Felted Bookmarks

 These felted bookmarks make reading a pleasure, and were fun to make. They also make great gifts for readers.

 I was given a bag full of "accidentally felted" merino wool. My mum's friend was dying her wool green and it accidentally felted, creating long strips of pre-felted wool.

 It was a very large bag full of it, and I have been wondering how to use it. 

But one morning when playing around with ideas in my head in those moments before you fully awake, I thought I could make bookmarks with them.

I wet felted the strips using hot water, dishwashing liquid, bubble wrap and a sushi mat. It didn't take long to fully felt, because it was already partially felted.

I decided that I couldn't use acrylic felt to make flowers for merino bookmarks, so I also wet felted some coloured wool roving to create flat sheets for making embellishments.

Flat sheets of felt for embellishing the bookmarks.

 I also tried wet felting designs onto the merino strips during the felting process, which turned out quite well.

 Having a pile of little bookmarks to play with and decorate and embellish meant I could explore my beginning embroidery skills, and decorate with beads and flowers.

I used a large turquoise felt circle, a small yellow felt circle, and a bead, to create a flower for this bookmark.

These bookmarks are so easy and fun to make as there are no rules. You can cut out uneven circles, layer colours and different sizes on top of each other, and add beads. Play around with broken jewellery, buttons, and embroidery cottons. Have fun! 

They can also be turned into bracelets with the addition of a button and a loop of ribbon.

You can see all my other craft posts here.