How to Make a Felted Bowl Out of Wool Roving

Felted bowls can be lovely décor accents, and are used for a variety of applications, including key dishes, knitting baskets and curio containers. Wet felting wool roving is a quick way to make a bowl, and can be completed by beginning crafters from kids to adults. These bowls are relatively simple to make, however they will require a little patience as the materials dry.

Pull pieces of roving from the bag or container it is stored in and lay them flat in a circle that is slightly larger than your plastic disc. Lay roving over the first layer two more times. Compress the wool roving slightly with your hands until the roving begins to stick together.

Fill the metal mixing bowl with warm water from your tap. The water should feel warm, but not hot, to the touch. Add a squeeze of dish washing liquid soap to the water and stir.

Wrap the roving around the disc and immerse it in the water. Use your hands to continue to compress the roving around the disc until it begins to hold its shape. Remove from the water and add more roving to the side of the disc that isn’t fully covered in wool. Re-immerse in the water. Continue adding roving and immersing until both sides of the disc are covered in equal amounts of wool.

Work the fibers together with your hands. The agitation from your hands and the soapy water will cause the wool fibers from the roving to stick to one another. Continue agitating until the roving stays around the plastic disc without any assistance, somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the wool.

Remove the wool from the water and cut an opening across the top of the disc. If you want the opening larger, cut a circular hole from the roving. For smaller openings you may cut a slit across the top.

Use a wooden spoon to shape the bowl. Insert the spoon into the opening of the bowl and begin to work it around the edges of the roving in a circular motion, with your hand supporting the exterior walls of the bowl. Leave the disc at the bottom of the bowl to help guide you as you shape the sides. Keep the roving damp, by dipping it back into the water as you perform this step. Add more roving and re-immerse into the water if needed. Gently pull the walls of the bowl upwards as you shape it with the spoon.

Dry the bowl. If the bowl has particularly tall sides and is collapsing on itself after you have finished shaping, wad up balls of aluminum foil and stuff them inside the bowl to help it hold its shape. Set the bowl aside and let dry completely before removing the disc at the bottom. Depending on the thickness of the wool, it may take a few days for the bowl to dry.