How to Use a Resist, Ball and Tumble Dryer to Make a Wet Felted Handbag

Felt which is created inside a tumble dryer is always a lot more firm than felt which can be made from rubbing or rolling the fibres by hand. This makes it the perfect choice for creating a handbag which will get a lot of use.

Add a simple template and a soft squishy round Gertie ball to the mix and you have the perfect project for making with small groups of adults or children.

The Gertie ball can easily be inflated or deflated using the small tube which is provided by the Manufacturer and sealed with a long plastic plug. Gertie balls can be stored flat and used multiple times over with or without a tumble dryer. They are great for projects just like this one and are often used in hat making, especially when making felt hats with children.

• A tumble dryer
• A circular template which can be made from plastic packaging or bubble wrap with a diameter of about 17 Inches. (43 cm)
• A quantity Merino wool roving embellished with silk for the top layer of the ball
• A quantity of red Merino wool roving (or in a colour of your choice)
• A Gertie ball
• A bamboo blind
• A handbag frame, which can be new or recycled from an old handbag
• Dish washing liquid or grated Olive Oil soap which has been diluted in hot soapy water.
• Strong thread and needle for sewing on the bag frame.

The finished weight of the bag is a total of 400 grams. This is the approximate amount of wool roving which you will need to do make this project.

• Draw the template on bubble wrap or recycled plastic packaging. I used some which came from the Pickford Van Removals Company.

• Start on the outside edges and work into the middle.
• The fibres on the outer edges should overlap the template so that they can be neatly folded around the edges when the template is turned over.

• Cover the template with the red wool roving taking care to make sure that no thin spots are left anywhere.

• Sprinkle the fibers with hot soapy water and cover with a sheet of bubblewrap

Wetting the surface of the bubble wrap helps your fingers glide easily over the top.

• Push down on the bubble wrap so as to disperse the water throughout the project and right up and until the loose edges.
• Rub the surface firmly until the fibres are laying flat.

• Flip the project over and use the hot and soapy water to help neaten the edges.

• Fold the loose fibres over the edges of the template. Use your fingers and a little hot soapy water and bubble wrap to smooth the surface.

• Use the sheet of bubble wrap and a little surface water neaten the edges and the top surface.

• Cover the final two layers of the template with a decorative layer of wool roving which should be opened out flat as is shown below.
• Run your fingers down the length of the wool roving and they will open them out, after which you can spread them evenly over the surface of the template.

• Sprinkle the fibres which have been laid out on the surface of the template with hot soapy water.

• Cover the Merino/Silk layer with bubble wrap and add a little surface water to the top.
• Disperse the water throughout the project by pressing down firmly.
• Rub the surface of the bubble wrap, leaving the overlapping dry fibres on the edges to be folded over when the project is flipped over.

• Remove the bubble wrap and flip the project over.

Turn the edges neatly over the edges using a little hot soapy water.

Add the last layer of flattened wool fibres to the template.

• Wet and cover the final layer with bubble wrap and rub the fibres below using hot soapy water.

• Remove the bubble wrap when the fibres have been firmly rubbed.
• Flip the project over and neaten the edges as described previously.

• The last layer is now complete and is ready to be rolled inside a bamboo blind.

• Put the project inside a large bamboo blind and roll it up carefully.
• Roll gently at first without putting any downwards pressure on the fibres below.

• Keep on checking the contents of the bamboo blind.
• When the fibres start to firm up change the direction in which you roll them.
• Keep moving the template around inside the bamboo mat to prevent uneven shrinkage from taking place

• I used the heat setting when the project is being tumbled inside the tumble dryer.
• When the fibres have firmed up but are not completely felted put the whole project including the template into the tumble dryer and tumble it for about 5 minutes.
• Keep on checking the contents of the dryer and when the project looks like the image below remove it from the dryer.
• It should not take more than 10 minutes to get to this stage but nevertheless don't leave it in for this period without checking it regularly.

• Flatten the project and choose which edge you would like to use for the opening.
• Cut a straight small line with a pair of sharp scissors.
• The hole should be only large enough to to make it possible for you to remove the template from the bag.
• Bear in mind though that the hole will shrink a little too when the project is inside the tumble dryer.

• Remove the Template from the bag by gently easing it through the opening.

• Deflate the Gertie Ball and insert it through the opening on the Bag.

• Inflate the ball inside the bag using the small pipe provided and seal with the plastic plug.
• Put the bag back into the tumble dryer and tumble it for a further 5 minutes.

• Keep checking the contents of the tumble dryer.
• As the bag begins to shrink watch carefully to ensure that no folds begin forming on the surface of the loose felt.
• If you see any signs of folds being formed simply wet the ball under a tap using warm water and apply a little soap to those areas. Rub and they will soon smooth out beneath your fingers.
• Return the project to the tumble dryer until enough shrinkage has taken place for you to complete the bag.

• When the felt has shrunk against the ball the project is ready to be fitted with a purse frame.
• You will need to deflate the ball and remove it from the bag in order to complete the stitching.
• The hole should be made large enough to make it easy to remove the ball whilst still being the right size to fit the purse frame.
• The cut edges should be rubbed with hot soapy water and the project rinsed under hot and then cold water.
• Once the purse frame has been sewn onto the project you may wish to return the ball to the bag to help keep its shape while it is drying.
• Put it on a cake rack or similar to allow the circulating air to dry the bag.

Fit the frame to the purse.

Cut the opening where necessary and sew on the frame with strong thread using a sewing needle.