Do you love felting but don’t like getting your hands wet, or you want to conserve water? Try felting in a jar!

We love all things fiber here at Strauch, and people ask us all the time what they can do with the fiber that gets blended on a drum carder that isn’t spinning related. Felting is one of those things you can do whether or not you know how to spin. We thought it would also be fun to come up with a craft that you could do with kids, with relatively low mess and high amounts of fun.

Supplies:

Roving pulled from your drum carder, or skinny strips pulled off of a batt.

Plastic Jar – think about reusing a clean peanut butter jar.

Marbles – one small bag from the craft store should be sufficient.

Directions:

First, tie a 4″ section of fiber into a knot and tuck in the ends, this will give you a rough ball shape.

Fill your jar with your marbles, and pour a couple of ounces of Hot Water (not too hot if you’re working with kiddos) and add a drop of dish soap. It’s important that the water doesn’t cover the marbles, as too much water will make the felting process take longer.

Shake vigorously for 5-10 minutes, checking every couple of minutes to see the progress of the felting. You may have to take out the felted ball periodically to encourage the shaping.

Whammo! You have a felted ball.

It may be possible to make up to 3 felted balls at a time, just keep an eye on them as you shake so they do not stick to each other. For projects to make with felted balls try this necklace or mobile!

If you liked this tutorial, we’d love for you to pin it on Pinterest! Don’t forget to share your creations with us on Instagram using the hashtag #strauchfiber.