The Felted Wool Ball Rug We All Love

In September I shared some of my tips for keeping my house clean, even with two messy puppers.  In that post I wrote about the routine we've created, which helps contain the dirt and sticks and leaves and mud.

I will admit today that when the weather is really, really, really cold I cheat and sometimes let the dogs out through the patio doors instead of bundling everyone (namely, me) up for a trek outside through the carport.  They don't drag in any mud or muck this time of year, which is why I'm okay with being lazy about this, but they do bring in some snow so I always keep a mat by the back door to prevent them from tracking in water.

And I've been through a few mats, for various, annoying reasons.

Somebody chewed the fringe on the rag rug I had there, so that was out.  Some mats were super slippery, others looked too outdoorsy - some of them the dogs refused to let touch their bodies, so they'd leap over them and onto the hardwood.  I even tried a chic bath mat, thinking it would be absorbent.  I know, I play fast and loose with decorating rules but, in my defense, it looked less bathroomy online.  In person, everyone asked about the bath mat in the dining room. 

It's been a revolving door of door mats.

When Sukhi, a company that sells quality, handmade rugs, reached out to me, I immediately fell for this felt ball rug and decided that this rug might just be the rug to solve our problems.

Unsurprisingly, the humans love it.  It's teal and made of felted wool balls (!!!) - you know how much I love felted wool balls - so it solves the problem of being stylish.  The size was perfect and didn't cover the vent (that's a win for hubby) and it's really absorbent which helps protect the hardwood floors from snowballs.

It's no surprise I liked it, but what surprised me was how much the puppers love it.  As soon as I unwrapped it, they dove for it but I wanted to wash the floors - and their stinky bodies - before putting it out, so I hid it under the bed.  Szuka couldn't reach it, but Hynda army crawled her way under there to snuggle it in secret.

When I finally slid it out from under the bed for photos, I barely maneuvered it a few feet when Hynda hopped on.  It's been awhile and nobody has tried to chew it.  I think they love it too much to hurt it; they each just snuggle it and chew their toys on it because the felted wool helps them grip stuff nicely.  When they come in from outside, they're content to chill here for a bit while I dry their feet off a little.  And now I only get compliments - no more questioning stares - about the back door mat.

Success!   

If I had the money, I'd buy a massive one for the living room which is a huge compliment from me, because I don't love area rugs.  But this feels so plush underfoot, I can only imagine how cozy it would make the living room feel this winter.  The craftsmanship is gorgeous and each rug comes with a tag that says who made it, which is a nice personal touch.

Sukhi has an amazing selection of handmade rugs from Nepal, India, Morocco, and Turkey.  The quality is amazing, plus you can customize so many of the designs - you'll find everything from flat weave to woolen loops.  You can even customize a felt wool ball rug like this one, in different patterns and sizes.  The selection is eye-popping.  According to the company, the artisans have great pay and working conditions, and that's always something I look for when I'm shopping.

I know how labor intensive making felt balls can be...

Thanks to Sukhi for sending me this gorgeous felt wool ball rug.  Szuka, Hynda, Hubby and I love it!  None of us were otherwise compensated and all thoughts, opinions, and puppy bums are our own.

Mini Pom Pom Garland for My Lavender Plant

When I made the cute felted wool ball garland for my mantle - to complement my blue and white, wintry decor - I started dreaming about making a mini version for my sweet tree-shaped lavender plant.  Well, I did it (just under the wire, haha).  And it's every bit adorable as I thought it would be. 

I was at the dollar store when I found a bag of mini pom poms in shades of blue and turquoise - too perfect, right?

I just strung them onto a glittering thread, tied off the ends, and then draped it gently on my lavender plant.   It was an even easier project than my felted wool garland because for those I actually spent the time and hand felted each of the woolen balls. 

I'm still loving my table top case study planter from Modernica, so I'm really rootin' for my lavender plant.  Please live!  It's a finicky little fella, that's for sure.  Hopefully he's not offended by the adornment. 

