Making Sweater Felt in the Washing Machine

Everyone loves felt flowers. Especially me! They are cheap, easy and add a dash of happy color to any outfit.

There are plenty of great tutorials already out there that use inexpensive, old reliable store-bought craft felt. Problem is, I avoid using craft felt whenever possible. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a great material to have around the house, but making your own felt from old sweaters has mucho advantages.

Felt made from wool sweaters is: 

• Thicker
• Cheaper
• More colorful (and if you can't buy it – dye it!)
• Cleaner
• Healthier*
  How do I make the flower?
  
  
  
  1. Cut a rounded circle sort of thing roughly 10" in diameter.
  2. Cut a spiral shape.
  
  
  3. Make incisions around the outer edge of the spiral every 1/2" or so, making sure to leave at least 1/4" remaining at the bottom.
  4. Snip the corners of the individual petals. Note: Some thicker weaves and fibers will puff up so much with step 5 that you can even skip step 4.
  
  
  5. Throw the spiral in a hot dryer. This will puff it up and suck the loose fibers into your lint trap.
  6. Optional: If the drier puffed it up too much for your taste (top), you can flatten it out with an iron (bottom). I happen to like it puffy, but some fibers will create curly/twisty petals that will be easier to work with after ironing.
  
  
  7. Starting rolling at the center of the spiral (if you can still recognize the center!) making sure to keep the bottom edge lined up. this process is easier if you give yourself a base after 2 or three rolls around, but you decide for yourself.
  8. Once you finish rolling, your flower should look like a cinnamon bun. Stab the needle and thread straight across the back of the flower and repeat several times over in multiple directions.
  
  Note: You will want to use a thick sturdy needle and thread. Thin cotton thread will break. If you don't have button thread or upholstery thread on hand, try dental floss.
  
  Another Note: I know you are thinking you can skip the sewing and go for a glue gun. You would be right, although the results never come out quite as nice; the glue bulks up the back and the excess globs are hard to conceal, but if you think you can get around it, then go for it. 
  
  
  9. Stitch on pin back.
  10. Cover your handy work with a leaf and your done!
  
  
  
  Experiment!  Expect your first attempt to come out a little wonky, but you will improve quickly. Once you make a few of these, you will find them very addictive and easy to do. These pins make great gifts but you can also do plenty of stuff with other parts of the sweater, then embellish with the flowers...think vests, hats, capes, cuffs! More on this in the weeks ahead!
  
  Or don't even bother making the flowers; look at the felt as a special something you can add to other projects.Imagine a pillow edged in ric-rac or pom-pom trim...now imagine it edged in sweater felt trim. Cool huh?
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Since you can make 6-12 flowers out of a single sweater, I tend to make them in batches. Pick up a few sweaters and you can start mixing and matching colors and consistencies. Its always good to have at least one green sweater for making leaves. A few years ago I was REALLY into making stuff out of sweater felt. I gave felt goodies to everyone I knew and sold them at a couple of craft fairs. Eventually the fun fizzled out and I haven't touched the stuff in two years. This morning I opened up the giant Tupperware bin full of spirals I cut years ago, just waiting to made into flowers and scarves and caps and capes and cuffs and stockings and ornaments and .....what's that? What is that I hear? Why, that's the sound of something fabulous coming down the pipeline!