with my views on minimising the impact of my lifestyle on non human animals and choosing fibres that are natural and biodegradable. Sustainable crafting is a balancing act, so find products that work well for you and match your own personal values.
Edited (November 2023) to add: my finished slippers weigh 95g dry, with the cork soles attached. I share this as a guide for you so that you can estimate how much wool you will need, particularly if you plan on dyeing wool for felting.
4. Soap. I use olive oil soap, which is the traditional option. You can use any type of soap, but it helps if it doesn't foam too much.
5. Synthetic netting, or synthetic laundry bags. These are for creating friction and preventing your wool from adhering to natural fibres, such as cotton towels.
6. Cotton towels to line your workspace, and a silicone pastry mat is useful if you need to protect your table from water damage.
7. Bubble wrap is useful to have to hand, but not essential. The synthetic netting is more important.
8. A rolling pin or foam "pool noodle".
9. A bowl of hot water, which can be changed when it cools.
Here are some time stamps for you so that you can jump through the video and rewatch the steps you need as you felt:
00:00 Start
00:24 How to make a felting template, also known as your "resist".
00:53 How to begin layering the wool roving.
02:16 How to start the wet felting process.
06:18 Edge management with a 2D resist.
17:35 Adding additional layers of wool roving.
20:38 How to wet felt once the layers are established.
27:48 How to use bubble wrap in wet felting.
34:41 Hole placement and removing the templates.
38:30 Techniques for shaping and sizing felt slippers.
42:08 How to manage loose felt and messy patches.
47:12 How to neaten the edges of the openings.
49:36 Using boiling water to shrink wool when wet felting.
50:24 Attaching cork insoles to the base of the slippers.
51:48 How to decorate your felt slippers with embroidery.
54:18 Some detailed footage of the finished slippers.
#felting #silentvlog #fibreart
You are very knowledgeable. I have watched a few tube vids and no one has said how much roving to buy approximately speaking ! This would be a big help !!! Do we get a pound? or 400 grams ?? with Dye lots you need to get the right amount the first time. can you help with this ?
I'm sorry for overlooking that, you're right, it's an important detail. A pound would be plenty, I bought 500g to start with and had fibres leftover for other projects. I just weighed the pair of slippers I feature in this video and as a pair they weigh 95g dry, including thin cork and cotton insoles sewn on as soles. They're a UK size 6, EU 39, US 8. I hope that helps you with weighing dyestuffs and deciding how much fibre to buy and dye.
sooo süß!
These slippers are so beautiful! What an educator you are and so generous of you to show us the process and time needed. It will help us all so much with the process. I haven't felted yet but have supplies on the way. I am so glad I watched your beautiful, instructional, wise guide tutorial. Many thanks! 💜🌸
You're very welcome, thank you so much for taking the time to leave me such a lovely comment too, it really makes my day to hear that a video of mine is helpful or enjoyable to someone. Good luck with learning to felt, it's such a relaxing hobby and very rewarding to make something useful (like the slippers).
this is a very good video for a beginner at felting slippers. I really like how you emphasize that it takes a long time and that one does not need to work for hours at a time. that makes it less daunting.
Thank you, I'm pleased to hear you feel it's something you can manage. It really is just slow, methodical, well paced work and very satisfying when you have slippers to wear at the end of it!
Ngl, i wasn't real sure about those slippers and then wow!!! Those look fantastic!
Haha thanks!
thank you for posting. I'm planning my curled toe'd Moroccan slippers. After trying to find a pair, haha I gave up ... Then in the course of watcjhing many felting videos on this, it occurred to me to make my own darn shoes and perhaps make a pair of sandals from wool that have bells on them. ( the leather strap pair I bought, hurt my feet!) The size charts were great help.. Thanks again!!
It's always the most fun to make your own, I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did. Thanks for your lovely comment, it's always good to hear when a video is helpful or inspires someone to try something new so thank you for your lovely feedback!
The slippers turned out beautifully. I really enjoyed this tutorial. It was not only through but so relaxing to watch. Great job.
