Let's Make Some Acorns, Y'all! - Felted Acorn Tutorial

Felted acorns have been showing up everywhere online recently.  People are even selling them on etsy!  I'm here to show you how to make your own.  I'm sure there are several ways to make them, but this is the way I did mine.  I did google the subject before I started and one thing that came up was a video.  I only watched a few seconds of it because the woman in the video was using a roving (a long and narrow bundle of fiber. It is usually used to spin woolen yarn) and I wanted to use yarn.  You can buy roving at most craft stores either in a natural color, that you would dye on your own, or pre-dyed.  Being able to buy roving at a craft store makes making the acorns that way, easier, but since I've never made acorns from roving or even felted a roving before, I don't know how much you're gonna get out of those little packs of roving.  To me, using yarn just made more sense, because I already have so much of it on hand.  I do have some natural roving, but I didn't want to deal with dyeing it.  I wanted to get right to the making of the acorns part.

 

To make the acorns with yarn, you will need:

• 100% wool yarn in various colors
• a tape measure
• liquid soap
• scissors
• glue gun or super glue
• acorn caps

I tried several different 100% yarns and I got the fastest and best results with Patons Classic Wool.  I buy mine at AC Moore.  I'm not sure what other craft stores carry it.  *** edited to add that Michaels carries this yarn too.


Run a sink full of hot water.

For a large acorn, cut 180 inches of yarn.  If you're making a small acorn, start with 60 inches.

Wad it up.

Wet it in hot water.  Wet woolen yarn is STINKY.

Begin to roll it between your palms. 

After about 30 or so seconds of rolling, it will look a little like this.

Add some soap.

Roll some more.

Pet your helper.

Your yarn mass should begin to look like this.  Keep rolling.  Alternate adding soap with rinsing in hot water.  Keep rolling and squishing.  You can shape your acorn while you're doing this.  It's kinda like rolling Silly Putty between your palms.

One last rinse in hot water.

There might be nubbins.

Cut 'em off, but don't throw them away.

You can do a little more of the felting to soften the cut edges.

Test your acorn body to make sure that it'll fit inside the acorn cap.  If it's too big, use a bigger cap, or cut away the excess.

Let the acorn body dry a bit.  I did this one while it was still damp and it's fine.

Apply glue inside the cap.

Squish the acron body in and hold it for about a minute (long enough for the glue to grip).

Voila!  Your acorn.  That little baby one... it was made from a nubbin. 

Whew!!  Wow, that's a lot of pictures!  I hope that this was clear enough for someone who isn't familiar with felting, to be able to make these.  If you've got any questions, just ask in comments.

Come back tomorrow for part three of the Fiber Fall Wreath Tutorial Series; felt leaves and putting it all together.


This post is Part 2 of 4 of my Fiber Fall Wreath Series.
See Part 1 here.

See Part 3 here.



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