Make a Pair of Wet Felted Wool Slippers Beginner Style Step-by-Step + Template! P1: Resist & Layout

[@katiavera2086]

I made several pairs of slippers about 8 years ago for my husband and kids and hubby wants a new pair because he loves his slippers. I needed a refresher course just to make sure I can achieve the same results. Maybe this time I’ll make myself a pair because I kept the first pairs I made (they aren’t pretty) and I think I deserve a nice pair this time around. Thank you very much for your video.

[@richmanshosho]

Thank you! I made a somewhat successful pair. We will see after it dries . But your directions were clear and easy to follow

[@muffsmerino]

Great to hear! Can take several tries to get a really good pair. Hope they wear ok!

[@howlingwind1937]

In the final felting, if you turn your slipper inside out, you can cut the toe off a pair of pantihose. Then either needle felt or wet felt a few layers of wool fleece over it and that will strengthen the toe, you can also put a strip at the heal also. It won't stop pilling, that's just the nature of wool, but your toe will find it harder to wear through. Thank you for sharing the video. Cheers from Australia!

[@muffsmerino]

Love love your idea! I have not tried the needle felting but think this is a fantastic solution. Would have never thought about it. I used to add in a woven fabric layer (silk) in between the felted layers and felt it right into the slipper itself. It does add strength to the slipper. You could even add a woven fabric layer as your surface design to the top or inside of the slipper before felting 😊 Thank you for sharing

[@howlingwind1937]

@@muffsmerino you're welcome, I guess a community can solve the problems of the world one felted slipper at a time 😊😁. I did try when I first started felting adding a bit of fabric in-between but I found it made the toe a bit bulky, but that maybe because I wasn't experienced at the time and I was experimenting. Then I tried silk yarn, but found they squirmed their way to the surface, and that's when I thought of the pantihose. I do use silk now because I'm more practised as well as the pantihose toes, and the silk is good for decoration along with the pantihose toe that helps with shaping the slipper toe. Thank you for sharing and a reply. Cheers from Australia!

[@muffsmerino]

@@howlingwind1937 Yeah I find specific fabrics do make it bulky. I am definitely going to start mentioning the pantyhose idea at my workshops :)

[@howlingwind1937]

@@muffsmerino thank you for a reply, that's great that you can use the idea and pass it on, you don't have to use the toe of the pantihose, you can use the the leg part too. Sometimes depending on the brand, the toe can be a bit tight, so a strip from the leg works also. Cheers from Australia!

[@shelliethompson7260]

Thank you 🌷😊

[@crowznest438]

Seems like a pretty thorough vid on the subject and I see felted slippers in my future..

[@muffsmerino]

So happy to hear! Please let me know if you have any questions thought the process :)

[@sarahgriffith1514]

Thank you for these tutorials. I am new to felting, & your thorough explanations are soooo helpful. First set of slippers awaiting rolling! Psyched to see how great they feel on my toes!

[@muffsmerino]

Oh I am so excited for you! Glad to hear you made it this far in the process. You are going to love them once they are on your feet after a few weeks and mold to your shape. Definitely add soles, any kind of sole so they last longer!

[@oghi7660]

So useful your videos, I 'm a new in felting , I follow your videos, I found them interesting and with good explanations!!!. Thank you very much!!!

[@muffsmerino]

Thank you. I am so glad you find them helpful and appreciate your lovely comments so much. Always encouraging.

[@ellenrose2533]

Thank you for sharing your skills and talent. Most appreciated🎉

[@muffsmerino]

So nice of you, thank you :)

[@lpalm5235]

I really like you and your well thought out video and your passion with your cool hat. I am hoping to make a pair one day, I am just new bee.

[@muffsmerino]

Oh thank you so much! Glad you like the video. With a little practise pulling out the fibres and laying them out you will be able to make a pair in no time :)

[@graceherder9332]

Totally liking this!

[@vebutler8957]

Can I just say, you’re genuinely lovely. I know you say you get stressed doing this, but I hope with time you enjoy it more. X

[@muffsmerino]

You are so kind thank you. And I really appreciate comments like this because I while I am not making videos I feel so encouraged. I really do look forward to making more videos. It has gotten much easier since I started. Now to make a plan for a good day of the week to record.

