How to Make Felted Sweater Patches

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Prepare your supplies.

   To make felted patches for your sweater, you will need a 36 gauge felting needle, a piece of dense foam, some wool roving, a cookie cutter, an iron, and some tape.
   
   You can purchase all of these items at your local fabric store.
   
   If your community does not have a fabric store, you can buy the items online., Before you start felting, you will need to decide what color you’d like your patch to be.
   
   Wool roving comes in all kinds of colors.
   
   You can choose a color that matches your sweater, complements it, or contrasts with it.
   
   For example, you can use wool roving in a color that contrasts with your sweater, like yellow patches on a purple sweater. , Once you’ve decided what color you will use, you will need to choose a shape for your patch.
   
   For example, if you are making felted elbow patches, you can use an oval cookie cutter to create an oval patch.
   
   If you want a trendy star-shaped felted sweater patch, you can make your own pattern using a piece of heavy duty cardboard.
   
   Like the color, the shape of the patch is up to you! , Put the sweater on.
   
   Take a piece of tape and place it just above the top of where you want the patch to be located..
   
   Take another piece of tape and place it just below the bottom of the patch position.
   
   This is where you will be placing your patch.
   
   If you have a friend handy, ask them to place the tape for you. , Once you’ve placed the tape, gently remove the sweater.
   
   Take a piece of thick foam and place it between the layers of your sweater.
   
   Take care to not stretch the sweater when you insert the foam.
   
   If necessary, cut the foam smaller so that it will slide more easily in between the sweater layers.
   
   Make sure your foam is between the two layers of the sweater, not below both of them.
   
   If you place the foam under both layers, you will accidentally patch your sweater together! , Take the cookie cutter or cardboard pattern and place it between the two pieces of tape.
   
   Cut a piece of wool roving to fit inside the cookie cutter.
   
   Spread the fibers out evenly.
   
   Your layer of wool roving should lightly cover the area.
   
   If you put too much roving in the cookie cutter or cardboard pattern, your patch will turn out thick and chunky. , Hold the felting needle with your thumb on one side and three fingers on the other side, right above the place where the needle shaft begins to thicken.
   
   Stab vertically, up and down, making sure the needle enters and leaves the wool at the same angle. , Use short, fast stabs, working your way around the outer perimeter of the cookie cutter or cardboard pattern first.
   
   Once the outer perimeter of the patch is flat, continue to stab the inner part of the patch until all the fibers are flat.
   
   Remove the cookie cutter or pattern, and use your needle to stab in any stray fibers., Sometimes there will be bare spots on your felted sweater patch.
   
   If this is the case, take a tiny bit of wool roving and place it over the bare spot.
   
   Then use your needle to secure the roving into place. , Gently remove the foam from the sweater.
   
   Turn your iron on to the heat setting appropriate for wool, which is typically one of the lowest settings on a standard iron.
   
   Spritz a little water over your patch.
   
   Press the iron down on the patch to set it.
   
   Remove the iron.
2. 2

   Step 2: Choose a color for your patch.

3. 3

   Step 3: Decide on a shape for your patch.

4. 4

   Step 4: Mark the sweater with tape.

5. 5

   Step 5: Position the foam.

6. 6

   Step 6: Prepare your patch.

7. 7

   Step 7: Stab the felting needle into the wool roving and through the sweater.

8. 8

   Step 8: Stab until the patch surface is flat and even.

9. 9

   Step 9: Patch up bare spots.

10. 10

    Step 10: Smooth and set the patch.

Detailed Guide

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