I've been making felted stones for several years now and I've often been asked how I make them. There are different ways of making stones, but this is my method, one I've tweaked over time to suit me.
Want to give it a try? Purchase the tutorial HERE
52 comments:
Lisa,
THANK YOU so much for sharing this tutorial. Of course, nobody will ever make stones that are quite as beautiful and ornate as yours. Your added touch is what makes them unique. Can't wait to try this, but I still love having the two sets you made.
Thank you, Lisa!!! 8*)
I was worried when I saw the felting needle on the list, but you took care of that quick!! I have everything I need right here in my home!!
This is very easy to follow and is something I can do even with my iffy hands!!
Thank you!! 8*)
You're welcome, Diane. I hope you have fun with it.
purple turtle girl - I've made gobs of stones without the needle. By needling the ends, I don't have to worry about the wool unrolling, and can batch my work. I needle a bunch and set them aside until I can wet-felt them all. Hope you have fun with it.
Lisa, your tutorial is clear. I just know the good use of a plastic bag. Your felted stones with stitches are absolutely wonderful. Love all.
Thanks so much for the great tutorial. I've loved your work since the first time I discovered it. Now, if only I can make a stone myself--I'll be so happy. And for the embroidery part, is this very tricky? I can't wait to try. Thanks again for being so inpiring!
Thank you for your clear tutorial. We've wet-felted stones before with mixed results. I think your tut will help the kids and I achieve consistency. Your work is always inspiring to us. So glad for your blog.
melissa m
Thank you so much Lisa! I see now I've been being too rough with my stones. I need to be dainty, darn it!
Thank you for posting this tutorial! What clear, beautiful instructions. I have everything I need to make them except for stones :) Luckily, those shouldn't be too hard to find!
Excellent tutorial Lisa and a fascinating process! :)
the needle felting on the edges was the tip i needed...i've felted a few stones and some soap, and i always end up with issues on the ends. will definitely be trying again!
xox,
/j
Thank you Lisa!
Can't wait to get started, have got some coloured Merino, so will use that.
I will post pics when I've done one or two. (I think I won't be able to stop at one or two LOL!).
Have a great week,
Sandie xx
Thank you so much for sharing the instructions! This will be my next project for summer when I will find some stones to felt around :)
Thanks Lisa, for the well-written and explanatory tutorial. I will have to give it a try. Now to find some wool roving in my area.
Thanks everybody!
Heather - be gentle with the stones... :D
j - yep, I had trouble with the ends before also. You can fluff them out or lay a thin layer of roving them as an alternative to the needle. But, I know you have needles so carry on...
Sandie - I'd love to see pics!
anonymous - the embroidery isn't that tricky once you get used to it. Go for it!
I'm going to have to try this. It's a pity that my stitches would never look as good as yours though. I love the way your embellish your stones. Thanks for sharing this tutorial.
Thank you very much for this tutorial! I will try it (when I've found the time..)
Iris
Thank you ever so much for the awesome tutorial, my friend. I know these things take time, so thanks for your precious time.
oxox
I am going to try this tomorrow! I love wool and rocks and have long admired the melding of the two but haven't taken the time to learn hoe to do it. Thanks for your awesome tutorial!
I can't wait to try this! I have one of your little felted stones on my desk, I am going to try and make it some companions! :D
Thanks for a beautiful tutorial! I would love to try felting stones.
I love your process. I've felted over rocks but with varying results. Next time I will follow your tutorial. I love how you used the plastic bag to help agitate the wool with the folds yet keeping things smooth ... I can't wait to get out some roving and get started.
Peace!
What a great tutorial, Lisa! I've been playing around with wet felting objects for a while now with mixed results. Starting with a bit of needle felting before the wet felting is such a fantastic idea. I found that the end results were so much smoother and uniform. Thanks so much for that extremely helpful tip! When I first begin wet felting I like to place the rock in the toe of a knee high nylon. I think it helps to hold the wool layers together nicely. You do have to be careful though because the fibers sometimes like to migrate through the mesh. But it works great for the those first few minutes of wet felting when the wool feels kind of floppy. Thanks again for taking the time to post this really terrific tutorial.
I did this today with my 4 year old and blogged our results here
http://sesameseeddesigns.com/blog/2012/02/felted-wool-covered-rocks/
They turned out great! Thanks again for the tutorial!
Lovely and beautifu.
I hope the fever is down and she's doing better :)
Thank you ever so much for this tutorial. I totally get it now! Can't wait to try this your way. You do such beautiful work. Just love it.
