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doodlebears Doodlebears
UK
Posts: 7,414

doodlebears Celebration Ambassador

Can anyone tell me what I can use to harden some needlefelting I have done.  I know some people have use something on their creations, but I have no idea what this is and I really would appriciate someone sharing their knowledge with me. Thanks!

Hugs, Jane.  bear_flower  bear_flower  bear_flower

clare14 Country Bears
England
Posts: 3,066

I've used Mod Podge to harden needlefelting before, don't know if it's right  bear_wacko  lol, but it worked for me.....xxx

desertmountainbear desertmountainbear
Bloomsburg, PA
Posts: 5,399

Hi Jane,  there a a couple of different things I have used to harden needle felt.  I am in the US so brands may be different.  The paint company Delta Ceramcoat sells something called All-Purpose Sealer. It is used to prepare wood and other porous surfaces for painting, like a clear gesso.  It makes the felt really good and hard.  The other is Mod-Podge which I know we have discussed before it is a decoupage glue and sealer, more plasticy, leaves the felt firm but not super hard.

Either way I use a paint brush to dampen the felt before applying. That way whatever you use can soak into the felt.  I always wet my brush and then pick up the material to dilute it down some. Around the area where the felt is not to be hardened I even dilute it more so it blends in. I apply a couple of coats.  I sand lightly with an emery board to smooth.

Joanne

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

I wonder, would a fabric stiffener work? Just talking out loud. I use Aleen's Fabric Stiffener for hardening crochet vessels/bowls etc. and it's a permanant stiffener on yarn without making it feel like plastic but I have never tried it on needlefelting. Hm.

Melisa Nichols Melisa's Bears
Hazelton, BC
Posts: 5,811
Website

Another thing that makes needle felting more firm but still workable (it shrinks the fibers) is to paint using hot water with a drop of soap in it.

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