Felted Earth Globes
A Simple Craft in Natural Fiber
In Montessori tradition children celebrate their birthday by going on a "Birthday Walk" which invites the child to honor each year they have gone around the sun. A mat or an Around the Year Playsilk indicating the months or seasons is placed on the floor and a candle is placed in the middle to represent the sun. As the child takes their Birthday Walk they hold a globe or sphere in their hands. Each time the child goes around the sun you may want to sing "The Earth goes around the sun, and now you are one" (And so on, as many times as your child is turning). Making your own globe is even more fun for this special tradition!
This craft is fun for all ages, it's also a wonderful activity in sensory play.
What You'll Need:
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Wool roving in grey, green, blue & white
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Dish soap
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A bucket of warm water
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Felting needle
Steps
A felting needle can help keep wool in place and shape your ball before felting with soap and water. Felting needles should only be used by parents or older children.
Place your ball in warm water and hold it underwater until all of its air bubbles are released. Drizzle a small amount of soap on your wet ball and start to agitate it in your hands. This will encourage the fibers to lock together. Keep agitating and shaping into a ball until it holds its shape.
After you have felted your base wool ball in warm soapy water prep your blue, green and white wool roving into smaller pieces. We will use these to layer onto your ball.
Wrap a layer of blue over your ball and felt using the same method as your base ball. Next add some green and white to make the land and clouds. Using a felting needle for smaller pieces of green and white is helpful while also using soap and water.
When your globe is done, rinse in the sink to remove all the soap. Squeeze your globe gently to remove water and shape back into a ball.
Leave to dry in the sun or put your globe in a sock and place it in the dyer.
Happy felting!
xoxo,
Sarah and Madlyn
This is beautiful but I have never felted before. What size needle did you use? Any suggestions on where to find supplies for this project? Thank you
Lynn Karlan on
This looks absolutely amazing!!!
Janet Zaharchuk on
Lovely beautiful thanks for sharing and teaching 🙏👍👌❤️😊
Enellie on