Summer is nearly year-round in southeast Texas so it should be no surprise that the free stuff to see and do in the sprawling metropolitan area of the nation’s fourth-biggest city focuses on the outdoors.Wool-felted accessories are all the rage.
The bright colors and organic texture of wool can be seen on purses and slippers, necklaces and broaches. With just a small amount of wool roving, you can make this simple felted necklace.
After you learn the basic technique of making the balls, you can make many different styles of jewelry and accessories.
Materials:
Felting wool roving in different colors
Hot water
Dish soap (hypoallergenic is preferred)
2 large glass bowls
Large needle or safety pin
Silk cord and needle
Aleene’s Stop Fraying
2 clamshell jewelry findings
Magnetic jewelry clasp
Steps:
Fill a bowl with 6 cups hot water and 1 tablespoon dish soap.
Working over a towel, form a wad of wool into a ball twice the size the finished ball will be.
Dip the wad into the hot soapy water, squeeze out some of the excess water and begin rolling the ball in your hands. Don’t use too much pressure at this point; keep rolling for about 4 to 5 minutes, dipping back into the soapy water if the ball cools or dries out.
You can also roll the ball on a towel with the palm of your hand.
If the ball becomes too wet and/or soapy, roll it on a towel to remove excess moisture. If the ball needs to be smaller, apply more pressure to lock the fibers closer together.
When the ball is the desired size, rinse it in the bowl of water, squeezing out the soap. Continue felting until there are enough balls for a necklace.
Poke a toothpick or sharp needle through each ball before they harden. Allow beads to dry overnight. (A cookie-cooling rack works well for drying.)
When the beads are dry, lay out the design of the necklace.
Using a small clamshell jewelry finding, thread beading cord through the loop of the finding and tie a knot.
Thread a needle to the other end of the beading cord, and thread the felt beads onto the cord.
Place small beads or charms between each felt bead for added effect.
At the end of the necklace, unthread the needle and tie a clamshell jewelry finding to the end of the beading cord. Clip away extra cording and apply a small amount of fabric glue to the knots in the cord to prevent possible fraying. Close clamshells using a pair of round-nose pliers.
Attach a necklace or magnetic clasp to the necklace by threading each piece of the clasp onto a clamshell finding at each end of the necklace.