I hope everyone has a festive and joyous weekend, filled with good food, family and memories to cherish for years to come.  Happy Holidays!

Read more »

Easy DIY Felted Wool Ball Garland

Did you spot the DIY felted wool ball garland in Monday's post about my wintry blue and white holiday decor?  My mantle is so narrow that decorating it is a real challenge.  It's difficult to create a layered look but I wanted it to look really full and interesting so I came up with some tricks, like tucking glittering picks behind my cone trees for extra oomph and making a huge, natural cedar wreath to add some height.

I also whipped up that cute white felted ball garland at the last minute.  I love how it really popped against my dark grey fireplace and, because the felted balls looks like snowballs, complemented my wintry theme so perfectly:

Making felted wool ball garland is really, really easy, which makes it the perfect last minute holiday craft or decor idea.  Hang it from a mantle, like I did, or use it as garland around a tree.  Mix up the size and color of the balls and use colorful, metallic thread for some sparkle and shine.  You could even mix in some beads or needle felt designs onto the felt balls.  

Supplies:

• Wool roving (your choice of color, I linked to white but these blues are pretty)
• Dish soap or hand soap
• One bowl of really, really hot water
• One bowl of really, really cold water
• Large needle
• Metallic embroidery thread

 
How to Make Felted Balls

My original felted ball tutorial - when I made my cute felted wool billy buttons - is really thorough and even though I've since shared felted ball tutorials (like when I made my felted wool rings), it's still my favorite so I've included it below.  But if it seems like too much work, you can track down pre-made felted wool balls on Etsy or Amazon and skip these steps.  Here's a lot of 100 mixed colors for $14.48 or try this 200 lot listing for under $30.  If you're after a more traditional holiday palette, these felted balls might fit the bill.  It seems that single color lots are a little bit pricier, but I tracked down this teal green listing - the color is so gorgeous - and this multi-colored bundle is limited to greens, which is very seasonal.  But I have to say that these these sky blue felted wool balls or this mixed lots of different blues have that wintry look I'm into this year.

Yup, you can definitely find a ton of these felted balls online, in different colorways and price points.  But they're so much fun to make!

The whole process for one felted wool ball should only take a couple minutes.  First, tear off a piece of your wool roving, like you would tear off a piece of cotton candy; you want ragged ends.  Remember that your wool ball will shrink during the felting process.  The size you choose is up to you and if you find that your first ball is smaller than you hoped, just layer on some more wool and keep felting to enhance the diameter.  I recommend starting with a dry ball the size of a marshmallow.      

Next, place a small drop of soap (I have used both hand soap and dish soap successfully) in your dry hands and also rub a tiny bit onto the piece of wool roving. 

Then, roughly shape the wool into a ball before dipping it gently in the hot water – you want it a tad wet, not completely drenched.

Very, very gently roll the wool roving between your palms – like you would a clay ball, but with much less pressure.  At this stage, don’t squish the wool any harder than you would a baby chick.  Then dunk the roughly shaped ball into the cold water (this time you can soak it) and keep rolling. Then dunk the ball into the hot again, then the cold, rolling between dunks.  The change in temperature helps “shock” the wool fibres and is part of the felting process.  Plus, you want to rinse out the soap.

As your ball becomes firmer (and thus smaller), you can apply more pressure.  Your ball is finished when it is firmer to the touch and feels dense.  You can see in the next photo how much smaller my wool ball has become.

Leave the felted wool ball(s) to dry, for about 24 hours - or at least overnight.  The dry felted wool ball should have a slight bounce to it when dropped on a counter top.  I recommend making a few as a “test” before diving into mass production.  I've created a second post, with tips for felted wool ball troubleshooting, and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have in the comments below. 

Once you get the hang of it, making these felted balls is so easy.  When the balls have dried, it's time to turn them into garland! 

