A few months ago, I was at a mammoth antique mall in Dallas, Texas. I was walking up and down the aisles when I came across something easily overlooked. In fact, for the life of me, I’m not sure what drew my attention to it. It was a bag of giant acorns for $5. Kind of random for an antique store but I immediately knew I had to have them. It’s taken me some time but I finally found a good use for them which brings us to day two of 25 days of crafts!
DIY felted acorns
For each ball, allow yourself approximately 7 minutes to shape it and more time for it to dry.
Materials
- Need felting, wool roving (we used felt from Dimensions)
- Dried, cleaned acorn tops
- Soap and water
- Hot glue gun and glue
- Glitter paint or spray (optional)
Step 1
Take a piece of wool roving from your skein and gently open up the fibers by pulling and separating the denser patches.
The size of wool you need depends on the size of your acorn top. For the giant acorns tops we used an 8 inch piece.
Step 2
Add a few drops of soap to the center of your wool piece. Hand or dish soap works well.
Step 3
With your hand, dab a small amount of water over the soap. Lightly massaging it into the wool.
Step 4
Begin pinching the middle of the wool, gradually bunching it into the start of a ball. As the ball starts to form, fold the remaining pieces of wool over and around, molding the ball shape as you go.
Step 5
With your hands slightly damp, lightly roll the ball with minimal pressure between your palms. If your hands begin to slip, rinse any excess soap and continue.
As the ball continues to take form, be aware of lines. Knead them to minimize their appearance.
Step 6
When the ball looks good, run it under water and squeeze to remove some of the water and soap.
Continue rolling between your palms, applying increasing amounts of pressure.
Step 7
Stop rolling when the ball becomes dense and firm to the touch. Rinse and squeeze out the remaining water and soap.
Step 8
Once the ball is dry, it’s time to apply the acorn top (we sprayed the tops with gold glitter beforehand to add a festive touch.)
Put a small amount of glue on the inside of the acorn top and then press the ball firmly into the acorn top, holding it a few seconds while the glue takes hold.
Tip: If your ball came out with a line or two, you can easily hide it by positioning it on the interior of the acorn top.
Huzzah! You’ve just made a felted acorn!
Visit Krafty Kath for more 25 Days of Crafts!
