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Felt is a pretty general term and it easy for a new crafter to be confused! I will introduce three types of nonwoven felt and and explain their uses and where it can be purchased. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Wool Felt: Often referred to 100% wool felt so not to get confused with its blended counterparts; only Merino wool fibers are felted together making the felt evenly dense, pliable and so very smooth. The colors are soft and beautiful. Certainly a premium felt -you'll want to use this for you most special of projects. Look for Benzie's Bellwether -you'll never go back!
Craft Felt: On the other end of the spectrum is craft felt, readily available in any big box craft store for very low prices. This felt is usually made from recycled materials such as water bottles or synthetic materials such as acrylic. It can be unusually thin or extra lofty and colors are limited. The above photo shows craft store felt -you can see how thin it is compared to the wool felt that is placed on top. Fibers are usually sparse and is prone to stretching and pilling. Warning, do not iron this felt, it will melt! Best left for kiddie crafts.
Wool Blend Felt: Most often referred to wool felt (but not to be confused with 100% wool felt), this felt is made up of wool and rayon fibers. Our favorite is Benzie's wool blend felt and it is made up of 20-35% merino wool with the remainder rayon (or viscose). Rayon and wool are both renewable sources! These two fibers work well together making a strong durable felt that is available in all colors of the rainbow.
I consider wool blend felt to be the best of both worlds - it's durable and strong like pure wool felt but it's affordably priced too! You can share all you want with your kids while using the same felt for heirlooms for your grandchildren. Available at www.benziedesign.com.
I would love to hear if you utilize the different kinds of felt and what projects you use them for! Read more on different types of wool crafts here! Happy Crafting!
