DO IT YOURSELF

Make a set of hand-made wool coasters using the technique of needle felting.

Materials and tools

• Felting needle. 
• Working surface: Dense foam or a needle felting brush mat of a thick sponge.  
• Merino wool.
• A yogurt bowl (plastic or paper) or a plastic bottle (from coca cola) to use it as a stencil.
• Needle and knitting yarn.
• Scissors.

Instructions:

1. Take a plastic yogurt bowl, and cut it in half to remove the botton.  

2. Place the cylinder onto the sponge. This cylinder will work as a stencil for the wool. 

3. Cut with your hands a piece of wool.

4. Pull gently with your fingers the wool apart to make it fluffy.

5. Fill the interior of the cylinder with roving.

6. Poke with the needle repeadetly along the edge of the cylinder to define the shape. After working along the edges start felting in towards the center of the cylinder. Fill with more roving (add more fiber in thin areas) and poke with the needle again.

7. The felted coaster has started to take shape. Turn it over, to work with the needle the reverse side. 

8. Iron the coasters with steam. The steam will allow wool to shrink. Stitch the edges with blanket stitch using knitting yarn.