What Is Felt? Everything You Need To Know In 2023!
Are you new to crafting and wondering, “What is felt made of?” and also “how on earth is it made?!”. It seems like magic but what’s happening is this:
Water + heat + agitation causes unspun wool, fur, synthetic fibers or a blend of these to twist around each other and stick together to create felt.
Felt is a versatile, beginner-friendly fabric that you can use to make things at home: kids’ toys, home decor, accessories, and more.
It’s also used in industry for all sorts of things, such as insulation, sound reduction, seals etc.
Get to know all about felt in this guide as l walk you through what it is, how and where it’s made, its history, the different types of felt, pros and cons, how sustainable it is and more.
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Table of Contents
What Is Felt Fabric?
What type of fabric is felt? Felt is a non-woven fabric that’s made by matting, condensing, and pressing unspun wool, fur or synthetic fibers together, creating a solid and dense fabric.
The end result is affected by lots of different things – the fibers used, what type of water’s used and how it’s processed.
The word felting is also used to talk about the process of making felt out of already knitted or woven wool (traditionally called fulling).
Remember that time you accidentally washed your favorite woolen sweater and it shrunk? That’s what we’re talking about in this case.
What Is Felt Made Of?
Felt is made of fibers that are either natural, synthetic or a combination of both.
Traditionally, felt was made from natural fibers like wool or fur.
You can actually felt a lot of animal fibers if you expose them to moisture and agitation (even your own hair if you’re not careful! Not that I’m speaking from experience ;)).
Pure wool, llama, alpaca and mohair are examples of animal fibers that felt well.
The most common felt you find today is craft felt, which is made from synthetic fibers like polyester, acrylic, rayon and even bamboo.
You’ll also come across wool blend felt, made with a combination of wool and synthetic fibers.
Sometimes natural and manmade fibers that won’t felt when used alone can be felted when blended – like silk or nylon.
How Is Felt Made?
Traditional Felt Making
Traditionally, felt is formed by applying heat, moisture and pressure to fibers until they fuse together.
Moisture And Heat
Moisture and heat are critical for making felt and determining the type of felt you get at the end (more or less stiff, dense etc).
The wool or other fibers swell and open as they absorb the moisture. This is what makes the fibers tangle together.
The heat of the water (or moisture) determines how fast or slowly the felt will come together. Usually, the hotter the water, the quicker the process.
Another way to speed up the process is to treat the fibers with hot and cold water alternatively. This particular process creates a stiffer, denser felt fabric.
Agitation
The more agitation, the quicker you create the felt.
The traditional way of making felt or if you make it at home, is to agitate it by rubbing or massaging the unspun fibers by hand.
Obviously, this takes a lot longer than the industrial process of using machines to agitate the fibers to create felt.
Detergent
Felt can be made with just water, but using detergent (or a similar agent) jump-starts the process. It changes the pH level of the water and helps the fibers’ scales to push outwards and swell.
Using detergent also helps to create a less coarse felt fabric by softening the fibers.
It’s a balance as to how much detergent to use. Too much slows down the process as the fibers slip over each other as opposed to tangling together.
The “Fulling” Technique to Make Felt
When it comes to “fulling” (making felt out of already knitted fiber), you can use your washing machine by running the knitted item through one or more cycles.
You can do this type of felting in a front-load, top-load or portable washing machine. It can take anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes, depending on what you’re felting, how the machine works and the results you’re going for.
Remember this process is not reversible, so if you do it yourself, make sure you keep an eye on what’s happening. For this reason, you should only use a machine that has an interrupt.
Industrial Felt Making
Industrial felt uses either a “wet” process or chemicals and special felting needles.
The wet method can only be used industrially when creating pure wool or blended felt, as at least 30% of the fibers used have to be wool in order for all the fibers to stick together.
In the chemical process, the needles take ahold of the fibers and pull them across the other fibers, so they bind together.
Felt History
So, where does felt come from?
