Felt Ball Rugs: How to Make Them Yourself
Thanks to the softness and varied range of colors they offer, felt ball rugs are back in trend. These types of rugs have become notable and original decorative pieces that can be used in all areas of your home.
In the following article, we’re going to tell you how they’re made and how you can make your own. In addition, we’ll share our top tips for using them to decorate your home in the best way.
What is felt?
Felt is considered to be the first textile material that was created by man. As experts explain it, it’s manufactured from the conglomerate of several layers of synthetic wool fibers with steam and pressure.
It’s characterized by being a light and moldable material that serves as a thermal insulator, which is why it’s often used in industrial capacities.
Equally, felt is waterproof, so it protects from rain, wind, and even UV rays. It has a fairly long lifespan and is an excellent shock absorber.
Advantages of using felt ball rugs
Felt ball rugs have won the hearts of many people. The reason? You can make them at home or buy them in specialist stores at low prices. In addition, some other advantages particularly stand out, such as:
- Personalization: regardless of whether you make them yourself or buy them in specialized stores, you’ll enjoy a unique and decorative piece at home. You can opt for round or square rugs and choose the exact size you want.
- Durability: as we mentioned, felt is both a durable and soft material which is why felt ball rugs stand out for having a long and useful life.
- Insulation: these types of rugs are ideal for decorating a child’s room because children can sit or lie on them without being affected by the cold or discomfort of the floor.
- Color: these rugs can be made or sourced in a wide variety of colors, so your home will look very colorful.
- Divide spaces: in loft-type or open-plan apartments, they’re very useful to separate each zone. You can also use these rugs in bedrooms–next to your bed or at the entrance to your bathroom.
Where can you buy felt ball rugs?
There are many craftsmen who specialize in the felt ball technique and they produce beautiful rugs. You can visit a local market to meet artisans or research specialized manufacturers on the web.
There are some manufacturers who offer different customization options in terms of color range, shape, and size. In any case, make sure you choose a company that respects the rights of artisans and pays fair prices for their work.
Make your own felt ball rugs
The crafts that include the use of felt are very entertaining and are highly recommended for those who enjoy creativity. With this material, you can also make different decorative elements such as figures, bags, and purses, among other items.
If you consider yourself to have the skills to make your own felt ball rug, keep reading because we’re going to explain how to make them. You’ll need the following materials:
- Carding needles.
- Felt.
- Foam rubber base.
- Large needles.
- Strong thread.
Let’s do it!
Prepare your work area and make a felt bun twice the size of the balls you’ll need. Work the material on the foam rubber and use the needles to card the wool. These needles have a small, double end that the fibers are attached to as the felt passes through.
If you want to make large balls of felt, you must fray the material, wet it with hot water and white soap, and place it inside a ball of plastic bubble wrap. Leave them for 15 minutes, then let the balls cool and dry before starting to make the rugs.
Now you have enough felt balls to create your rug, use a needle and thread to join them together. It’s here where your creativity will allow you to make unique and original designs. Of course, remember that the thread you’re going to use to join the balls must be very resistant. This will prevent them from separating with use and your creation from falling apart.
Enjoy your felt ball rugs!
Felt ball rugs are beautiful and the work that goes into making them is invaluable. Once you build your first rug, you won’t want to wait to show it off.
In fact, if you enjoyed this technique, why not make them for your loved ones too?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Coppari, M. La materia fibra de lana -no tejido- y su exploración hacia nuevas configuraciones para aplicaciones sustentables. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. 2011.