Hand Felted Jewelry and Beads: 25 Artful Designs

by Carol Huber Cypher

Contemporary and artistic approaches to crafting trendy felt-bead jewelry are offered in this comprehensive handbook filled with detailed instructions for novices and more advanced tips for seasoned fiber artists. Techniques for creating the felted equivalent of lampworked beads, turquoise focal beads, and mokume gane look-alikes are presented along with inspiring design possibilities. All aspects of the feltmaking process are detailed, such as handling special fibers, dyeing wool, and beading on felt, as well as what types of tools are needed. Step-by-step instructions walk feltmakers through the needle-felting and wet-feltmaking techniques--including flat and three-dimensional work, inclusions, and texture applications--that are used to create wearable works of art.

Genres: Jewellery, Nonfiction, Reference, Jewellery Making

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Michelle Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that this book had some great patterns and instructions on how to wet felt jewelry. I wish it was in a waterproof binder, as I would reference it when wet felting and the book would ultimately end up wet... The pieces in the book and fun, and I found it a good first book when learning how to take the next step to making jewelry and flowers.

[Zenny Dahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely book. One that I do not have the talent or the materials to emulate, unfortunately. Instead of “traditional” hand-wash or machine wash felting, this book is about needle felting. Something I’d love to try, but I just can’t start another hobby at this point. However, the pictures were gorgeous and my fingets itched to try a project.

[Elizabeth Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a little funny rating this book; this is not a craft anywhere near my level or familiarity. So take my 3 stars with a grain of salt; perhaps it is worth more stars, but it is a genre I don't generally review as I am more about literature. The book appears to be quite thorough and well written but I have no idea if it really is instructive enough to enable someone to make these objects. The designs are amazing...when I saw this book at a library sale, I snatched it up. But I can't quite imagine doing this very, very involved craft (with a huge list of materials, including it seems, access to a microwave oven if one is to color any of one's wools) from reading this book. Maybe people with more materials and who have done similar things to this could. I think I am going to pass the book back to my library to sell again. I would sure love to take a class in this! But the author seems to have done a good job for the crafting brave out there who want to try this on their own.