Thank you, Kelly 🙂 it's lovely to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for watching and for your kind words, I really appreciate it.
i appreciate this video. i like listening to the music, watching your work, and reading instructions and tips.
Thanks Krystle, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed my video!
Спасибо большое! Очень полезное видео для тех, кто хочет начать, спасибо, что предупредили и о возможных ошибках и неудачах. Тапочки вышли замечательные! ❤️
Большое спасибо! Надеюсь, вам понравится делать пару тапочек, спасибо за ваш прекрасный комментарий!
As a wet felter of my sheep fleeces (no kill). This video was superb, fantastic skills - felting and videography. Thank you for your time.
Thank you Callum, I really appreciate that, it means a lot coming from someone who regularly works with sheep and fleece.
@EighteenandCloudy Hey Stéphanie, me again 😂. It's a solo new years eve for me. Your video inspired me so much that tonight, I've made my first ever wet felted slippers 🎉 they are now air drying before final detailing and I'll probably add cork too. So yeah, just wanted to say thank you from the land of the Red Dragon and happy new years. Diolch o galon 🙏💙🐑
@@callumglass I'm so happy to hear you made some! That's a good use of an evening in my mind. It was a quiet one for me too, my husband and I binge watched Martijn Doolaard's four part documentary about his bike journey from Vancouver to Patagonia. RUclips is fantastic, I love that it enables us to share our skills, experiences, and ideas with one another. Happy new year, and enjoy having toasty warm feet this winter!
@EighteenandCloudy That sounds like a great night! That is a great watch 👏 😁. It is incredible, I feel like used in the right way, youtube is humanities collective mind, as you say, you can learn and experience so much. Have a great year 😊😄
Superb! Thank you so much for showing a real situation. I have long wanted to make some felt slippers. This is just the video! The slippers turned out great!
You're welcome, thanks for your lovely comment, I hope you enjoy making a pair!
This is so peaceful
So inspiring. I am adding this project to my list of skills to learn this year:) Last year I learnt to knit and I’ve knit nearly every day since. Next I am onto tablet weaving. I’ve been interested in felting and this looks like an amazing practical way to start. I love making things I can use in daily life. It makes the project much more satisfying. ❤
Oh I've just looked up tablet weaving, that looks like so much fun! I'm the same, I love trying new crafts, particularly fibre crafts, and making things that are useful. I'm in my second winter of wearing the pair of slippers I make in this video and I wear them everyday. I needle felted a small repair to them recently, and they just keep going. I really want to revisit knitting. My aunt taught me the very basics when I was a child but I've not practiced in many years and need to watch a few videos to relearn the stitches! Have fun with your crafts, and I hope you enjoy felting when you get time to try!
Love this! You explained the process so well!
Thanks for the feedback, I'm pleased to hear you found it useful!
Вы Чудо!
💐🤗☀ за замечательный мастер класс!
Творческих успехов🎉
Пожалуйста, я рад слышать, что это руководство оказалось полезным, и для меня важно, чтобы люди могли наслаждаться им на многих языках с переводом субтитров!
Yes omg I love how relaxing your videos are haha. So inspiring. I guess there are so many different ways to make a video. I have been watching these dye pouring videos onto yarn and they are so fast, but I think doing it slow like this would be so soothing. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I think TikTok and Instagram Reels have changed the way many people see video, and it almost feels like there's no place for slow or long videos anymore as our attention spans have been trained to expect everything to be delivered in quick time! I still love watching long form videos and like to think there's a place for all kinds of video styles. Thank you for taking the time to watch and write to me!
I love these. You do beautiful work. Thank you for being so thorough.
Thank you so much, Debbie. It's lovely to hear you enjoyed it, when I was making it I thought it might be too long so it's great to hear positive feedback!
Магия исходит от ролика, музыка, неторопливость, спокойствие все создает настроение кайфа от жизни.
спасибо, я так рада слышать, что вам понравилось видео и вы нашли его расслабляющим!
thank you so much for making this video
You're welcome!
Thank you so much for your detailed video.
You're welcome, have fun with your felting!
