Have you ever needed to glue felt to wood? It’s not as hard as you might think! In this blog post, we’ll show you how to do it. We’ll also give you a few tips on how to make sure your project comes out looking great.
So, if you’re ready, let’s get started!
What Exactly Is Felt?
Felt is a textile made from wool, alpaca, or other materials. It is made by matting fibers together so that air cannot get in between them. This synthetic material is strong and lightweight.
Felt can be used for clothing, wall decorating, teddy bears, and many other things. It usually comes in the form of yarns and sheets of material.
Why Do We Need To Stick Felt To Wood?
This is a commonly asked question by many people. Why do we need to stick felt to wood? The answer is simple.
When you attach felt to wood, the surface of the felt feels smoother and is easier to grip on your hands. However, this is not the only purpose that you can use in this process. A softer surface may be easier to walk on, or for applying other adhesives.
Tools & Materials
Quality Felt – we recommend a higher quality billiard table cloth
The billiard table felt is a material that is used for many projects involving wood and felt. The foam is made from cross-linked silicone, which makes it extremely pliable and durable, and it has a soft texture that almost feels like fabric.
Weldwood Contact Cement (can get by with Elmer’s Glue)
To start your project, you’ll need Weldwood Contact Cement. Contact cement is a brand of chemical glue that can be found at craft and art supply stores. The bottle usually has a tube of glue that is stamped with the name “Contact Cement.”
This brand of glue is incredibly easy to use. All you need to do is open the tube, put a little bit of the sticky stuff on the working surface and apply it to your project.
Let the glue dry completely and you should be good to go. If you cannot find contact cement, Some good Elmer’s Wood Glue will do in a pinch!
Foam Brushes to apply glue
Brushes should be clean. You do not want to cut into your board and do not want to dirty the glue. Foam brushes are perfect for gluing because they don’t drip all over the place and you have much more control when applying your glue.
We do not recommend hard brush bristles because that means you will need to make a little cut in your felt before you apply glue to ensure that the glue will not soak into your piece.
Roller to flatten felt (optional)
A good roller will ensure that your project has no air bubbles. Although we say optional, you would really be better off getting one. This is especially important for large projects that require a lot of felt material.
How To Glue Felt To Wood – Step by Step
1. Select the Right Felt
It is better to purchase 100% felt because there are many different felt types like velvet, shetland, pearl, and herringbone. These are also good for another reason — they look more realistic.
In our opinion, velvet and shetland felt are only good for wall-hanging items. You could make all kinds of things with felt, but you can never go wrong with using something high quality, like a billiard table, felt.
2. Clean the Felt
Start with a clean piece of felt. This can be used for card-making or crafting projects. You’ll find that a lint roller will work perfectly to make sure all particles are off the felt before using it. A hand vacuum cleaner will also do the job.
Clean felt bonds much more easily and smoothly than felt that has materials and particles on it.
3. Choosing the Right Glue
If you have chosen the right kind of wood for the project, you need to find the right type of glue for the job. There are lots of glues that you can use but only one glue can do the job well.
There are many types of glues but you just need to find the one that will give the best result. Some people might prefer using a glue gun and this is not a problem as you just need to apply the glue to the wood.
However, if you are not using a glue gun, then you will need to find the glue that will dry fast and last long. Wood glue is a perfect example of this. It’s tough, durable, and flexible enough to resist temperature shifts.
4. Cut Your Template
You need a large piece of wood that has enough space between each piece for the applique to lie. Cut a pattern out of wood or use a printed piece.
- You need to make a template for each of your leaves or mini art pieces
- Glue the paper on the wood
- Now you can cut the paper into whatever shape you want
- Next, you want to wrap the paper around your piece of wood
- When the paper is wrapped around the wood, smooth out any wrinkles
- Carefully trim your project with good sharp scissors and you are good to go
5. Apply the Glue
Apply the glue using a brush or by pouring in small amounts. Take your time with this part, as it will need to be laid carefully but with precision.
You’re going to want to give the glue a few minutes to get tacky unless you are using contact glue. It all really depends on what the glue manufacturer’s directions are on the glue container.
6. Place the Felt
Now it’s time to attach the felt to the wood. Depending on how large your project is, it might be best to start at only one carefully laid corner and work your way from there.
Take a thick and flat board and place the board on a flat surface. Make sure that the board is clean and the glue is dry.
The felt should be on the middle part of the board. This is where you will be bonding your work together. This is also where your optional roller will really come in handy. Use the roller to make sure everything is smooth and flat. Make adjustments before the glue gets dry.
7. Trim the Felt Edges
Double-check all of the edges of your project and trim if needed. The glue should have just enough tackiness left should you need to make any slight final positioning.
After everything is in place you can even use something like iron at a low setting on the felt to make sure all wrinkles are out.
FAQ
Will PVA Glue Stick to Wood?
Yes, PVA glue will most certainly stick to wood. The glue comes in a few different forms.
Many crafters have trouble applying felt to wood, and try to use strong glues, such as 2-acetate. However, 2-acetate will not stick as well as PVA does.
The reason for this is due to the fact that 2-acetate is hydrophobic, meaning that it doesn’t allow water and other liquids to stick to it. A stronger glue, like the one used by PVA (polyvinyl acetate), will allow the wood to hold much better.
How to Choose the Right Felt?
After deciding what project you are going to make with felt, you can decide which type of felt you want to use. One of the most common types of felt used in projects for kids is felt foam.
Another type of felt used in craft projects is felt-polyurethane foam. This type of felt is less slippery than felt foam but is not as soft as felt foam. But, it is more durable.
The billiard table felt is by far the most popular type of material because it’s so tough.
Conclusion
And that’s it, you’ve completed your project and now you know how to glue felt to wood! We hope that this tutorial was useful and that you enjoyed it.
As long as you plan out your felt project you can then see how easy it will be. Remember to get good wood glue and even great quality felt for your project and you should have no problems.
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I am a woodworker with over 19 years of experience crafting everything from furniture to ornamental pieces. I take pride in my ability to bring out the beauty of the wood I work with, creating unique and lasting objects. My passion for woodworking has been a life-long pursuit and I strive to push myself further and further with each new project. I am dedicated to the craft and take great satisfaction in the final product that I create.Read More.
