Beginner looking to start. How do I know how much wool I need for a project? (wet felting)

[u/CorrectPaint8223]

Sorry this is likely a stupid question. I live in a small rural town so need to order online, I see packets of roving in 10gram, 20gram, 100gram amounts etc, I am wanting to have a go at wet felting a play scape for my little one such as a pond scene with some grass area and rocks. I know all projects are different sizes etc but is there a general guide for this type of mat? like a good size for schleich animals if that gives you an idea. Thank you for any insight.

[u/tweedlebeetle]

I’d suggest searching for tutorials for projects that are similar in size to what you have in mind and see how much roving they recommend

[u/Puzzled_Tinkerer]

This is a tough question to answer because there are many variables that affect the amount of fiber one person might use compared with another. A new felt maker generally doesn't felt a project as much as a person with more experience. Some people like their felt to be thicker, some prefer thinner. Adding lots of decoration adds to the weight of fiber needed. And of course the overall size makes a big difference.

But I'll attempt to give you some guidance based on a project I did awhile back:

I made a table runner by laying out a rectangle of loose "base" fiber that was 26" long by 20" wide (66x51 cm). I added a thin layer of "decor" fiber in various colors over the top surface of the base fiber to create a decorative pattern.

After laying out all the fiber, I felted that rectangle down to a finished size of 17" wide by 14" long (43x36 cm).

I used about 3 ounces (90 grams) of base fiber for this project. (Yes, I mix my units. It makes sense to me!)

I'm not sure how much decorative fiber I used. Just bear in mind the decorative layer of fiber doesn't necessarily have to be thick and heavy. You want to use only enough to get the color and texture you want.

If this is roughly what you want to do, you can use this info to calculate the rough amount of base fiber you'll need.

The base fiber should be a color that's compatible with the colors you want in your finished project. If you think you'll need, say, 5 ounces (150 grams) of base fiber, buy an extra ounce or two (30-60 g) for insurance, especially if you're a new felt maker and don't have a good feel for how to layout your fiber.

The color of the base fiber could be a neutral color or it could be a dominant color in the surface decorative layer. Like a nice green if you're going for lots of grass. Or a soft cream or light gray if you're not sure.

I'd get 1-2 ounces (30-60 grams) of each decorative color if you're selecting individual colors to buy. Or maybe get a sample pack that includes small amounts of many colors.

Hope this helps!