Table of Contents
It is widespread to find various types of felt in haberdashery and fabric stores today because felt is used in crafts. But did you know that at least four types of felt are most commonly used by craftsmen? Find out what they are right now!
See Also: What are the Felt Types
For those who don’t know, felt is a non-woven fabric produced by combining fibers through calendering. Initially, felt was made only from pure wool, but with the advancement of technology, felt was also created with synthetic fibers, which allowed for a greater variety of colors and thicknesses.
See Also: Everything You Want to Know About Felt
Even today, it is possible to find wool felt for purchase, especially in oversized haberdashery. But when bought with synthetic felt, the price is higher, and the colors are pretty limited.
4 Types of Felt For Crafts
Everyone wants to leave the end of their felt work more excellent and better, right? Therefore, it is essential to know which felts you can find on the market and how you can best use them. Check out the tips I prepared for you!
1. Flat Felt
As the name suggests, flat and smooth felt is a felt fabric without any pattern. Usually of a more acceptable weight, this type of felt is one of the most used and suitable for most felting jobs. In addition, it is available in a wide variety of colors.
The smooth felt can be used from the base of the pieces to a wide variety of finishing details such as bows and flowers to decorate dolls and wreaths. That’s why it’s a great idea to invest in a few colors of plain felt for those looking to get started with felt. You can use all felt colors from light to dark in your DIY projects.
2. Blended Felt
You may not even remember, but you’ve definitely seen mixed and felt mixed around. For example, blended felts are commonly used to make wreaths, key chains, cell phone cases, and tablet cases. However, it’s a more specialized type of felt; it’s usually a little more expensive. Still, there’s nothing that makes it impossible to use.
Blended felt is harsher to the touch since it is made from a mix of white and colored fibers. It is usually slightly thicker than regular felt. And depending on the color (brown, gray, and blue being the most common), it can look very similar to a denim or sweatshirt look.
To break the rusticity of mixed felt and leave the piece with a more delicate look, simply combine it with printed and colored felts, especially in pastel tones.
3. Printed Felt
Advancement in technology has allowed the creation of colored felts and the making of a wide variety of prints, such as animals, polka dots, stars, and stripes, on the felts. The possibilities to use these prints are endless, and we recommend combining them with plain felts.
Printed felt is more expensive but is definitely worth using for your DIY felt projects. Because the works made with such felts gain a visual identity, it goes without saying that they are lovely and make a difference.
It is straightforward to find printed felt even in small haberdashery stores in big cities. However, those who live in a small town and have trouble finding printed items can order online. So, just pick your favorite prints, order, and get everything from the comfort of your home.
4. Glitter Felt
Although it is expensive and somewhat difficult to purchase, glitter felt is also a prevalent type of felt. It is generally used for making small details such as corsets and baby crowns, especially in large pieces.
You might consider investing in this material to add even more life and joy to your felt craft project. However, a more economical option is to convert your low-cost flat felt to glittery felt.
3 Things You Should Consider When Buying Felt
Now that you know what types of felt are most commonly used for crafting, there are some things you need to consider to take home a quality item.
- Resistance: The composition and production method of felt can vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Because of this, it’s common for some to stretch more than others. Stretch the felt gently and see if it opens too much. If it has too many laces, it’s more susceptible to twisting.
- Thickness: Also, pay attention to the thickness of the felt. Thicker batts are generally better to work with, showing less of what’s behind, and making parts look nicer.
- Wrong side: Remember to scratch the wrong side (rougher side) of the felt regardless of the type of felt you are using. In this way, if any pen stains accidentally remain, they will not be visible.