Historians think that felt could be the first fabric made by humans, even before we started weaving and knitting.
It can be traced all the way back to at least 6500 BC. Thanks to felt remains found in Turkey, where it’s still made today – to create hats, rugs, shoes, capes etc.
In fact, “felting” became a bonafide profession in Turkey, where there were felt guilds called “ahi”. They were in charge of protecting felt knowledge and techniques..
Felt pieces have also been found preserved in a tomb in Siberia dating back to 600 C.E.
Lots of cultures have legends about how felt came about, including Sumerians and different European countries.
One of the legends says that St James, the apostle, discovered felt whilst on a pilgrimage. He put wool tufts in his sandals to protect his feet. The pressure and sweat of his feet compacted the wool, and voila, felt was created!
The Tibetan mountain tribes were another one of the early felt producers and still make insulated hats to this day.
Other early cultures in Mongolia, India, and Iran have also used (and still use) felt for making tents, saddles, blankets, floor mats, and more.
In more recent history but before Canada was officially Canada, fur trade companies hunted Beaver and a few other animals there, to supply the European fur felt trade.
Where Is Felt Made?
Today, Felt is made in China, Germany, and the U.S. They are some of the biggest manufacturers of felt fabric for home craft felt and felt for industry.
Felt’s also produced in Italy, Turkey and India.
What Does Felt Look Like?
Felt can look very different depending on what it’s used for!
Craft felt sheets look like square or rectangular pieces of fabric that usually have a matte appearance and come in a variety of colors.
What is a felt sheet? It’s just as it sounds – it’s felt fabric that’s pre-cut into sheets, usually around the size of an A4 paper or smaller. But you can also find big rolls of felt, sold by the yard!
In terms of appearance, you’ll notice there’s a difference between wool felt and craft felt. Wool felt appears smooth and matte, while craft felt usually looks a little fuzzy and has a bit of a sheen to it.
Also, the colors for wool felt usually look a little more natural and muted but for craft felt, you can find pretty much any shade you need.
Quality and Grades Of Felt
Felt is a versatile fabric and has different grades to suit all kinds of purposes. These are the 3 common grades you’ll come across:
Craft Felt
These are budget-friendly felt sheets that you’ll see being sold in most craft stores.
They’re usually made from synthetic fibers or a blend of synthetic and wool. That being said, you can still find all-natural wool felt sheets being sold in craft stores too.
The main purpose of this grade of felt is for sewing and crafting projects on a small scale at home.
Commercial-Grade Felt
Felt is a tough, water-resistant, flame-retardant, and sound-dampening material. It has a lot of industrial applications, so there’s commercial-grade felt that’s used to make things for:
- home insulation
- furniture padding
- Soundproofing
- Washers
- Architectural felt panels
- Musical instruments
- Automotive felt (anti-squeak/rattle felt, insulation)
- Filtration felt
Designer Grade Felt
All-natural felt like wool felt and fur felt are used for making accessories too, usually hats. Fur felt is the most expensive type of felt and is considered a designer fabric. Because it’s a specialty product, it’s not widely available like wool and synthetic felt are.
Types Of Felt
Here’s a quick list of the different types of felt.
- 100% Wool Felt
- Wool Blend Felt
- Fur Felt
- Polyester Felt
- Rayon Felt
- Acrylic FeltBamboo Felt
- Bamboo Felt
- Vegan Felt
- Loden felt / Duffel felt
- Nuno Felt
- Needle Felt
- Felted Wool
- Pressed Felt
- Carroting Felt
If you want to read the full descriptions of each one check out my post where I do a deep-dive into each of these types of felt.
Properties Of Felt Fabric
Felt’s a durable and strong fabric. It’s non-woven unless is been “fulled” – in which case, already woven (or knitted) wool is felted.
It can be cut into all shapes, sizes and thicknesses with clean edges that don’t fray. It’s amazing for blocking sounds and the elements, it helps reduce vibrations, keeps out dust and grime.
