How to Stiffen Felt
I’m currently working on a project that requires the use of stiffened felt. You can buy it already stiffened at the craft store, but then you are limited to the colors and sizes that they carry. Also, if you know me, you know I am particular about what kind of felt I use. It was surprisingly easy and cheap to stiffen the felt myself. There are lots of different methods out there, but for my purposes, I found using regular old white school glue worked great! So here you go, here’s how to stiffen felt with school glue.
To stiffen felt, you will need:
- felt
- white school glue
- warm water
- old container
- wax paper
- iron and ironing board
How to Stiffen Felt with Glue
Mix approximately one part school glue to three parts warm water. I am too lazy to measure when it comes to this sort of thing, so really I just dumped some glue into my bowl and added some warm water. Make sure to mix it until it’s mostly smooth. You don’t want the chunks of glue sticking to your felt.
Cut your pieces of felt slightly larger than you need them to be. The felt will shrink up a bit and warp as it dries. For this reason I also recommend cutting out any shapes AFTER stiffening. Submerge your felt in the mixture and make sure the whole piece gets nice and soaked. If you are doing multiple colors, start with the lightest, as the dyes will bleed.
Remove your felt and gently wring it out over your bowl. Don’t twist or pull it. A nice squeeze to get out the extra moisture is all you need. It will still be a little wet, but you want to get out as much water as you can to speed up the drying process.
Lay your felt on wax paper and smooth it out flat. Don’t worry that it’s wrinkled from wringing it out, we will fix that later. Let it dry completely. We have lovely 100 degree weather right now, so I took mine outside to dry faster. At least the heat is good for something! Drying will take probably a day or two depending on how warm the environment is.
Once your felt has dried completely, it should be nice and stiff. Now is that part where we take care of the wrinkles. Just sandwich it between two cloths and iron. It will come out perfect and ready for your craft project! (If you are using acrylic or polyester felt, just try not to leave the iron on there too long. That stuff is made out of plastic.)
Stiffened felt will show every hole that you put in it with a pin. I recommend taping any patterns that you use instead of pinning. Hope you enjoyed learning how to stiffen felt! Click here to see what I made with it and check out all of my felt crafts for more inspiration.
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Hey, thank you so much for this tutorial (: the instructions were clear and easy!
After the felt has been stiffened, can it be used on a Cricut?
The ginger bread house is fantastic, I managed to make one. I really enjoyed making it. Xx
Thank you for new ideas
Hey could you tell me please if I can wash a quiet book made of stiffen felt?
No, I wouldn’t. I would spot clean only.
Thank you!!!
Me encanta fieltro
Hey! I know this was made 7 years ago, but Iām just trying this now, and there was something I noticed! You say to use warm water with the glue, and to make sure that thereās almost not chunks of glue when youāre done stirring. When I did this, I noticed that the warm water wasnāt hot enough to dilute the glue to a point where it didnāt still have chunks. Although I stirred for a good 15 minutes, my felt still had spots of glue. So, I tried using water that was almost boiling, stirring the glue, and then letting it cool a bit so I didnt burn my hands dipping the felt, the glue mixed completely fluidly and I was able to get clean felt! Iām using 12ā x 11ā sheets of felt since Iām making fairly big felt dolls with them, and it was spot free when I used hotter water! I hope if anyone is still seeing this, it comes in handy to keep the solution fluid ^^
Awesome! Thank you for the tip!!
@Allio, Is it possible to buy cloth faces for dolls nowadays?
I want to make a bicorne Naval re-enactment hat out of melton black wool felt.
I need to make the brims stiff so that it will curl as it is bent up toward the top of the hat.
I am concerned. I don’t to experience any white residue from the glue on the black felt?
Would I need to use steam during curling the brims up to the top?
I didn’t have a problem with residue. I think most white school glue dries white, but check the bottle. Someone else just commented that if you make the water really hot, mix in the glue, and then let it cool, the glue dissolves a bit better.
Iām coming late to this party, but wanted everyone to know that this tutorial would be great for making felt Quiet Books. Iāve been looking for a way to stiffen felt, and Iām so glad I found your tut!
I am planning to do the same for Quiet Books, but what if I had to wash the Quiet Book because kids made it dirty?
