How to make Flowers from Wool Roving

Well its been very busy around here. We are leaving for the family cabin in BC on Monday and I am frantically trying to pack enough art/craft supplies for the kids(...and of course me!). CABIN CRAFTS......I try to think ahead with some planned nature type stuff but you really never know what the kids will be in to.


My oldest and I have been making these wool roving flowers.









I have carded roving lying around because I like to felt and use it to stuff dolls and stuffies with. We have been planning to make a felt landscape similar to the work of Karma Grotelueschen. Felt landscapes have always fascinated me, must be because i like to paint landscapes as well.


We are making these flowers for the foreground of the landscape. Needle felting and kids don't seem to go together very well. I have enough problems not poking myself with those incredibly sharp and long needles so I thought it would be better to make them this way. I am using the technique described in this book: More Magic Wool, with my own alterations.




You will need lengths of carded wool roving. I have dyed mine with good old kool aid, (works every time with wonderful colors).











You also need a needle and thread, some masking tape, scissors, and something to wind your flower on to. In this case i am using a Popsicle stick which gives me a 1 inch flower.

a ruler = 3 inch flower



a tongue depressor = 2 inch flower



a mini craft stick = 1/2 inch flower






take your needle and thread and tie a knot in a 10 inch or so double length of thread.




tape the knotted end on one end of the stick and tape down the thread on the other end. This stops it from moving around and makes it easier for your kids.

Now you need to wind your wool roving around your stick. I chose 2 different colors for my flower but you can easily just use one. Wind about 6 or 7 times around and try to tuck the ends in. Break off any extra at the end as you don't want to be tucking in a big long piece.








take off the tape and thread the needle between the 2 threads near the knotted end.










Pull on the thread and when the wool has scrunched up slide off the stick.

















continue to pull the thread till the flower forms and stitch a few stitches thru the center of the flower. Don't knot off just yet cause we'll put a center on our flower




take a small piece of roving and tie a couple of knots in the center, clip off the ends








place in the center of the flower and secure with a few stitches. knot off your thread and there you go a wool roving flower. If you're doing a landscape like me then only 30 or so more to go.

I'll post the finished piece when we get back.



I will be taking my laptop to the cabin so hopefully i can post some good cabin crafts and paintings. (fingers crossed that the Internet access works!!)

see you later,
gail