It can deal with a lot of water and moisture without deteriorating. In fact, a 17th-century felt hat was found INTACT in 2022 in the Thames River in London!
Let’s check out the characteristics of felt fabric, including its pros and cons:
Pros Of Felt Fabric
- Durable and resistant to wear and tear
- Great insulator for temperature and sound
- It has so many uses at home and for industrial purposes
- Wool felt repels liquids including water and even oil
- It doesn’t fray
- Easy to cut:
- Easy to sew: You can sew felt using basic, beginner-friendly stitches.
- Budget-friendly: Craft felt is the cheapest felt option.
- Plenty of colors: Felt comes in a large selection of colors, making it easy to get very specific looks for your projects.
- No sewing required: You can literally glue felt fabric together if you wanted! You just need to know the right felt adhesives to use.
Cons Of Felt Fabric
You may be thinking fabric is a wonder product and it kinda is, but felt does have some disadvantages:
- Stiff: It doesn’t (usually) drape well and can lose its shape when stretched.
- Scratchy texture: The material can feel rough on the skin.
- Prone to shrinking: Felt needs to be washed properly. Otherwise, it’ll shrink.
- Fuzz: It might pill and fuzz over time, if synthetic.
- Moths: They’re attracted to wool felt so if you leave it for too long unattended you may come back to find holey felt!
What Is Felt Used For?
Wondering what felt is used for?
The list is practically endless! There are well-known uses as well as innovative and unconventional uses of felt:
- Felt for crafting and toys: It’s a favorite among sewists and can be used to make just about anything from bookmarks and brooches to finger puppets and baby mobiles
- Felt in industrial applications: It’s used for cushioning and padding for heavy machinery, air filtration, gaskets, equestrian equipment, dryer seals, fire-resistant gloves, squeak prevention and more.
- Felt in cars and the automotive industry: Felt is used in all sorts of places in cars, on both body parts and in the engine. It reduces noise, vibrations and ensures fastenings don’t get loose.
- It also helps protect motor parts from oil, dirt and grime. It works as insulation to stop “hot spots” in the car’s engine from overheating. It can also be used in the trunk, air filtration systems, car roofs, door panels,
- Felt in acoustic insulation: It’s a popular material for noise control and sound-proofing acoustic felt panels due to its natural sound-absorbing properties.
- Felt in interior design: Felt is used in different parts of homes and offices from rugs to decor items like baskets, placemats, and organizers. It’s also used as wall panels – for both decoration and insulation.
- Felt in clothing production: Felt is widely used in hat-making and to line winter wear like boots and shoes. It’s also used to make capes and coats.
- Felt for musical instruments: It’s used to make music sound “clean” (it stops unwanted vibrations). In pianos it’s used for “piano hammers” and under piano keys on accordions. It’s also used as a sound damper on string instruments to reduce or eliminate volume or other sounds. It’s also used in fum sets.
- Other felt uses: It’s used on pool tables, blackjack tables and other types of gaming tables. Its smoothness helps the balls roll easily and it also helps reduce the noise of the balls and dice etc clanging together.
What Can You Make With Felt?
Wondering what to make with felt sheets at home?
If you ask me what you do with felt, I could go on for days!
Below is a quick list of things you can make with felt but if you really want to get into the details, check out my post on felt sewing projects:
- Cake toppers
- Coasters
- Costumes
- Festive decorations
- Toys for pretend play
- Bookmarks
- Drawer organizers
- Baskets
- Buntings
- Door stopper
- Felt boards
- Envelopes
- Flowers
- Fridge magnets
Felt Sustainability
Is felt a good fit for sewists looking to make sustainable crafts? Very good question, let’s get into it…
Is Felt Biodegradable?
- Wool felt is biodegradable
- Craft felt (made with synthetic fibers) is not biodegradable
From a sustainability point of view, wool felt wins.
As well as being biodegradable, it’s more hardwearing than synthetic felt, and anything you make with it will probably last longer than if you use craft felt.
