Whether preparing for a DIY project or a group meeting for wool, you want to know if you should use wool felt or felted wool.
If you thought these were the same, think again! The truth is that textiles have some similarities, but they also have many differences. Please keep reading to learn more about both materials and how to make a difference between them!
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1. Wool felt and felt wool of the same origin
- Chapter 2. What Is Wool Felt And Its Use?
- Chapter 3. What Is Felted Wool?
- Chapter 4. How to Make a Difference Between Wool Felt and Felted Wool
- Chapter 5. How to Use Wool Felt and Felted Wool
- Chapter 6. Is Wool an Eco-Friendly Material?
- Summary
Chapter 1. Wool felt and felt wool of the same origin
The confusion between these two textiles doesn’t surprise me, especially if you know their origin. Wool felt and felted wool both come from the same animals. In most cases, people use sheep to get these textiles, but any animal with wool does.
The first thing you should do is to shear the sheep to get raw wool fiber. You can feel free to thank the sheep for providing the wool, which you should clean and card. Once you complete the process, you will get something called wool roving. However, that is where the similarities between the two textiles end.
Chapter 2. What Is Wool Felt And Its Use?
You might have worked on some projects involving felt when you were a child. The textile is resistant to fraying and tearing, which makes it very durable. On top of that, it is firm and heavy and can hold shape, which increases its versatility in different projects. Finally, you can cut it easily, which makes it suitable for children.
The chances are you used synthetic felt, but wool felt has the same features. The important thing to remember is that this is a non-woven material. That means that the manufacturers haven’t used any weaving or thread in the process.
2.1. How You Make Wool Felt?
Everything starts with wool roving. After that, you should add a mixture of heat and moisture while agitating the material. You will notice that the material will get together and turns into wool felt.
Keep in mind that wool felt doesn’t have to be entirely pure. However, if you want a top-quality textile, you should stick to natural materials. That is why some manufacturers combine rayon with wool. Rayon is a non-synthetic fiber similar to linen or cotton, which is why it is a great choice to combine with wool.
Chapter 3. What Is Felted Wool?
You get felted wool by thread and weaving, which makes this a woven material. Once you get to wool roving, your task is to clean, card, and place it into thread. The next thing that happens is that you should weave the thread into cloth, use hot water to wash it, and use high heat to dry it.
In essence, you are doing the same thing when making wool felt because you use agitation, moisture, and heat. Please note that the results may vary depending on the percentage of the wool included and the temperatures you use.
Chapter 4. How to Make a Difference Between Wool Felt and Felted Wool
That is the $1 million question because it won’t be easy to make a difference between wool felts and felted wool. Since wool felt non-woven material, there are significant differences in their manufacturing methods, and felted wool is a woven fabric. Unfortunately, that won’t help a lot in determining which is which.
The best way to learn would be to get both fabrics and inspect them yourself. You probably expect both materials will be soft, but felted wool is the winner in this area. Additionally, felted wool drapes are similar to cloth. Combined with a huge choice of colors available, it becomes clear why many people consider it their favorite.
You could say that wool felts a bit more durable, which might make it a smart choice for projects that require strong but soft materials.
If you are an expert, the best way to make a difference between two textiles is to ask the manufacturer or read the product’s label. Although the information you receive should be correct, we would still advise sticking only to reputable providers that deserve your trust.
Chapter 5. How to Use Wool Felt and Felted Wool
Did you know that many industries use wool felts for different applications? In the industrial world, you can find these fabrics in automotive products, fashion, and the music industry.
But what we want to focus on at this point is how you can use wool felts and felted wool. Here are several suggestions that you should consider:
- DIY and group projects to make various items. Felt is great for school projects and for spending some fun time with your children while boosting their creativity.
2. Puppets, toys, and dolls. Those who use wool felt in recreational projects usually focus on making dolls, toys, and puppets. Imagine if – you can allow your child to make their toy!
3. Decorative items. If you have a high dose of creativity, you can use decorations made of felt to make your home or work area beautiful.
4. Fashion items. How does it sound to make your scarf or a sweater? It may take a bit of skill, but as soon as you become experienced, you will be thrilled with the items that felt can make.
The greatest thing about working with wool felts and felted wool is that you do not need vast skills or experience to work with it. If you make a little effort, you can learn to make felt items right away. You can start with some basic shapes and projects, and move on to the complex ones when you feel comfortable enough for the challenge.
Chapter 6. Is Wool an Eco-Friendly Material?
Unfortunately, we live at times when not many people care about our planet, even though they should. If you are willing to look for environmentally-friendly solutions, we applaud you for that. And we have good news – wool is a sustainable and eco-friendly material!
First of all, it is naturally renewable. You know that wool comes from the fleece of the sheep. They grow the fleece every year, which indicates it is renewable. On top of that, we don’t harm the sheep when removing the fleece, which is extremely important.
Once you are done using a wool product, you can throw it away, and rest assured it will biodegrade. As a natural fiber, wool is entirely biodegradable, which means you won’t be the cause of pollution.
And finally, wool has an amazing characteristic – it can act as an air purifier. This natural material absorbs harmful compounds around it and keeps them rather than re-emitting them into the atmosphere. The experts believe that wool can be effective in air purifying for about two or three decades.
Summary
Ultimately, you can’t go wrong whether you choose wool felt or felted wool. Both materials are of exceptional quality (as long as you are certain of their purity), and they are very soft and quite strong. We recommend trying both of them, and then making the final decision on which suits you better!2