Do you love to knit or crochet? Acrylic yarn is a great alternative for those who want the look of wool but don’t want to deal with the extra care. It’s lightweight, soft and easy to work with. You can even felt acrylic yarn!
You can use the same methods to felt acrylic yarn that you would use with wool, just adjusting your time expectations.
The process is surprisingly simple – just follow these steps and you’ll be on your way!
- 1) Soak your acrylic in lukewarm water until it becomes fully saturated
- 2) Roll up the wet acrylic into a ball shape
- 3) Place it in an old pillowcase or other item that will allow air circulation while keeping it contained
- 4) Put this inside a washing machine and set on the spin cycle, which will cause the acrylic to start twisting together
- 5) After five minutes, stop the machine and check on your yarn. It should feel roughly half as dense as it started – this is when you’ll want to remove it from the pillowcase and rinse it thoroughly until water runs clear.
You can reuse this yarn for other projects.
Acrylic yarns are used very highly as it is considered good for beginners and comes in various colours. These are now used and manufactured vastly. Acrylic yarns are cheaper than wool yarn.
There are many kinds of Acrylic yarns some are 100 per cent acrylic or mixed with wool yarns. But can it be felt like wool yarns? That is a huge question as the acrylic texture is different from wool.
Felting is a relaxing hobby and people who like knitting also like felting. Acrylic yarns are hard to felt and some say it can’t be felt.
People who like felting and do it as a hobby often wonder about this. Here are some ideas to try if you want to felt acrylic yarn.
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How To Felt Acrylic Yarn
Acrylic yarn can be felt almost like wool yarns. Acrylic yarns are made to replicate wool and cotton yarns. Crafting with acrylic yarn is easy and affordable. This is why many people like to use them. This idea is a little sceptical but felting can be done with some methods.
Needle felting
Needle felt is a slow and relaxing process and acrylic yarns can also be felt with needles. Needle felting can be done with felting needles that you can buy from stores or online. These needles are long so you can hold on to them easily.
Just stab the needle in the yarn, go by sections. You can buy multiple needles that are combined. Acrylic yarn is harder to felt so using multiple needles can make it work easily. It takes time so be patient and the results will be amazing.
Felting Mat
Felting mats are also an option for felt acrylic yarn. There are many felting mats available on the market that can be used. Rub the mat on the yarn to felt it.
The yarn can be felted when wet, so use water to wet the yarn and then rub the felting mat on it. You can see the yarn getting loose and fluffy. For more desired fluffiness continue this process several times.
Slicker Brushes or Rake Brushes
As acrylics are not like wool and it’s not easily felt. Wool can felt very easily and naturally. Acrylics felt slow, so to felt acrylic yarn a slicker brush can be used. A slicker brush has fine and short wires. The rake brush is used for detangling and has thin pins. These brushes are used to comb the dog hairs.
Use this brush on the acrylic yarn to felt it. Just brush the surface and it will felt easily. These brushes are a very handy and good alternative for needles or mats. The same felting effect can be achieved too.
Washing Machine
Felt effects can be also achieved by washing the acyclic yarn on a washing machine. To do this fill the washing machine with hot water and use Asa soaps or detergents. You can also use baking soda.
Fill the machine with water fully and set it in a low water setting. Don’t use too much hot water as acrylic can melt. It can’t completely give the desired result. You can try out this method. Also, use any cloth to put the yarn in so that it doesn’t get stuck in the machine.
How To Glue Felt To Acrylic Yarn
Glues are used for making interesting yarn declarations and items. Glue felting is safe and easy, it can be used with other materials too.
Make sure to use clean yarn felt so that the glue can stick easily. If the yarn is not clean it will not stick and will not look good.
The glue needs to spread nicely on the surface. Use cardboard to spread the glue And stick it to the place precisely. Make shapes and proper sizes to get a better look.
The yarn condition has to be perfect for the glue to work. if you have some extra yarn then first try something making small. You can get an idea of how your glue works. See how much time it takes to dry the glue. So the yarn can be removed if it wrongly placed.
Best Glue For Felt To Yarn
Any glue can be used for glue felt a yarn. Most glues that are used in fabrics are safe to use for acrylic yarns. Here are some glues that work well with felt yarn.
Tacky Glue
Tacky glues are the best-suited glue for felt. These glues are not very runny or watery and have a good consistency. Tacky glues can work with different materials like wood, metal, plastic and felt of course. They are non-toxic and can be used in making children’s items. Mostly comes with a small nozzle so it’s not messy. They dry without turning yellow and leave a clean look. The rest of the glue left on the surface can be washed with water.
Hot Gun Glue
Got glue that can be used with hot guns are quick to stick. These work well with felt and they don’t leave any glue marks. When dried they become almost not visible. They can be used if you want quick dry and nice finishing. Don’t use hot glue at a higher temperature as it can melt the yarn. Use hot glue at minimum temperature and it will work excellently.
Fabric Glue
Fabric glues are neat and delicate to use in felting yarn. It is highly recommended for felt projects. These glues are easy to work with and sticks great. Best to use if you are working with felt to felt. Making big items with felt also works well. It’s machine washable and not toxic to kids. You can make items that require machine washing. It also has no smell and dries clear.
Felting is a hobby that people like and genuinely enjoy. Some people think it’s hard to felt acrylic yarn but that’s just a myth. Acrylic yarns can be felt with the right equipment and technique. Give these methods a try to see if they work.
Felt is a fun and creative craft that can be hard or easy depending on the type of felt you are trying to make. When it comes to felting acrylic yarn, there’s no need for needles or mats. Just use a brush instead! The process of felting with this technique is quick and simple – all you have to do is use warm water and your hand (or hands) until the desired result has been reached.
If after following these steps, your project isn’t coming out as expected then don’t worry because we’ve got plenty more tricks up our sleeve including using an appliance like a washing machine in order to achieve different effects.