You’d probably need to use something other than felt. It doesn’t wash well, even when stiffened.
I have just found your tutorial it looks great. I recently used as similar method to stiffen a loop fasteningfor a bag, it worked well. I made a cord with wool and the soaked it with the glue.
I am attempting to make some pennant flags to be used to hold pins for pin trading at a baseball tournament. I want the flags to be sorta stiff like a regular pennant flag. Then i want to heatpress the designs on them. Do you think this will work?
I think it would work to stiffen them. I would put something on around the flag when you use the heatpress to protect it from any glue residue. Maybe parchment paper or an old towel.
Has anyone tried it n a Cricut explorer air 2?
Oh my gosh that would have saved me so much money! I’m homebound so I can’t go to the store and pick up one sheet of stiff felt in each color. I had to order them in packages of 15 in each color. And they’re expensive! And, like you said, the color is limiting for sure. This is so smart!
Thank you! Glad this helped you!
This looks great!!! I need to stiffen some wings on a Toothless I’ve made, so would this dry clear on black felt? Would clear school glue make a difference?
White school glue should dry clear. It did for me. š
Hi Jessica, I love your tut on stiffening felt and Iām pinning it for future reference, TYSM!
I have a related question and need your advice… I made this adorable alphabet out of cotton fabric. Each side has Pellon 978 fused on, then I sewed all around and pinked the edges. Iām wondering if you paste instructions would work here or do you think itād be too thick and not dry well? Does the paste mixture dry colorless? Thanks for any advice you can offer!
I think it might work. I would test it on a scrap first so you don’t mess up your alphabet though. It does dry colorless.
Hi,
I was wondering if you could do this with glitter felt? I’m thinking of making a little 1st Birthday Crown for our little girl but I’m guessing normal felt will be to floppy? Thanks so much x
Yes, I’m sure you could. You just need to be VERY careful if you iron it. I don’t think they make a wool felt with glitter, so whatever felt you find will probably be made from synthetic fibers that will melt. I think you can buy glitter felt that is already stiffened, but then you might be limited to smaller sized pieces.
Hi Jessica
I have a felt box that is already stiffened, but it has lost some of its stiffness and is losing its boxy shape – if you get what I mean. I’m bit worried about saturating it (as instructions say to only wipe clean!). Is it possible to dampen it and still get your result??
Any help welcomed Ta!
Karen
Yeah, I would be worried about doing that too. Maybe you could put some in a spray bottle so it doesn’t get as wet. Try one side at a time. Can you find something to support it while it dries? Sort of like how people use a hat mold. Maybe a block of wood?
I keep some mixed up in a little plastic bottle (wide mouth type) and then used a brush to brush it on even little pieces – however much you want to stiffen it (just one side or both sides) – and let that dry. You can even iron it (with a cloth over it, of course). That way you can do small pieces and control how much stiffness you want in the piece.
That’s a great idea! Thank you so much for the tips!
Hi!
Thanks for the useful blog post! I tried something similar to stiffen soft leather (same procedure with mixing glue and water, then soak and let to dry, minus the ironing š ). I’ve found with leather that glue really does stiffen it but also significantly changes the texture of the leather and the piece I tried this process on became much rougher and dried to the touch. How did it work with felt? Did you also observe a change in the texture of the fabric?
Again thanks so much!
It’s definitely not as fluffy after doing this, but it still looks like felt. Try it on a small piece first to see how you like it.
I recall when I was decorating baskets, that Mod Podge made a stiffener. Have you tried it?
I bought some and was going to make another post, but I never used it! I think that was over a year ago. Haha! Someday!
Would this be a good method for felt bow headbands? The felt always peels after a while if you just use it without treating it with something.
I’m not sure. The hot air balloons I used them on don’t get handled, so I don’t know if it helps with pilling. If you test it on one, be sure to come back and let us know! I hate when felt pills!
Very nice tutorial! Thanks! I’m sharing on my FB and Twitter craft page.
Hi. I’m planning a craft where I will need to stiffen a sheet of felt about 1 meter square. Do you think this method would still work or would it be too tough to remove excess solution? If I were to apply the solution with a spray bottle to one side would that perhaps work?
You could try a spray bottle. If that doesn’t work, you can always try again, soaking it. The glue just has to get all the way through the felt. Try to do it on a sunny day, if possible, so you can lay it out in the sun.
