This necklace is made of felted balls. here are directions for making these beads:
Fill a bowl with 6 c. hot water and one Tbsp. dish soap. Working over a towel, form a wad of wool into a ball twice the size the finished ball will be.
Dip the wad into the hot soapy water, squeeze out some of the excess water and begin rolling the ball in your hands. Don’t use too much pressure at this point; keep rolling for approximately 4-5 minutes, dipping back into the soapy water if the ball cools or dries out.
You can also roll the ball on a towel with the palm of your hand. If the ball becomes too wet and/or soapy, roll it on a towel to remove excess moisture. If the ball needs to be smaller, apply more pressure to lock the fibers closer together.
When the ball is the desired size, rinse it in the bowl of water, squeezing out the soap. Continue felting until there are enough balls for a necklace.
Poke a toothpick or sharp needle through each ball before they harden. Allow beads to dry overnight (a cookie cooling rack works well for drying). Once the beads are dry, lay out the design of the necklace.
I got these directions from the web, but my friend Dana, one of our great art teachers, was wearing this necklace. She got it in NYC.
How cute! This made me happy, too! I have a bracelet made of felt balls - I bought them at an Art Sore in Bulgaria. I had no idea that you can make them yourself - thank you so much for the info, Allison! :-)