How to Make Felted Ball Garland:

I just grabbed a pretty metallic gold thread from my stash and, using a larger needle, threaded each ball onto the thread.  Because mine are so densely felted, the friction causes them to stay put in the thread so once I spaced them evenly, they didn't budge.  But you could definitely add a knot before and after each ball to secure them in place.  Use a thicker thread or embroidery floss for strength.  

If you're looking at the calendar, nervously counting down the days and staring a looming to-do list, you can also buy felted ball garland, ready to hang!  Here's a six foot long multi-color felted ball garland.

So easy, right?  But it looks so cute.  I kind of want to make itty bitty wool garland for some of my plants.  My tree shaped lavender planter is especially begging for some more ornamentation. 

Here are some great links to finished felted wool balls, ready-to-go garland, and wool roving - for whatever level of commitment you've pledged.  Happy crafting!

Read more »

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all peace and joy, today and always.  Happy Holidays!

Read more »

How to Sew Your Own DIY Catnip Stuffed Cat Toy

When Handy Hubby was in high school, a teeny, scraggly stray kitten found her way to his childhood home.  He and his Dad welcomed her into their lives and, some 15 years later, Wido Piddy continues to melt hearts.

Her small stature leads many to believe that she's still a kitten; an ever-kitten.  She now lives in my father-in-law's woodworking shop, along with another kitty and some canine companions.  In the spring she started excessively grooming and essentially pulling out her beautiful fur in tufts.  In an effort to help soothe her, I decided to make her a catnip stuffed cat toy. 

After an afternoon of our own hair pulling, my Mom and I finally made this adorable, DIY catnip-stuffed felted fish toy:

But first, there was some trial and error (you can skip to Version Three if you just want to know how we made the little fishy).

DIY Cat Toy Version One

Supplies:

• Scrap Fabric
• Fusible interfacing
• Thread
• Catnip (10-20 grams)
• Sewing Machine
• Needle
• Scissors

We originally made a catnip-stuffed toy out of my favorite cowboy fabric ;) 

Steps:

I cut out one of the lone cowboys, leaving enough fabric for a half inch seam allowance.  Then I cut out a corresponding shape from a plain, colour-coordinating cotton (for the back), and two pieces of fusible interfacing to match the shapes.  (My Mom thought that interfacing would help give this toy some strength against sharp kitty claws).  I ironed on the interfacing, as per the instructions, and the two shapes were ready for sewing.

After pinning the right sides facing each other, we sewed along the edge, leaving a half inch seam allowance and a small opening under the horse's belly.  When the edges were sewn, we tied off the thread and snipped the edges to make the curves easier to shape once they're right side out:

Then, as I spent a good twenty minutes struggling to turn this tiny cowboy right side out, I wondered why I didn't just buy a $5 cat toy.  The complicated, small shape, and the stiffness from the interfacing made it a struggle but eventually I got it.  Using a small spoon to help poke and prod everything into place helped.

Triumphantly, I stuffed it with loose catnip, stopping periodically to make sure the catnip was worked into the legs, head, and tail.  Once it was packed full of the good stuff, the bottom was sewn shut by hand.

DIY Cat Toy Version Two

Supplies:

• Scrap Fabric
• Thread
• Catnip (10-20 grams)
• Sewing Machine
• Needle
• Scissors

When we were done with the cowboy, I wanted to experiment with a simpler shape - and no interfacing - in the hopes that it would be easier to make.  I cut out a little "mouse" shape from scrap cotton and we sewed the edges again.  After we snipped the edges, I turned it right side out with more ease.  I stuffed it full of catnip and things were progressing fairly smoothly, although it was still piddly work. 

Then my Mom and I had an argument about whether it was a mouse, rat, or parsnip.  She wanted to sew a bunch of leaves on the top and call it a day, but I fought hard.  We ended up adding a braided string tail, some whiskers and beady eyes.

It's a mouse, dammit. 

DIY Cat Toy Version Three - THE WINNER!