I watched the whole video...THANKYOU...You kept it teal , explaining ever stage . I LOVE YOUR SLIPPERS.!! I have followed you step by step step...my slippets are now drying...I am terrified to cut the hole so fingers crossed. 😊
That's lovely to hear, I'm so pleased to hear the video was helpful, fingers crossed all goes well once you've opened them up, I'm sure it will! 🙂
Волшебство 😊. Спасибо
I really loved watching this video. I have done some needle felting but am looking forward to trying wet felting. Do you always use Rovings/tops to wet felt. I have a lot of carded wool. I was wondering if I could use that for wet felting. Otherwise I will look for some Merino rovings. I live in Queensland. Thankyou for sharing your knowledge.
I have just checked on a few felting blogs before replying as I only have experience with rovings / tops (that's just what I could find when I was planning this project, it's a common form of wool sold in the UK) but from what I've read, carded wool works very well too. Perhaps give wet felting a try with the carded fibres you already have to hand before embarking on a bigger project like the slippers, just to make sure that you like how carded wool handles and wet felts, but I think it should be fine. It's interesting to see who is finding my video at different times of year, I had lots of crafters from the US and Canada between November and March and now people are tuning in from Australia and New Zealand! Thank you for visiting, taking the time to comment, and good luck with learning to wet felt! I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly with a background in needle felting.
I know it is goofy to post a comment before watching but I wanted to say....thank you so much for this detailed and (hopefully) easy to understand video. I have never felted slippers before, have a bunch of BFL roving...felted slippers aren't in the budget...with winter on it's way I hope I can make these with your help. Crossing my fingers. :)
Oh also I wanted to mention...you and I are of like minds. The word "Vegan" used to mean exactly what you stated here. I try to live as gently on the earth as possible. And though I have not purchased roving, wool knitting yarne etc, I have used and reused yarn/wool from decades ago. It is my way of showing my respect. Thank you so much for making a video that allows us to see how much care needs to go into making slippers - any items. Not difficult but time and mindful practice. I tried felting 20 years ago but could not slow down enough to do it properly...now I believe I can do that....with your help Thank you.
BTW did you purchase the cork soles online? Would you be able to share the link as I would like to do the same. thank you
Thanks Trish, I really hope the video gives you the confidence to try making some slippers. I lived in mine all winter through until April last year, I feel the cold really easily and they really helped keep me warm. It's lovely to know you and I are so like minded, I feel like sometimes vegan / sustainability communities can be quite strict and dogmatic, and put people off just trying to make little changes and do the best they can. I found the cork soles on eBay, if you search for 'cork and cotton eco insoles' in your size on eBay you should be able to find something similar from a local seller, they're very common. Shoes shops might sell them too, if you have a good in person store near to you. Good luck with your felting adventures, I really hope you enjoy the process and get lots of use out of your slippers this coming winter.
@@EighteenandCloudyThank you so much for your reply. I too feel they can be too dogmatic...which is why it was so great to hear from you...after all these years I tend to keep silent in such groups :) I'm on a small island in Canada so nothing local for sure - I'll keep looking on ebay -thanks for the tip...I haven't found anything yet . I live very simply (no heated floors for sure!) and it can be quite cold in here in the fall/winter so am really looking forward to warm slippers. Been thinking about it for years and look forward to finding the time to make them...thanks for posting how long they really take to make! Now to find some bubblewrap that's repurposed :)
oh that does sound idyllic - living on an island - but I know there will be challenges associated with living somewhere quite remote. Thanks for reaching out, and do let me know how you get on with your slippers! If you experience any challenges with the process let me know, I'd love to try and help you troubleshoot if needed.
Благодарю вас! 🌹Это лучшая работа, которую я увидела ❤🙏
Пожалуйста, спасибо за просмотр и ваши приятные отзывы!
Brilliant
Thank you!
I love your work, its beautiful, and so calming to watch! Thank you for putting in the time to show each step so thoroughly, I am a slow learner.
I was wondering, how do you set your work aside to work on later? I have small kids, putting in 75 hours of work will most definitely have to be sectioned out in my week. If the felt gets dry while waiting will it ruin the work? Are there a good stopping points? And how to I lay the slippers out? Can they just sit on a counter? Or would they have to stay wet?
