Felt making with kids - advice please

[Woody31]

I am hoping there are some crafty peeps out there who can offer some advice on wet felt making with kids. I had a go making some pictures with two 6 yr olds. We did the following:
Each had a tray with bubble wrap on it. They laid on bits of merino wool specifically for felt making which had been teased apart. One layer horizontally, one vertical and so on. About 4 layers. I then laid on netting which had big holes. Sprinkled water liberally on top and used bar of olive soap and asked then to rub lots and lots. I then added very hot water and rung it out then got them to sprinkle on more water and repeat with rubbing and soap. We turned it over and did the same.

The outcome was pretty rubbish. It didn't felt together very well at all.

I am planning to do this with 3 and 4 yo next year at a nursery so would love to hear top tips to get a better outcome. Including different material than the large holed netting which was pretty unpleasant to rub over.

Thank you!!!

Well, I have done this with 90 children in one day...yes really!
We did landscapes in almost exactly the same way as you, but I made a sausage with the felt int he middle, surrounded by bubble wrap, and I made them squash and squeeze and bash and really squeeeeeeze the felt inside the bubble wrap. The problem with little children is that they don't use enough friction to properly felt the wool together.
When it holds together, dunk it in boiling water, and then freezing water
Good luck

Thank you!! Just to ask what did you lay over the felt for the initial felt rub??

You can also pop it in the washing machine to really felt it- but tack stitch it in layers first- maybe a j cloth or old net layer over first.

I've done this with a bamboo blind as the rub.

You can do repeat the process until it felts properly. Soap, hot water, friction...

Try using a rubber gloves so that you are not rubbing against the netting with bare little fingers.

I wrapped the sheet in bubble wrap top and bottom. The children were encouraged to rub so hard that the bubbles popped!

So, gently with hands, soap and water first to secure mostly in place
Then a layer of bubble wrap on top...and a little soapy water on top of that, to make rubbing easier
Rub rub rub until it mostly holds together
Then wrap into a sausage and squeeze really hard
Look at it again, pull into shape, re wrap and squeeze
Into boiling water
Into freezing water
Admire !

Thanks that's fab! Good advice.