Supplies:

• Felt
• Catnip (10-20 grams)
• Sewing machine
• Needle
• Thread
• Scissors

Totally dejected by our weird little cat toys, but figuring Piddy wouldn't care what they looked like because she'd loose her mind for the drug inside, I started fiddling with some felt earmarked for another project.  That's when it dawned on me that felt would be much easier to use for a cat toy too, because we wouldn't need to flip it right side out.  Because it doesn't fray, we could just sew the shape on the right side.

I cut out a simple little fish shape from two pieces of felt.  I cut out pairs of smaller and larger circles for eyes and then cut out little fins.  I hand sewed on the eyes with a few stitches and then we attached the fin at the base with the sewing machine while the fish body was still in two pieces.  We pinned the two fish sides together and sewed around the edges, leaving the tail open.  I tied off the threads and stuffed the fish body with catnip, leaving the tail empty.  Once it was stuffed, we sewed the bum shut and did some decorative stitching on the tail.

SUCCESS!  It turned out to be so stinkin' adorable.

This version was faster (think minutes, not hours) and so, so easy.  Plus, it looks infinitely cuter than the rat/turnip and cowboy.  If you don't have a machine, you could even do a simple blanket stitch around the edges - felt is so forgiving.  If you use felted wool - and not a synthetic felt - you could even needle felt some designs or details onto a simple shape. 

A note on catnip: I found catnip locally, in a shop that sells loose leaf teas.  But you can also track it down on Amazon: this listing seems like a good deal.  I used 50 grams for all three toys, but the amount you need will depend on the size and quantity of toys you make.  You can also mix in some catnip with some batting, if you only want to purchase a small amount of catnip.  I looked at store-bought toys and some boast 100% catnip filling while others have a mix of batting and catnip - you might have to test it out and decide what amount you can give your kitty with her going totally batty.

Read more »

How to Use Needle Felting Techniques to Decorate - or Mend - a Wool Sweater

Spring is the time to say "see ya later!" to all my winter clothes.  I don't actually have a special place to put them, but I do shuffle things around in the closet so really out-of-season things are hidden and spring/summer clothes are front and centre.  I also take this time to make sure every last sweater is washed in Eucalan (the stuff I use for washing "dry clean only" woolens at home), plus I use a sweater shaver to remove any pills. 

My Mom is doing the same seasonal song and dance so we thought it was high time we mended a hole ruining a perfectly lovely, if a little boring, cashmere sweater of hers.  Inspired by my wooly round up of projects in the winter (particularly this tutorial), we thought a DIY needle felted wool patch/applique would be a perfect dose of whimsy - and the perfect hole-hider. 

Instead of just a single heart to hide the hole, we needle felted on a row of hearts to hide the small hole but also give a basic sweater a little character that Jessica Day would surely approve of (if it were yellow or pink - but I couldn't convince my Mom of the merits of more zing). 

Supplies:

• Wool sweater
• Needle felting needle
• Foam block
• Wool roving (we chose black, but you can use any colour)
• Cookie cutter
• Iron

We used a cookie cutter to help keep the shape, but you can also draw on a design and felt in the lines.

First we slid the sweater on to the foam block.  Then we pulled off a small amount of wool roving and placed it in the shape of the cookie cutter.  We bit off  more than we could chew and felted a huge wad for the first heart.  Multiple, thin layers workers better!

This is the best part of needle felting: stab, stab, stab.  If you haven't been tempted by my needle felted art, let me say again: nothing relieves stress like stabbing something woolly with a barbed needle!  Just watch the fingers because these needles are terribly painful.  But this is really all there is to it!  Stabbing the felted wool repeatedly works the fibers into the wool sweater.

Once all three hearts were felted neatly, we used an iron on the "wool" setting and gently pressed the hearts to smooth them out (I've seen other people skip this step, I've seen others mist with water first).  The finished sweater needs to be hand-washed (which means soaking and rinsing and laying flat to us) just like before.

Cute, right? 

The same technique would look great on a cozy wool pillow.  Needle felting is quick and easy work, so a pillow with a dense pattern or repeating design would look amazing and take very little time. 

Happy felting!

Read more »