I hear you, it can be hard to find big chunks of time and space for messy or all consuming craft projects. My crafting table is our living room / dining table which we use every day so I have to find ways to store half finished projects too. The good news is that it doesn't matter if your wool dries out between felting sessions, it won't damage anything. It helps if you can leave your work flat, and gently press out excess water if you plan on leaving the slippers for more than an hour or so. I use a pastry mat to felt and full on, and so it's quick to just pick it up and move it to my kitchen counter between steps even if things look delicate. For the fulling and shaping steps it helps to work on both slippers side by side so that you can keep things symmetrical, but for the initial layering and felting you could do one at a time, as it might fit better around the time you have available. If you need to stop suddenly whilst working, don't worry. Just take photos to remind you of your set up or make a note of what you were working on for when you return later. I hope you have fun when you get started making yours!
Thank you so much for the help! I am really excited to make my own pair!
Ví el vídeo completo y me encantó el trabajo.Espero me resulte.Gracias,muy específico.❤
Gracias, espero que te funcione a ti también, ¡buena suerte y diviértete!
Love ❤️ the process thsnk you I'm gojng to try it in 2025
Thanks Bernadette, I hope you have fun making a pair in the new year! 🙂
❤❤esta muy bien detallado 😊genial
¡Gracias! Me complace escuchar que fue útil.
This is one of the best tutorials I’ve watched. I loved the way you used music to accompany your instructions. I have a commission to felt size 7 elf shoes for Christmas, so this was very helpful. ❤
Thank you! I'm so glad it's helpful, it's really good to hear. Good luck felting your elf shoes, that's a really exciting project to get stuck into. For pointy or curly toes, you could also try needle felting if wet felting proves fiddly for the details. I bet they'll look fantastic!
Sehr schön gezeigt.
Danke Irene!
Great job! Not sure I have the patience for that 😊
Haha thanks Jan, I must admit I have to be in the right kind of mood for felting!
Thank you!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Это было прекрасно ❤❤❤
Спасибо!
If you put them on, for a second dipping in ice water, thry will shink to fit. Wear til just damp for perfect fit.
That's a great tip, thanks for sharing!
Beautiful😊❤
Thank you! 😊
Beautiful- can you please tell me how much roving I will need for a pair of womens US 9 slippers. Thank you for sharing
Thanks Colleen, and sorry for taking a while to get back to you, RUclips doesn't always send comment notifications in the app. I bought a 500g bag of fibres for several different projects including the slippers (UK size 6 / US size 8) and a big, thick cat bed, and had some leftover. In the UK 500g or a pound of wool is a common bag size, so if you can find a similar deal in the US that will give you plenty of fibres to make your slippers and any other projects you might like to try. Good luck and have fun!
I came for.the.socks. Is there a pattern for.the socks.pleasez?
I didn't make my socks, but if you search for 'nordic sock pattern' on Ravelry or Etsy you should be able to find a knitting pattern!
Срасибо за пояснения на русском❤
To a viewer with the initials 'AC', I saw your comment in my notifications box but it's not displaying anywhere in the comments section. About merino wool and the slippers not shrinking despite following the steps I demonstrated, my suggestion would be to increase the temperature of your water whilst you're fulling, as heat can really help. Don't make it too hot, it should still be comfortable for your hands to be in the water. If this still doesn't work and your slippers haven't shrunk, put them into a heat proof dish and pour just off the boil water from a kettle over them, leaving them in the water for no more than 20 - 30 seconds at a time. Then start working the fibres a little more. I hope this helps, sometimes felting can be frustrating and every type of wool and fibre behaves slightly differently.
Hi! I am just seeing this now! I loved your tutorial! I ended up boiling the slippers and it worked beautifully and actually made them very strong! I am using your tutorial again now to do this with my students. Thank you again!
You're very welcome @@acw5800 and I'm so happy to hear your original pair worked out once you'd boiled them. I hope your students enjoy making some, too. Thanks for the update!
Thank you for not cutting the video. ❤
You're welcome, and thank you!
Sono lavabili?
a mano, in acqua fresca