Felted Easter
Eggs
By: Geri Rutledge
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Just in time for the Spring Season, a simple
craft project that takes very little time and can be done with raw wool or dyed
and carded wool. I have tried both ways, and the end product is very
similar.
Supplies: Raw or carded and
dyed Wool, plastic Easter egg, yarn, and a sock. (and the use of the
clothes dryer)
All of this should be done at the kitchen
sink. I take a handful of llama/alpaca wool, enough to fill the plastic
egg. Then wet the wool using the faucet, adding dish soap to make a round
ball. Squish the soap all the way through the wool ball. Compress
the wool and place into the plastic egg. Don't leave any hanging out the
side. Snap the egg closed. Then put the egg in the end of a sock and
tie a piece of yarn around the egg on the outside of the sock. I can get 4
or 5 eggs in one sock, just keep filling the sock until you reach the end.
You can use solid colors or mix the wool
and get swirl pattern in your eggs.
Then take your sock(s) and place them in
the clothes dryer. I let them dry on the warm/high heat for at least 30
minutes. Adding a pair of shoes to the dryer isn't a bad idea. It is
the heat and agitation that makes wool felt.
If you get a round ball, make it a cat
toy. This means you need to put more wool in the egg next time.
Take them out of the sock, out of the egg,
and let dry. Then you can needle felt designs, add crafty items or some
"bling bling" to make it really stand out. This is a great 4-H
project, just mark the kids socks with a permanent marker before putting in the
dryer.
Author: Geri Rutledge is a
Fiber Artist from Waco, Nebraska. She raises alpacas and llamas and is an
ALSA certified Fleece Judge. Geri likes to create projects that are easy
and fun for the kids. If you have questions on this project, contact Geri.
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