Thanks a ton Lisa....your technique is incredible.....just loved it. I may create few jewellery out of it..Wow....Thanks again.....
Bhavik
India
Thank you for the tutorial, it makes me want to run home and try this right now :)
awesome tutorial! i've been wanting to do this for ages (tried it on my own, didn't go so well). thank you so much!
Is there any concern about moths when making things from wool? I grew up seeing my Mom taking particular care of woolens, handling them carefully, keeping them clean and aired, and storing them in mothballs. I wonder what your thoughts are on this, Lisa. Thank you for so generously providing your excellent instructions for the felted stones.
Ruth Hower
Ruth - I haven't had any trouble with moths yet. I keep my wool in bins with lavender and sometimes cedar. I don't use moth balls because that smell does not come out of the wool, even after its been felted, and I've read that it's a possible carcinogen. When I bring in any wool that hasn't been commercially processed, I put it in the deep freeze for a week or so, just in case it's harboring any nibblers.
I don't think you can entirely avoid the possibility of moths, but so far this has worked for me. (knocking on wood)
bonsoir je viens d'essayer pas facile mais je vais encore pratiquer pour y arriver !!merci beaucoup vous êtes très talentueuse est généreuse !!
j'aime bien venir ici c'est que du bonheur !!
a bientôt
Lisa, this is so generous of you to share this detailed tutorial. I hope to try it someday!
Well I thought I'd order some roving and have no idea how much to order. About how many ounces would it take to cover an egg sized rock? Do you recommend a source to order roving?
Thanks so much!
Jill, for a single egg-sized rock you'll need less than an ounce of fiber. You'll find tons of options on Etsy, both in pre-dyed and un-dyed fiber. You can even find sample packs with several different color or breeds of fibers. That's where I'd start. :D
Thank you for this tutorial! I have dyed some of our wool, so I am ready to try it. I have a question about embroidering them that I hope you might be willing to answer. I have also wondered this about embroidering the faces on already-stuffed dolls. How do you start and stop? Do you make a knot, or use a couple of back stitches? How do you hide them? Thanks again.
Thank you for sharing, Lisa. I can't wait to try this.
This is such a beautiful idea :) I have to try it.
Oh my goodness. These are so beautiful. And the embroidered ones! Thank you for the tutorial. (I found you via Pinterest). Your embroidered rocks are flying around! You have some really amazing posts here, I will have to peak around some more!
Thanks for your sharing generosity! Much appreciated. I'm going to start making Christmas presents this very day!
and you might shake your head - but I did not know that there is actually a real rock inside. I thought it is simply a ball of wool. I have never touched one otherwise I would know of course. thanks for sharing this is great.
Thank you for sharing this clever tuto. I'll try during my holidays
Thank you so much for this tutorial. Ever since I discovered your website, I've been in love with felting. The rocks are so fun to do and your tutorial makes it very easy to understand. I'm totally addicted! Thanks again.
Oh, thank you so much! Now i have a green jacket stone and it's my favorite pet!
Kissis4u
my stones:
http://esapiedramehallamadoporminombre.blogspot.com
Hi Lisa,
thanks for your tutorial, I tried it yesterday and it worked out fine! The needling is a good trick, I'll try it out on felting soap as well, next time. I might have a tip for you as well (found in the FUN, a beautiful magazine about felting (german, but also in english!): instead of cutting of any excess fibers with scissors, you could try to shave them of with a dispoasble razor. Tried it, works! All the best from France (are the stones still arriving? :) )
Any way to do this repurposing old wool from sweaters, etc.? Thanks!
What is roving? I have felting yarn that I used to crochet a basket. I have some left so can I use that by pulling it apart as you show. If not where would I get roving?
Hi Lisa,
I thought I'd show you what I made folliwing you tutorial (well - sort of anyway): http://hetkabinet.blogspot.com/2013/06/felted-stones.html
Thanks for all the inspiration!
Liefs, Audrey
Thank you for the tutorial looks like fun i have a friend who has done some felting and i think we could have a nice time on a rainy day doing this project.
Hi Lisa!!!
I cannot wait to try this!!! I was hoping to decorate my stones with buttons and and sequins etc is the felted layer created from this technique thick enough to hand sew? Or should I add some more more layers?
Many thanks!
Mekelle - this is exactly how I make the stones that I stitch on. The idea with positioning the bottom side of the rock up when you first roll is so you will essentially get two layers of wool on the top of your rock when you're done. I find that sufficient to sew on. If you feel thin spots when you roll it up, then I would add a little more roving in those areas. Good luck!
Thanks so much!!! Cannot wait to try this!!!
Post a Comment