[@vebutler4737]

@@muffsmerino i look forward to it x

[@juliadean2473]

Thank you for your very comprehensive video ❤

[@muffsmerino]

Thank you for watching :) Glad you liked it. More to come...

[@T0myTune]

I really like your videos, and it's great that you show so much of the process! I'm going to try this soon.

[@muffsmerino]

Hola 👋 if you have any questions 😃 and have fun with it.

[@T0myTune]

@@muffsmerino That's grand of you, thanks alot! 😁

[@holzlastname1976]

I totally get the nervous in front of camera thing I have made multiple videos and never uploaded because I was painfully nervous it was hard to watch lol, your doing great ❤

[@muffsmerino]

Thank you so much! It is very hard to watch. I cried the first time it was so embarrassing🙈. Then I made the first felting video, posted it for a challenge and it was also embarrassing but found out many people watched it and it seemed to help them. So now I continue.. 🥰

[@mayasdaydreams]

Could you use a lining from an old pair of shoes for the flat foam? I am excited to try this out! ❤

[@muffsmerino]

Do you mean for the resist? The resist (flat foam) needs to be at least 8cm larger then your foot size :) it needs to roll up as well so as long as it is quite flexible and thin :) The material will need to slippery so that the wool doesn’t attach to it. Wool will attack to some fabrics and then it might get stuck! Definitely give felted slippers a try and if you have any other questions, ask away! Lori

[@tatianagant4230]

Thank your so much for detailed explanation

[@muffsmerino]

Glad it was helpful!

[@curlypuff]

What material did you make the resist out of?

[@muffsmerino]

The resist is made out of flat 2mm packing foam (Polyfoam Roll) :)

[@pinkymacgyver8773]

Well done thanks for the tutorial

[@muffsmerino]

Thank you for watching :)

[@ariaszeren-pi2us]

Nice work keep it up

[@muffsmerino]

Thanks 😊

[@aliciamcnamar8203]

You are very knowledgeable. { have watched a few tube vids and no one has said how much roving to buy approximately speaking ! This would be a big help !!! Do we get a pound? or 400 grams ?? with Dye lots you need to get the right amount the first time. can you help with this ?

[@muffsmerino]

Hi! Thank you. The amounts are based on size. There is a chart / list at the beginning of the video with the amounts needed for each size :)

[@sharoncopson8550]

Loved your video

[@muffsmerino]

Thanks! Glad to hear :)

[@masz10676]

I've been looking at a lot of felting vids. Ur content is 100% and delivery needs a little more polish (felt bad when u almost had meltdown looking for scale). To me content is everything and u hit all the necessary info. I'm beginning to realize that due to my disability I won't b doing felting in the near future. But I've saved ur info just in case. I really like the way U broke it into 3 parts. 🏆 Keep up doing these felting pods. Thanks for sharing.

[@muffsmerino]

Thank you for sharing :) 😆 Yes much polishing needed including impatient erratic behaviour which I think I nailed down to a few vitamin deficiencies. My brain has calmed down now along with the new video audio. Whew I’m so glad! Felting can be quite enduring and labour intensive. I used to teach slipper workshops of six but had to stop because of health. I might take it back up soon though. Will see! I find it very tiring but also rewarding. I hope to see you back here sometime. Thank you for sharing your lovely comment.

[@karenvaage1228]

I’m really new at this your video is very informative. Just wondering how do you calculate the weight of fibre for a total project like slippers in different sizes. Say like how much fir baby size women or mens. Thank you

[@muffsmerino]

I don’t have an exact method on how to calculate. The smaller the space, the less area to shrink so baby slippers would be a lot less wool. I’ve made a few and all have turned out funny. So the key is to spend time making a new pair, new shape, see how it turns out. Then do another one and adjust it and continue until it’s perfect. I expect to make each new felt project four times before it’s how I really want it to be. The adult slippers go up 10g per size until the space gets larger you need to add maybe 20 more grams. Hard to say if it’s an exact science lol! So maybe the kids and baby need to go down 10g per size and baby even more! Trial and error. I have yet to make templates for baby, adult, men’s and boots!

