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When making, there are many different varieties of felt to choose from. Different types of felt, like yarn or fabric, have different qualities that make them appropriate for some crafts but not for others.
See Also: 4 Types of Craft Felt – Learn to Choose and Use
Various types of felt are available on the market. To begin with, the fibers used to make felts vary, resulting in different felt characteristics. Synthetic fibers, natural fibers, and fiber mixtures can all be used to make felt.
Felt comes in a wide range of thicknesses, from 0.04 inch to 1 inch thick (1mm to 25mm). Felting is best done with a thickness of 0.05 to 0.06 inches (1.2 mm to 1.4 mm).
See Also: Everything You Want to Know About Felt
1/8 inch (3 mm) felt can be used for Christmas stockings, coasters, placemats, bags, handbags, and shoe bottoms in felt projects that require durability.
Felt also comes in different densities. The denser the felt, the easier it is to work with it. Less dense felt may require interfacing for felt craft projects to be more durable.
Craft Felt
Handcrafted felt is a general term for 100% synthetic, man-made felt. Acrylic, polyester, rayon, or a rayon/viscose combination make up felt. Craft felt is available in a variety of colors and styles. This type of felt can be found in most craft stores and on the internet.
See Also: Felt Crafts for Beginners – The Complete Guide
Most craft felts come in pre-cut 9″ x 12″ sheets. In addition to a wide variety of beautiful colors, craft felt is also available in glitter sheets, self-adhesive backing sheets, and added hardener.
The craft felt is fully synthetic felt. It can feather easily. Therefore, it is not recommended for sewing crafts where long service life is required or many manual touches are needed. It’s the cheapest type of felt that can make it a good option for kids’ crafts or if your budget is tight.
The cost of craft felt is determined by the synthetic fiber used; polyester is the most prevalent. It is typical to start your felting journey with craft felt and then move on to blended wool felt or wool felt.
Traditional felt has various advantages that synthetic felt does not. On the other hand, acrylic felt is highly combustible and unpleasant to the skin when worn, unlike wool or fur. Because synthetics disintegrate slowly and produce chemical pollutants, craft felt is not the most environmentally friendly alternative.
Craft felt is best used on kids’ crafts, seasonal holiday crafts, school or camping crafting projects.
Hard Felt
Rigid felt (Korean Hard Felt) is a cured polyester felt, so it is a 0.05 inch (1 mm or 1.2 mm) thick synthetic felt. As the name implies, it is a felt that is more difficult to touch, helping it keep its shape better than craft felt.
See Also: How to Choose a Quality Felt Fabric
The edge of the stiff felt does not break, does not stretch, and keeps its shape. Due to its hardness, you can easily cut the edge with decorative scissors (cutting scissors). Suitable for creating Quiet Books from felt. It is also used for children’s crafts, jewelry, brooches, and necklaces.
For reasons of using the same synthetics as craft felt, it is not the most eco-friendly option. Hard felts are more difficult to find than handcrafted felt. If you want to buy Korean hard felt, it’s best to go on Etsy.
Environmentally Friendly (Eco-fi) Felts
Eco-fi, known as Eco-fi, is a synthetic felt made from recycled plastic bottles. Its use can help reduce plastic waste. Eco-fi felt is perfect for kids’ crafts and other projects that don’t require high-quality wool felt.
Eco-fi is a polyester fiber created entirely of recycled plastic bottles from the post-consumer market. Eco-fi felt has a similar appearance and feel to traditional polyester craft felt. However, it is slightly more rigid. The felt is available in lurex, rainbow colors, felt numbers, and a range of embossed patterns.
Eco-fi felt is not as soft to the touch, and wool blend is not as dense as felt. It is an excellent alternative to making felt for children’s crafts.
Eco-friendly craft felt may be found in most craft stores and on the internet. Thin, pre-cut sheets are available to purchase. To make sure you’re buying felt manufactured from recycled plastic bottles, look for the Eco-fi label on the packaging.
Use eco-friendly felt for all crafts of the same type as regular craft felt. Additionally, you can use embossed patterns for small home decor crafts.
Xotic or Bamboo Felt
Bamboo felt, known as xotic felt, is a natural felt made from 50% bamboo and 50% rayon fibers. This eco-friendly felt is incredibly soft. It retains its shape with washing and does not shrink. Xotic, or bamboo felt, is a preferred option among vegans.
Bamboo is regarded as a long-term fiber. It’s a fast-growing crop that can be grown practically anyplace, produces more oxygen than trees, and requires no chemical fertilizers. The technique of transforming plant fibers into usable bamboo yarn is debated about how “green” it is. It is, nevertheless, far more environmentally friendly than materials made entirely of synthetic components.
Blended Wool Felt
Nylon, polyester, polypropylene, or cotton materials are mixed with wool to make blended wool felt. Natural wool felt is referred to as “blended wool felt.” Wool mixes with a percentage of 20 percent wool and 80 percent rayon, or a percentage of 35 percent wool and 63 percent rayon, are commonly used in household labor.
Blended wool felt has a similar look and feel to wool felt but is less expensive to make. When comparing blended wool craft felt to polyester craft felt, the blended wool craft felt will have a beautiful, fluffy texture.
The usage of wool in felt production is a critical distinction between blended wool felt and craft felt. As a result, the felt is smooth and velvety, with some of the qualities of natural wool. When comparing blended wool craft felt to polyester craft felt, the blended wool craft felt will have a beautiful, fluffy texture. Gray is also present in some of the 35 percent wool/65 percent rayon felts. This is due to the interlaced wool fibers, which provide a rich two-tone look.
Although 20% wool / 80% rayon felt costs less than a 35% wool / 65% blend, many traders sell them for the same price. Wool felt can be found online and in fabric stores run by big retailers. Over 100 hues of blended wool felt are available. This felt comes in sheets and can be found in the garden. Blended felt is pricier than craft felt, but it is still affordable.
Blended felt is about twice as expensive as craft felt but still reasonably priced. You can use mixed felt for home decor crafting such as pillows, tablecloths and wreaths, holiday decorations, and patterned sewing using wool felt.
100% Wool Felt
Unlike blended wool felt, 100% wool felt is made from 100% wool, as the name suggests. 100% wool felt comes in 1.2mm, 2mm, 3mm, and 5mm thicknesses. The barn sells genuine 100 percent wool felt, which is rather pricey. This felt has a luxurious feel to it and is used in both professional and home decor applications.
Wool felt is a natural material with high density and top-quality felt. Being natural means that once the felt product is used or worn, it is 100% biodegradable and safely disposed of.
The only potential environmental issues with wool felt related to land use and proper animal management. Wool felt has excellent flexibility and durability properties. When it comes to price, blended wool is about two to three times more expensive than felt.
Wool felt possesses absorbency, fire resistance, and insulating capabilities in addition to being aesthetically pleasing. 100% wool felt is available online and in barns at some retail fabric stores.
Fashion, accessories, caps, tabletop decor, and computer accessories are ideal for 2mm, and 3mm felts. 100% wool felt can be used as 1.2 mm felt for making hats, clothes, pillows, and other home decor items. Likewise, 1.2-2 mm can be used in 100% felt children’s shoes and slippers. Wallcoverings, attractive hanging room dividers, and wall artwork best with 5mm felt.