Can stiffened felt be washed?
No, the glue would come out and then it wouldn’t be stiff anymore.
Hi
I just happened to stumble across yr helpful site whilst looking for a way to stiffen felt.When you say school glue, do you mean like the PVA craft glue? I’m in Australia and worried ill end up with felt which has white glue stains all over
Thanks
School glue is like the white Elmer’s glue. I don’t know what you have in Australia. I just read something about it online and it looks like Elmers is PVA based. As long as it dries clear you should be ok.
Thanks so much, I have lots of wool felt for making little houses, this is the perfect way to stiffen it š
You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful!
Hi! Thanks so much for this idea! š I would like to know what happens to the stiffen felt if it comes in contact with water? Will is be not stiff any more?
I think if it got some sprinkles of water on it, it would be ok. If it got really wet, it might loose it’s form or the glue might dilute and wash out completely.
Hello. Thank you for your tutorial. I would like to ask what is the purpose of the wax paper? Is it OK to just lay the felt flat on table? If it is necessary to use the wax paper, where can I get those from? Thank you.
The wax paper protects your table from the water and glue. It also keeps the felt from sticking as it dries since there is glue on it. I got mine in the grocery store next to the foil and plastic wrap. You can also use freezer paper or possibly parchment paper.
Hi, I was just wondering whether or not the felt would have a glue smell when its dried. Please let me know, thanks!
You aren’t the first person to ask. Haha! I went and smelled something that I made with the stiffened felt, and they didn’t seem to have a glue smell. It had been a while after I made them though, so I don’t know how long it takes for the smell to go away.
Thank you so much I am making little hats for some special little girls who liked my hats that clip to your head.
When I work with wool I draw my pattern onto freezer paper and then iron the freezer paper (shiny side down) to the wool. I can then cut without pinning. I’m not sure if this would work with your stiffened felt but you might give it a try. It makes it easy to cut out your patterns.
Marsha Heironimus
I’ve never tried this method, but I think it would work with the stiffened felt. Definitely worth a try! Thank you for the suggestion!
Can I sew after stiffen the felt?
You can hand stitch, but I wouldn’t try using a machine. It gets too hard. When you hand sew, just be careful because the holes stick around if you make a mistake and need to take out the stitching. Also, use tape instead of pins to hold your pattern on the felt. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for this idea. I use stiffened felt in my keepsake boxes. Its hard to find it stiff enough to work. Now I can make my own.
I’ve been looking for a way to stiffen large sizes of felt circles that are 10″ and 12″ and this worked great for me. The only problem I had was trying to dry them all. Finding a place to lay them was an issue but I spread out aluminum foil and laid them out on it. They stuck to it but most of them peeled off easily. Thanks for the great tips and help Jessica… š
So glad it worked for you!
Thanks this is a great idea. Thanks for posting it.
This is a great idea and I will try it. I have a thought about cutting out patterns from it, if you iron the shiny side of freezer paper on with your pattern on it you can cut out accurately without leaving pin marks.
Ooh, that’s a great idea! I know some people use that method on regular, old, un-stiffened felt too.
What a wonderful idea! I would have never thought of white glue! Here I was thinking I’d have to buy stiffened felt. š However, have you ever tried a product called Stiffy? It’s a liquid designed to stiffen fabric, ribbons, paper and the like and I know it’s permanent and water resistant when dry–probably an acrylic base. Worth a try on felt at any rate. I’ll have to experiment and let you know how it works.
LOVE this idea!! About to try it.
I was wondering if you’ve tried to cut the hardened felt on your silhouette?
I still haven’t tried it, but some girls in my Silhouette Facebook group have and said that it works.
I have kind of an odd question. Does it smell like white glue after it’s dried? I would like to do this to make some car air-fresheners. I will add scented oil after it’s dried and cut into shapes. But I don’t want them to smell like a combination of glue and scented oil lol.
Haha. Funny. I went and smelled the hot air balloons hanging in my daughters’ room, and they don’t seem to smell like anything. They’ve been hanging there a while though, so I don’t know how long it takes for the smell to go away. Sounds like a neat project!
Are you able to submerge the felt in water after you’ve made it stiff like that?
