Name: Wet Felted Rainbow
SKU: 92632L
Price: 55.00 AUD

Step 1Prepare your workspace by laying down a towel and then a layer of plastic wrap that is large enough to create your rainbow on.
Step 2Begin to gently tease apart the combed wool. The thinner and wispier you can get it, the better. As a general rule, it’s much easier to felt with thin layers as it is easier to get the water in and agitate. This process of pulling the wool can be a bit tricky, so practice makes perfect!
Step 3Lay out the wool on top of your towel and plastic wrap work surface. We have started with red as the outside arc of our rainbow. You will need to place down a few layers of the one colour – the more layers you do, the thicker your final piece will be. Start by laying the wool all in the same direction (e.g. vertically) and then on the next layer change to the opposite (e.g. horizontally). Continue layering until you are happy with the thickness - we have created 4 layers and used approximately 5g of combed wool for the outside arc.
Step 4Repeat steps 2 & 3 with your remaining colours. Continue to tease and lay out the different colours of combed wool until you have your rainbow shape.
Step 5Mix up a bowl of warm soapy water. We have used dishwashing liquid, however olive oil soap is popular for wet felting too. You need to add enough soap to make your hands feel slippery when you dip them in the water.
Step 6Use your hand to pull water out of the bowl and drip it over your work. Try to disperse the water evenly over the design so it doesn’t become too waterlogged in any particular section. Once you have some water over the entire design, you can use your fingers to begin gently patting and agitating the water through the wool.
You could also mix up your hot soapy water in a spray bottle – this will make application easier!
Step 7Once you’ve patted the design down a little bit and can feel that there’s enough water within the wool, place another sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the design. Run your hands backwards and forwards over the plastic, agitating the wool below. Flip the plastic and wool over and do the same thing from the other side. This is called pre-felting.
Step 8Peel back the top layer of plastic wrap and see if you can lift the wool below in one single sheet. The pre-felting should have worked the fibres together enough to hold. If it’s not holding together, continue to pre-felt for a little bit longer.
There aren’t any fixed timings for this process – it will all depend on the thickness of the wool layers. Even the humidity of the room can have an effect! Try to work off the look and feel of the wool.
Step 9Once the pre-felting is complete, place the plastic layer back on top and roll up your project (with both sheets of plastic) tightly in the towel so it looks like a log shape. Use your hands to roll the log back and forth repeatedly. This part takes quite a bit of time and it is recommended you roll for around 5 minutes.
Step 10Unroll your project, then roll tightly back up in the opposite direction. Continue to roll the log back and forth for at least another 5 minutes.
These times are a guide. Timing may vary depending on the thickness of your project and other external factors.
Step 11Remove your work from the towel and plastic once it is holding strongly together as a single piece and looks completely felted. You may need to repeat steps 9 & 10 if it does not hold together. Finish the piece by throwing it down onto the desk in front of you repeatedly. This is where the work will begin to shrink. Throw it down and pick it up, stretching it into shape as you go.
Step 12Rinse the project out in warm water to get rid of any soap residue and then allow to dry completely. You now have a beautiful, bright Wet Felted Rainbow!