Hand-Rolled Felt Beads

Background & Supplies
Felting is a centuries-old technique that takes a fiber like wool and turns it into a dense fabric by bonding and shrinking the individual fibers together with water.

To create your beads you’ll be using wool roving, which is ideal for felting. Wool roving is basically combed or brushed processed fibers used for creating yarn. It has a soft, fluffy texture and comes in pre-dyed and un-dyed forms. Your local craft or knitting store should have a variety of colors and types of roving available in-store or online. Use wool that this all one type and consistency. Sometimes different colors and fiber types are mixed together, which doesn’t work well for felting.

Beyond the wool, all you need to create the beads is warm, soapy water and your own two hands. It’s the perfect project to work on while chatting with friends or family. We’ve also included some suggestions for supplies you may need if you decide to dye your own beads or create your own accessories in our Felt Beads Materials List.

Basic Felt Bead Instructions

Step 1: Set Up the Work Area
Choose a table (kitchen table or patio table if it’s nice outside) and spread out hand towels in front of each person’s seat to protect the work surface. Place a bowl with very warm water and one or two drops of dish soap at each place.

Step 2: Prep the Wool
Pull or cut off a piece of wool from the roving. The more you use the larger the bead will be. Pull or tease your piece of wool quite a bit to make it fluffy, and then roll into a very loose ball. Dunk the ball and your hands into the soapy water for a few seconds and then pull out.

Step 3: Roll Your Beads
Squeeze any excess water out of your ball of wool. Roll the ball very lightly between your soapy hands like you would with a ball of dough. Be careful not to squeeze as you roll to ensure it stays smooth and round. You’ll want to roll each ball of wool for approximately 5 minutes until firm.

Once the ball begins feeling firmer you can begin to roll a bit harder to help smooth out any rough edges or fluffy pieces of wool.

Step 4: Finish Felting
To finish the bead felting process, simply place rolled beads in a colander and pour very hot water over them. Next, rinse thoroughly with cold water and set aside to dry on a paper towel. Be patient with the drying process, the center of the bead needs to be completely dry before you attempt to use them.

Tip: If your beads swell, get mushy or take on too much water when rinsing, they may not be felted all the way. Go back to step three and continue rolling the bead in your hands until it’s fully felted. The more beads you make, the better you will be at forming them and knowing when they are felted. Don’t be discouraged by a few mistakes; it may just take a few tries to get the hang of it!

Tip: If you’ve made a few very large beads you plan to string as jewelry, it may help to insert a toothpick through the center while the bead is still wet to create a hole for stringing.

Dye Your Beads
If you used un-dyed wool and would like to add some vibrant color to your finished beads look no further than your kitchen cabinets. Place a 1/4 cup of water in microwave-safe bowls for each of the colors you plan to use. Add a packet of powdered drink mix or several drops of food coloring to each of the bowls and mix. Use more or less powder or coloring for lighter or deeper colors.

Place your beads in the bowls and microwave each bowl on high for about 3 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes and then rinse each bead color individually in a colander with very cold water. Let your beads dry completely on a paper towel, then use them however you wish!

Tip: If your beads expand a bit during the dying process, this is fine. Simply roll them in your hands like you did during the felting process to tighten them up.

Use Your Beads
After your beads are rolled and dried they can become a variety of accessories like necklaces, earrings or even keychains. With just a needle and ribbon, yarn, chains or earring findings you can string your beads together beautifully. You can also keep beads on hand to use as trimmings for your future craft projects—they make great replacements for the typical buttons or pom poms to adorn hats, scarves and more. Just use a sharp sewing needle to pierce through the center of your beads, as you would with any bead, to create a hole for stringing.

Clean Up:
Hopefully your old hand towel will catch most soapy drips or dye droplets that may get spread around, but if you end up with a soapy mess on your table, don’t hesitate to wipe it up with thick, absorbent paper towels. When you’re all done crafting, clean and refresh your space with Mr. Clean ^® Multi-Surfaces Spray with Febreze ^® Freshness.