I’ve never tried it, but I think that would dilute the glue in the felt and make it not stiff anymore.
Have you tried putting the stiffened felt through your Silhouette Came and if so what are results like?
Was wondering if the stiffened fibres (obviously after it was dry!) would help it both adhere to the mat and leave a crisp, cut edge.
I’m using a Portrait, so slightly smaller but other wise the same and really liked your tips for cutting felt using the Silhouette machines. I have grip issues with my hand so anything I can do to reduce the amount of scissor work is a huge deal!
I haven’t tried that yet, but maybe I’ll give it a go next time I have my Cameo out. My gut tells me that it would be too hard for the blade to cut through it. I have tried it on my manual die cutting machine and it worked great. I’ll let you know if I try on my Cameo.
That’s is an awesome idea. I wish a long time ago I had thought of thats. Awesome idea! Thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome!
I am making an alligator costume and my head piece is complete but the teeth are less than fearsome because they’re not stiff š Do you think I would be safe to apply the glue water solution very carefully to each tooth? Does the solution distort the felt at all? Thank you so much!
It might work to squirt a little on it. I definitely would NOT squeeze it out at all to prevent wrinkles. That’s going to make it take a long time to dry. The felt is going to flop over when it’s wet too, so you will have to be able to lay it out flat somehow. Maybe try on a scrap piece first so you can see what it does.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I have decided to stiffen another piece and re-do the teeth. Hopefully is will all come out good š
How long did it take to dry completely? i understand you put them outside in 100 degree temps and currently its winter and I’m up a rainy/snowy mountain…but I’m trying to get a gauge of how long I’ll have to wait til I can get to the next part of this project. Thanks!!
If you follow this method will you be able to flex and shape the felt the way you want it
Possibly. If you aren’t going to be able to iron it in the end, I’d recommend not squeezing it to get the water out.
this is great!! but i have a question: did your glue washout? or if you haven’t washed your project yet, do you think it would?? cause i feel like if i wash it, it might….
Yes, I would only use this method if you do not plan on washing the item. The glue would probably wash out. I have only used this to make decorations that need stiff felt.
thank god i found this tip! thanks so much for sharing, now i can get on with more felt projects! x
Glad you found it useful! I love felt!!! š
Perhaps you could paint the mixture on to the wrong side it wonāt stiffen it as much but could do it enough for a hat ?
Oh, that’s a good idea. Come back and let us know if you try it. If I had the knowledge of how to make a hat, I might give it a try myself. š
I am attempting to make a childs hat do you think it is possible to sew the hat with felt and then dry and shape it after?
I’m not sure. You definitely wouldn’t want to wring it out like I did because then you couldn’t iron out the wrinkles. Maybe look up how to make a felt hat?
How did it work for you Sara?? I am thinking of doing the same thing for some kids party hats. Thanks!
can you tell me which colors of felt you used for this project? i’m trying to make these for my nursery and want to purchase the same colors you chose (from joggles) but I’m afraid I’m going to order the wrong ones and be stuck with a bunch of felt I can’t use! Pretty please? š
Aimee
Sure! For the felt hot air balloons I used white, silver grey, baby blue, cotton candy (pink), wisteria (purple), Pistachio Ice Cream (green), and yellow.
Oh my!! I was crazy searching for this post I saw another day, and now I could found it again.
Thanks so much for your help, it is very usefull!
=)
Glad you found it and glad you found it useful! š
I just love this! Amazing project!
Thanks for linking up to my party! I wanted to let you know I picked your link to feature this week! See my post and grab my feature button here http://handmadecuddles.com/2013/06/create-inspire-71-picks.html
Love the tip! I can’t wait to do it!!! Thanks š
(PS Welcome to Social Fabric)
This is such a great tip to know. Pinning it because I’m starting to get old and forgetful. LOL! Thanks for coming by and partying with us at Fluster Buster’s Creative Muster.
Robin @ Fluster Buster
Thanks Robin! Love coming to your party each week!
No kidding Jessica?! Where have you been all my life? I tried starch once…it was bad. Real bad. Thanks!
Haha. Oh no! Glad I didn’t try that method. School glue was so easy!
Omg i was JUST about to try starch!!!
wow! great tutorial!! Thanks for the tip! Pinned!
Emily @ Nap-Time Creations