[@parf1890]

thank you it is great and useful.

[@muffsmerino]

:)

[@yoanadimitrova8760]

You can just big the felt material in rolls?

[@muffsmerino]

You can buy it in rolls and then cut it out or pull it apart and place it on like fabric. Then flip it over and place another piece on. It is a different method for felt making. Really good for large projects like rugs or yurts haha. I am unsure of how controlled the end results will be. With pre-made felt, the slippers may end up being more rustic and shapeless. But take that as a challenge!!

[@saskialagerwaard4560]

Do you use the soap on each layer or only in the first and in the end?

[@muffsmerino]

It really depends how soapy your soap is. I usually add soap once I’m done laying out the fibre. It helps the wool to stick together during the layout so it can be helpful to use soap more if you’re a beginner. You want enough so, but not too much :)

[@leighmclellan1754]

Hello, Thank you for the videos. What material do you use for the template and do you have size guides for templates? Thanks

[@muffsmerino]

The material is a 2mm flat packing foam roll. I have digital templates in all sizes and shrinkage in the Muffs Etsy shop. I don’t think I have it listed as a seperate sizes yet. There is a bit of guidance in the beginning to of the slipper video on how to draw, shape and size your resist. If I missed anything though feel free to ask :)

[@leighmclellan1754]

Thank you very much! @@muffsmerino

[@ellenrose2533]

Thank you for sharing your skills and talent. Most appreciated🎉

[@eriksalmonberry4553]

please tell me what type of foam product you use for the "flat foam". thanks

[@muffsmerino]

Some websites say it is Polyethylene foam. Some call it Polyfoam roll. I type in Packing foam. The one I use is approx 1mm. But 2mm should work fine too. I hope you can find it. If you are in New Zealand, you can buy it at Bunnings, Office Max or NZ Safety Blackwoods. You can also use bubblewrap. The flat foam is easier to draw and cut out shapes. It is easier to fold over your edges as well.

[@nicolemwilcox]

Can you also do this with Merino? I have a ton of Merino available from another project and am trying to find interesting ways to use it up.

[@muffsmerino]

Yes you can definitely use Merino. I also use Merino to make felted slippers. Sometimes I add a silk layer to make them stronger. Use the same amount of wool needed for the size as in the video. The Merino is more delicate and can pill more easily. I recommend making the Merino slippers one or two sizes larger so that the toe doesn’t rub or pill a hole. The Merino fibre filaments are smaller and so in time, they can break apart from friction, so do other felted slippers. If you make them thick enough, and felt them tightly, they can be fairly hard wearing.

[@nicolemwilcox]

@muffsmerino i do have a small amount of corridale so i might be able to get a layer into it. Thanks for the clarification ❤️

[@michaeldaoust87]

Oh my, this is a great tutorial! I have raw sheep, alpaca, and angora... is there a blend you'd recommend? I've heard alpaca is stretchy, but my sheep wool is pretty coarse. Would coarse sheep wool be good for slippers? Thank you!!!

[@muffsmerino]

Coarse wool is great for slippers depending on how coarse. Alpaca is approximately 15-25 microns. Corriedale is 28 - 33 microns and is perfect for slippers. Coarser wools can be more challenging to keep wet and require more arm strength to felt to size. If it is oily, it won't take the water as easily so keep applying water. Apply quite a bit of warm water and quite a bit of soap if it's just not staying together during the layout process and again at the beginning of felting the slippers. I have a pair of Alpaca socks that went through the washing machine. They shrunk quite a bit and then stretched out so I can attest to the stretching! I feel that if you made a pair of alpaca slippers though, you could just shrink them more to allow for stretch. They would be very soft. Because Alpaca fibre is very fine like Merino, you will need to lay out more layers to achieve a thick slipper. The Angora will end up being very fluffy and its commonly blended with other fibres. I believe alone, it will felt similarly to the Alpaca but may also stretch. I find when I felt with Angora, it doesn't felt easily to itself, so could be quite a challenge to felt without blending it. So! I recommend washing your coarse sheep wool well, brushing and carding it so its very smooth. If you are able to blend the fibres together, then definitely use them all or, at least add the Alpaca. This will make your slippers a little more luxury, softer and warmer :) Noting that you don't need to pre-blend them, you could do a different type of fibre every other layer.