Even if you do need to throw it out, you can rest easy knowing it’s biodegradable.
Felt from Recycled Materials
Due to its price tag, wool felt might not be the best option for you, especially if you’re just learning how to sew felt and worried about making mistakes. If you still want a sustainable but more economical option, check out recycled craft felt.
Just keep in mind that recycled craft felt isn’t biodegradable. So, If you don’t need something you made, could you repurpose it into something else?
Here are some cute ideas on what to do with felt scraps:
Ethical Considerations In Wool And Fur Felt Production
Wool and fur are natural materials that have been used for thousands of years. They’re non-toxic (in fact, they have natural antimicrobial properties) and are generally safe and comfortable for contact with human skin and are biodegradable.
The biggest issue with fur felt is making sure that it comes from a producer that prioritizes animal welfare.
Is Eco-Friendly Craft Felt Really Eco-Friendly?
While synthetic craft felt is sometimes referred to as an “eco-friendly” solution to felt production because it doesn’t come from animals, it’s a lot more complex than that.
For example, rayon felt may well be from something “natural” like wood pulp or bamboo, but it’s not classed as “natural” or eco-friendly due to how it is processed – with LOTS of chemicals.
For a more “eco-friendly” option, you could look for wool that is Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) Certified to ensure the best animal welfare standards are followed. Then make your own wool felt out of this.
SAE wool (and wool blend) felt, is also a more sustainable for felt used in industrial applications.
For craft felt, consider recycled felt for a lower-waste option.
What Is Felt FAQs
Is Felt Natural Or Manmade?
Felt is a manmade fabric that can be made with natural fibers like wool and animal fur, or synthetic fibers such as acrylic, rayon or polyester. It can also be made with a blend of both natural and synthetic fibers, usually wool with rayon, polyester or acrylic and sometimes even bamboo.
What Is Felt Used For?
Felt fabric is used for so many things! It’s excellent for insulating and creating warmth. It’s also awesome for crafts, decorations and home decor. Outside of the home, it’s used for all sorts of industrial purposes from noise reduction in car motors and music studios, to washers, musical instruments and so on.
Is Felt A Strong Material?
Wool felt is a very strong material that’s resilient to wear and tear. It’s also water-resistant thanks to the tightly condensed fibers that create a natural barrier against water. For these reasons, it’s excellent for both decorative and functional uses inside and outside the home and for industrial purposes.
Is Felt A Warm Fabric?
Felt is a warm fabric. It’s a good barrier against cold temperatures and is used in home insulation, carpet underlay, boot linings, coats, capes and more. The wool fibers themselves plus how tightly woven together they are, is what gives felt this natural insulating quality.
Is Felt Waterproof?
Felt is water-resistant, it’s not 100% waterproof. The tightly condensed fibers create a natural barrier against water. Wool felt is especially resistant to water. If you spill liquids on it, it takes a while before the liquid is actually absorbed into the fabric.
Is Roof Felt Waterproof?
Roofing felt is not 100% waterproof but it does repel water more than absorb it. It can get wet and still maintain its integrity. However, if it’s wet for a long time and isn’t able to get dry, it will deteriorate
What Is Felt: Wrap-Up
Phew, we really went in depth to answer the question “what is felt?”.
In summary, felt is one of the, if not THE oldest fabric known to man.
It’s a non-woven fabric that’s made from natural (wool, fur, bamboo) and synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, rayon), or a blend of the two (like wool and polyester or rayon and bamboo).
It’s used in lots of different ways in our homes and in industry, for decorating and practical purposes.
Natural felt, like 100% wool felt is great if you’re looking for a softer and longer-lasting felt for your sewing projects that’s more sustainable.
Synthetic felt is a better option if you’re a beginner sewist, looking for a more budget-friendly option to practice with.
One type of felt not discussed in this post is needle felting. I’ve done a full article on what this is, so check that out to learn everything there is to know about it.