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• • • • •
Time
30 mins

Make some cutesy felt beads.

Posted by Cat Morley from London, United Kingdom • Published See Cat Morley's 1146 projects »
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  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 1
    Step 1

    Fill a bowl with some water and a drop of washing-up liquid or a small amount of liquid soap. (I used 'Christmas' scented washing-up liquid and it left the beads with a really nice smell).

    Have a thin stick or skewer at the ready.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 2
    Step 2

    Pull off a long, thin strand of wool tops.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 3
    Step 3

    Wrap the wool tops around the skewer, wrapping tightly as you go.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 4
    Step 4

    As you wrap, try to keep the yarn in as tight a ball shape as possible.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 5
    Step 5

    Dip the bead in to the warm water for a second.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 6
    Step 6

    Slip the bead off the skewer and in to the palm of your hand. Roll it round and round in the palm of your hand until it begins to felt.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 7
    Step 7

    When the bead had shrunk to the desired size, rinse it in clean water and set aside to dry.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 8
    Step 8

    Next up, pick a selection of seed beads and thread a needle with a colour of thread that matches the beads.

  • How to make a felted bead. Felted Beads - Step 9
    Step 9

    Carefully stitch the seed beads on to the bead, stitching from one side through to the opposite side, until the bead is covered. Cut off any loose thread and you're beads are ready to turn in to awesome jewelry!

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Comments

emmilou w.
emmilou w. · Wallasey, England, GB · 12 projects
i made some of these last year in college but i didn't even think to add seed beads to them...thanks for the inspiration, cat!! n_n
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Serpentira
Serpentira · La Cañada Flintridge, California, US · 3 projects
Awesome- I'll definitely have to make some now! I had to laugh though, seeing this. I bought this rainbow dyed 'ball' of unspun wool this summer thinking I could make some felted beads... and then ended up with some sketches of how they might look with seed beads sewn to them, which was something I hadn't seen done before. Guess this just goes to prove that when you think you've come up with a great idea, chances are someone else has already done it!
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Spiffy555
Spiffy555 · 37 projects
Wow nice!! Never thought of wool beads!
Reply
Spiffy555
Spiffy555 · 37 projects
Wow nice!! Never thought of wool beads!
Reply
Cat Morley
Cat Morley · London, GB · 1432 projects
Post your versions guys, I'd love to see them.
Reply
Eve S.
Eve S. · 9 projects
thats awesome!
Reply
Stephanie N.
Stephanie N. · 1 project
super cute!
Reply
Grace D
Grace D · London, GB · 83 projects
This is so sweet-bit off the point but at my old school I made a bag out of felt--So cutee xx
Reply
Alessandra S.
Alessandra S. · New York, New York, US
oh, its also known as roving here in the u.s. and i found some at my local a.c. moore for cheaps. ;] 'wool roving'
Reply
mlc1803 m.
mlc1803 m. · Chihuahua, Chihuahua, MX
cute beads cat! thanks for posting im gonna make a bunch of these pink and yellow wohoo!Happy
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