[@michaeldaoust87]

@@muffsmerino wow thank you for such a well thought out answer! I tried to wash the coarse wool and gave up! So much vegetable matter in it! I did try with the alpaca, as its much cleaner, and succeeded in a lumpy something thats vaguely slipper shaped! I will have to keep trying I suppose, but its surprisingly hard to "sculpt"? I ended up rolling it back and forth with my feet to get some traction going, and I ended up with a big lump on one side of the slipper! Anyways, thank you so much for your video and the kind response! 🥰

[@tanyacody5094]

Hi. I love your tutorial, and I am going to try and make some slippers for myself. I've ordered your resist template to help. I live in Australia and am not sure what "flat foam" is. Is there another name for it? Also I followed your link to buy "shoe lasts" but the delivery to Oz is more expensive than the product. Again, this is a great tutorial, very informative . Thank you

[@muffsmerino]

Oh really, about the shoe last delivery. It must have changed over the last few years… There is a lady who might know where to get them. She recently moved from NZ to AUS. She’s called ‘Shoe School’ sometimes on Etsy the shipping is set at a general number for many countries so could be worth it to ask for a quote specifically for nz. But with all that said, shipping is very pricy for anything it seems these days! For the flat foam, it’s called flat packing foam or maybe poly foam roll. Bunnings has it in a smaller size. It’s located in their packaging / postal section..

[@muffsmerino]

www.bunnings.co.nz/wrap-move-300mm-x-25m-foam-wrap_p0176977

[@muffsmerino]

I use this one: nzsafetyblackwoods.co.nz/en/foamwrap-roll-1-x-600mm-x-100m-roll-roll-1544981 Works great for large projects! 2mm is preferred but I wasn’t able to find it so wide for a reasonable cost.

[@lindadelgado6842]

Do you add the soap only once?

[@muffsmerino]

I add soap throughout the felting process. It does help the fibre to move around and tangle. I finish felting without the soap though :)

[@cathyellis-b1g]

WOW

[@muffsmerino]

Thanks for watching :)

[@ceramicsbyjulia8552]

I have just started watching your videos they are so informative, your finished products are amazing. Can I ask though on some of your videos you speak super fast or you are on a faster speed and I can't keep up with what you are saying its so fast it almost is un listenable. I have to keep rewinding to catch what you are saying. Other than that I love your videos😊

[@muffsmerino]

Yes I am so sorry about that. Hopefully I can redo some of these fast videos one day. For now you may have to select settings on the video and then slow down the speed... Again, so sorry I know the speedy parts, its awful - I try not to watch them over lol. I believe all my new videos have improved since :) Thank you though for the comment and watching and please ask if you have any questions throughout the process :)

[@khadeejahpatel2015]

How much wool roughly, in grams, are used to make these slippers?

[@muffsmerino]

Approximately 150g - 200g depending on your foot size. Exact amounts are listed approx at 2:15 minutes in 😊

[@Mhontti]

Hermoso, gracias 😊🫶

[@muffsmerino]

Thank you for watching, all encouraging

[@xinyili9241]

❤

[@muffsmerino]

🌼Printable download slipper resist template for all sizes plus hole shapes now available in Muffs Etsy Shop🌼 See link in bio :)

[@cristinatrovatto8066]

Habla muchisimo

[@rozemarijngoedhart6756]

Thank you i will look it again when i really start. You are talking so rapidly do you do that always? I won't mind if you went slower, no offence.

[@muffsmerino]

Ha yeah not sure of if was beginner nerves or like health issue. Please use the KZbin slow down feature for this one. The new videos are much better! No more fast videos. I will do a new slipper video in the future.