Fun and Creative Ways to Use Felt

I am a crafter, or at least I was. These days I can't do some of the crafts I once did because of poor eyesight. However, I still do a few things here and there, especially for the nursing home I have adopted.

One of my favorite things to work with in crafts is felt fabric. Felt is very versatile, reasonably inexpensive and comes in a wide array of colors. That makes it a perfect crafting item. It can be used for hundreds of different things. Here are some of my personal favorites.

Cover the bottom of vases, figurines, lamps, candles, etc. to prevent the items from scratching fine furniture. Since felt comes in a lot of different colors, it is relatively easy to match the color of the item in question, making the felt addition almost invisible.

Sew with it. Felt can make a variety of items from eyeglass cases to Christmas stockings. Because the fabric is sturdy and has body, it is easy to cut, stitch, and use every single day.

Line gift boxes. I like to save heart or egg shaped candy boxes to recycle them. However, the cardboard inside often gets messed with chocolate. To solve the problem I line the box with matching or coordinating felt. Then I can reuse the box for a gift of jewelry, lingerie, a scarf or many other items.

Use felt as a polishing or buffing cloth for jewelry, fine silver, marble or even wood. Because the fabric is absorbent, it picks up and transfers the dirt away from the item being cleaned. Because it is soft and pliable, it works well for buffing up the shine factor.

Make a scented sachet for your car, home, purse or lingerie drawer. Felt is pliable and can be bent easily to make a bag or pocket for potpourri, scented beads, thick powders and the like. You can also allow a bit of perfume or cologne to dry on the fabric and it will hold the scent in for weeks on end, transferring it to wherever you heart desires.

Use it to make a play mat for little ones. While a single layer won't provide a lot of padding, a double layer with batting in between provides a good base for a play mat. It will help keep junior clean as he plays with his blocks on the floor while providing some comfort should he take a little tumble.

Keep furniture from scratching your hardwood floors. Applying felt to the feet of furniture helps the item to slide easier and prevents it from digging into the wood below.

Prevent knicks and dings in your cabinetry. Felt placed between the door and doorjamb of cabinetry can ensure a smooth closure without scratches and dings that spoil the overall beauty.

Erase with it. Let's face it, junior miss is probably going to lose the eraser to her favorite chalkboard at least once or twice. Instead of letting her cry because she can't draw something new, hand her some felt to erase the old and make room for her newest masterpiece.

Line all or part of a corkboard with colorful felt to create a special scene or display. Felt provides the perfect background for just about anything.

Use felt behind photos and momentos for a scrapbook. It adds a little dimension and a whole lot of color.

Protect books by making a cover out of felt. The fabric is easy to sew or glue into place and can be cut to fit almost any kind of book that requires covering.

Keep the cold air out and the hot air in or vice versa by making a door or window seal from felt. It can be temporarily stapled into place or glued permanently. Either way, the air will stay where you want it.

Make your own letter sweaters or jackets for your children to recognize their accomplishments. Use the first letter of the family name and make special awards for things like best dishwasher, best lawn mower or best chore doer. It will encourage the kids to do their work and provide them with a unique reward at the same time.

Make your own flags for holiday celebrations. Felt is durable and colorful so it is perfect for designing. Use different color hearts for Valentine's Day, Snowflakes for Christmas or Easter Eggs for Easter. Kids can get creative and come up with their own flag designs that won't be seen anywhere else on the block.

Make clothes for dolls. Buying doll clothes these days can get expensive. However, it is easy to make clothes out of felt. All it takes is a self designed paper pattern and a bit of imagination. Let the kids help with the clothing designs and spark their creativity along the way.

Design hair accessories with felt. It can be shredded or fringed, cut into shapes, glittered, beaded and sewn, making the possibilities for designs with the fabric almost limitless. Additionally, all of the fabric's available colors make sure that you can match almost any color of garment too.

Line Rex's collar with felt. That way any studs or jewels inset into the piece won't scratch or hurt the puppy. Plus, who doesn't want something soft right next to the skin?

Line your shoes with felt to provide a little more cushion and comfort.

Line drawers with felt to protect delicate fabrics from snagging.

Use felt in quilting to add depth and layers.

Make toys out of felt and stuff them. They'll be washable and durable at the same time.

Line a wall with felt to make a giant bulletin board on which the children can display artwork, photos, momentos and the like.

Separate china with felt, especially for packing away. It provides a protective layer between dishes and just enough cushioning to prevent normal breakage.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of ways to use this versatile fabric. All it takes is your imagination and a little time.

RESOURCES:

My own personal use of the fabric