Wool Craft Patterns and Kits That Will Have You Creating in No Time

Want to get crafting, but not sure where to start? Wool craft patterns and kits give you everything you need to create something beautiful, fast and easy. One of the great things about a kit is that it comes with all the materials you’ll need. You won’t have to worry about waste, because, in many cases, the pieces come pre-cut. And since patterns and crafts come with instructions, there’s no waste of time wondering how it all goes together.

Why wool, specifically? It’s inexpensive, for one thing. For another, it’s a very forgiving medium. Even if you do manage to make a mistake, you can easily disguise or hide it when you work with wool. So have a look at some of these excellent wool craft patterns and kits, and see where your inspiration will tell you.

Wool Craft Patterns and Kits: By the Numbers

We’re going to take a look at four different wool crafts that are popular right now. Popularity means that you’ll be able to find kits and materials easily, as well as help and resources if you get stuck. We’ll tell you a bit about the craft, show you some of the neat things other people have made, and then let you know where you can get kits that can give you a running start.

#1 Needle Felting

Needle felting is fun and easy. More importantly, you can make some great looking things — and a lot of different kinds of things. You can create flat objects like wall hangings. Additionally, you can embellish clothing and handbags. You can also make three-dimensional objects like toys. The only limit is your imagination.

The basics

You have probably already seen sheets of felt. Have you ever looked at it closely? It’s made from fibers tangled and mixed to form a single piece of fabric. Traditionally, wool fibers are used to make felt. It might not sound like a strong product, but it is. In fact, nomadic Kazakh and Mongol people of Central Asia historically lived in houses made from wool felt. The houses were lightweight but weatherproof, and easy enough that one person could assemble them. Today, you can find sheets of felt made from acrylic and other fibers, as well as wool.

Needle felting means making felt by tangling wool or other fibers together by poking them with a needle. You can achieve a similar effect by washing wool fibers in a washing machine with hot water.

With needle felting, you can make flat sheets of felt to work within other projects. In addition, you can also felt your wool into three-dimensional balls and shapes to make dolls, ornaments, and toys. Check out the process in the short video below:

What you’ll find in needle felting kits

A basic needle felting kit contains several items.

Wool roving

Wool roving is wool fibers that have been carded but not yet spun into yarn. Often, kits contain dyed wool, though some may have naturally colored wool as well. Wool roving resembles large, colorful cotton balls.

Needle felting tools

The needles used in needle felting have pointed, barbed bodies. The barbs agitate the wool fibers so that they stick together. You might hold the needle in your hand, or screw it into a wooden-handled awl. You might also use a needle felting pen, which has several exchangeable needles.

Other accessories

Felting kits may also include things like protective thumb sleeves. Felting needles are sharp! Needle felting kits may also include spare blades, a felting mat, and instruction booklet, and other useful things.

Felting kits and where to find them

You can find needle felting kits and other wool craft patterns and kits at your favorite craft store. In addition, online retailers like Amazon have a variety of kits available. Here are a few of our favorites.

This needle felting kit contains everything you’ll need to make a cute little fox. There is wool roving, a felting needle, felting mat, wool roving, and more.

This kit contains lots of different colors of wool roving, a felting tool, an instructional manual, and everything you’ll need to create several cute animals.

#2 Felt Applique

Applique, in French, means “applied.” In crafts, it refers to smaller pieces that are attached (applied) to a larger piece as decoration. Felt applique means cutting decorative pieces of dyed wool, then sewing them onto clothing, bags, or other things.

What you’ll find in a felt applique kit

Some felt applique kits will contain pre-cut pieces of dyed wool, with instructions on how to put them together. Others may contain needles and thread for connecting decorative stitching as well. Here are a few examples of felt applique kits you might enjoy.

Wool craft patterns and kits for felt applique

Here are a few of our favorite projects and techniques. Of course, you’re always free to design your own, as well.

Penny rugs

Penny rugs date from the American Civil War era. Originally, artists cut scraps of wool or cloth, using coins as patterns. They then appliqued these circles together to create blankets, placemats, rugs, and more.

You can see how the artists put the pieces together in the video below. If you’re interested in making your circles by needle felting, you can watch the earlier videos in this series to see how it’s done. But if you want a beautiful idea for how to plan a penny rug, enjoy the images below.

Today, you can cut your own circles, or you can buy a penny rug kit, which has the circles already pre-cut from dyed wool.

Other wool craft patterns and kits for wool applique

Some kits, like this one from Amazon, contain the instructions and materials for making large, colorful projects like quilts and table runners. This kit has instructions, a pattern, and a selection of hand-dyed wool. There are a lot of pieces, but with patience, you could create something beautiful.

#3 Weaving With Wool Roving

Weaving with a hand loom is simple and fun. And by using wool roving, you can give your projects a variety of interesting textures. You don’t need a lot to get started, either. Hand looms are simple and inexpensive. If you want to, you can even make your own pretty easily. Probably the best part about it is that you get to play with your dyed wool, pulling it apart to get just the right thickness and texture for each bit. Weaving with wool roving can produce lovely one-of-a-kind wall hangings and other art objects. Have a look at this video to get an idea how it’s done:

Wool craft patterns and kits for weaving

You can find small, inexpensive looms for hand weaving on Amazon, as well as at your local craft store. The roving is usually sold separately.

If you don’t want to buy a loom, it’s a pretty simple thing to make. This video will show you how:

#4 Make a Wallet or Phone Case

At one time, this was a popular summer camp craft. And it’s still a quick, easy way for people of all ages to whip up something useful. Wool felt is flexible, durable, and easy to cut and shape. You can easily sew the pieces together using an easy decorative embroidery stitch like the blanket stitch. And if you mess up, you can start over quickly and easily — and cheaply. Here are some wool craft patterns and kits for making felt objects you can use over and over.

A phone case for you, or as a gift

A phone case is not just fun and easy to make, but it’s also useful. This could be a terrific craft to do with kids. However, adults can also take crafting to the next level and do something for themselves.

Wikihow has one easy pattern for a felt phone case, with detailed instructions. The video below will show you how to make something a bit more sophisticated.

A more complicated wallet for adults

Check out this wallet pattern from Handmade DIY. With it, you can make a wallet similar to the one in the above photo, but out of inexpensive, durable, easy-to-work-with wool felt! It’s quite a bit more complicated than the children’s coin purse. In addition to credit card slots, it also has lining and a zipper. The article has a free pattern that you can print out, as well as a photo tutorial, instructions, and a list of materials you’ll need.

Are you an anime fan?

You can find all sorts of wool craft patterns and kits online. If you or someone you know is a fan of Studio Ghibli, then this cute Totoro wallet kit might be right up your street.

 Other Kinds of Wool and Felt Crafts

Wool crafts like needle felting and weaving with roving are fun and easy. Moreover, it’s inexpensive to get started. Finally, the varieties of wool craft are endless. You can even make up your own.

For more ideas, check out:

• Lia Griffith’s 254 Felt Crafts, Patterns and DIY Tutorials
• FaveCraft’s 50 Favorite Beginner Wool Craft Projects
• Cool Craft’s 70 DIY Felt Craft Projects

 

Featured Image: CC BY 2.0, by brownpau, via Flickr