Felt Ball Afternoon

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Over the weekend the weather turned very cold and we saw our first snow flurries. With it, brought a whole bunch of children up to my house for an afternoon of felt ball making.

Use a variety of colors of roving. Make a bowl of hot soapy water: 3 tbsp of clear dishwashing soap to 4 cups of hot water.

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First you take the wool roving and you squish it into a ball. Then start rolling until it is a ball. Start wrapping little bits of roving around your ball, dip it back into the hot soapy water, and keep rolling.

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Keeping rolling and dipping until you have balls that look like these. You can make them any size you want. Once you have your ball felted at your desired size, rinse it under cold water and let it dry.

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These are juggling balls for a special friend. All of this is being done as part of our handmade holiday being hosted by Tonya over at Plain and Joyful Living. Head on over and see what everyone else is up to.

 

 


Comments

18 responses to “Felt Ball Afternoon”

  1. Why don’t I ever make these wool balls? They are so fantastic, and I have boxes of roving in the closet. Perhaps when I am done with my craft show this weekend, I will get those boxes out and enjoy some creative time with my kids. Hope you are well!

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  2. We got some sleet – not as fun as flurries! Making the wool felt balls is so fun – all that warm soapy water. My girls love making them.

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  3. That looks so much fun – what a great way to play and make something useful at the same time! Love all the big smiles! ๐Ÿ˜€

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  4. Ohh, lovely colours! So vibrant! What a fun project for a snowy day!

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  5. Dearest sweet Valarie, such a wonderful fun weekend and first snow sighting just makes me happy {i really adore snow and wish i could experience it too!} These felted balls are soo adorable and the colors are just gorgeous! Have a lovely merry happy day and love to yoU!

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  6. So nice! This is a project I’ve been meaning to try for a while now. Imagine all the wonderful things you can turn them into. Juggling balls sound just perfect. ๐Ÿ™‚

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  7. your blog looks fantastic! it’s been awhile since i cilicked through on my reader. i especially enjoy seeing what you’re reading, of course. ; ) lovely felting here too!

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  8. Hello Dear Valarie
    In all my years of trying to make felt balls, I always get a hole or long open line in the ball when finished….and thats because I take all the roving and start the ball big from scratch..Thank you Valarie. These will look lovely on my tree. I hope you are well and not too cold.
    A happy day to you
    Suzanne

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  9. oh! Handmade juggling balls–brilliant! I now a little juggler who just might like something like this…

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  10. Hi Maribeth. I’m so glad your craft show was a success. It is so relaxing to make these balls. It’s the perfect thing to do to relax after a stressful time. Please show me your results. I know it will be brilliant. No pressure or anything. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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  11. Isn’t it wonderful? I’m so glad the cold of winter is here. So many warm adventures to dig into. Enjoy the season.

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  12. We had a ball. We are now planning a sleepover to make felted slippers. I can see the happy mess now. ๐Ÿ™‚

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  13. It was such a perfect project and caught the moment perfectly.

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  14. Hi sweet jacqueline,
    I wish you could experience snow too. Put it on your list to do some day. It has so many special things to see and do. We had such a great time making these. Once it cools down over there give it a try. Infact it’s the perfect use for wool in a hot climat. enjoy.

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  15. Hi michele, It’s a great thing to do with children. It’s like legal mess making, I think more for me than for them. How is Hilla doing? Give her a little hug for me.

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  16. Hi Kendra. I thought of you the other day and stopped by the blog. Oregon is looking beautiful as ever this time of year. When is that sweet baby coming? I can hardly wait to see who you get. Special hugs to Colden.

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  17. Greetings dear Suzanne,
    I’m always happy to see you here. It’s looking beautiful in South Africa this time of year. The key to non holy, no tail felt balls is to start small and work your way into a larger ball. It takes a little bit of time but it’s well worth it. Send me a photo of your tree. I would love to see it. It’s never too cold for me. Just an occasion to wear wool. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Best wishes and have a great day,
    Valarie

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  18. Be sure and take a photo of that cute little juggler of yours. It’s so much fun and it won’t break anything.

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