DIY Network

Dzi and Gemstone Felted Beads Felted beads mimic their natural counterparts. From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-204

Carol Cypher shows how to make a dry- or needle-felted bead that resembles a dzi bead (dzi, pronounced like the letter Z, is a Tibetan word that describes an etched or patterned bead that is usually made of agate).

advertisement

Felted Dzi Bead

Materials:

30- to 40-gauge felt needle
2" foam cube
1/6 oz. Romney or other coarse wool in brown
1/30 oz. Romney or other coarse wool in ivory

1. Roll up the coarse fiber into a tight wad

2. Working on a foam sponge, poke into the center of the wad using a felt needle.

Tips: Always poke and withdraw at the same angle. The needle is brittle and breaks if stressed.

3. To make a soft, round bead, continue to poke several times in an area. Rotate the wad and resume poking. By poking and rotating and poking and rotating, and always aiming toward the center, a round, loose ball of fiber results.

4. Shape the bead by poking along an imaginary longitude. Roll the wool a few degrees forward. Poke along another imaginary longitude. Roll the wool a few degrees forward. Poke and roll, poke and roll to yield a cylindrical shape.

5. Poke laterally into the ends to taper them slightly, continue rotating to work evenly.

6. To apply surface decoration, roll some white fiber, the size of 6"-long sport-weight yarn, along your hand.

Figure A

7. Tap one end into the bead (figure A). Notice how the fibers are drawn into the bead.

8. Poke along the outline of the white wool, working a millimeter at a time, along its length, designing and anchoring the placement as you go.

9. Tap the entire white fiber design into place.

Gemstone Bead

Melissa Halvorson gives a demonstration on making a wet-felted gemstone bead.

Felted Gemstone Bead (the real gemstone bead is on the left)

Materials:

hot, soapy water
towel
1/6 oz. merino wool roving in blues and greens
a few black fibers, just a wisp of roving
bubble wrap
basin
crisp plastic

1. Roll up a wad of turquoise fiber that has a few black fibers teased in.

2. Dunk it into hot water while squeezing.

3. Underwater, loose the grip so it will absorb water.

4. Lift the saturated heavy-with-water bead out and roll it ever so delicately against the bubbles. Continue to roll gently until a "skin " develops on the surface. Using too much pressure causes creases and crevices, which may be undesirable.

5. Increase pressure over time.

6. Roll back and forth to elongate. Press to flatten.

7. Rinse in hot water.

8. If it gets fuzzy, work it within a piece of plastic. If it's creased, wrap it in more fiber right away, like gauze bandage, and continue to work gently.

RESOURCES :

Hand-Felted Jewelry and Beads: 25 Artful Designs
By Carol Huber Cypher
Interweave Press, May 2006
Website: www.interweave.com

GUESTS :

Carol Cypher
E-mail: carol@carolcypher.com
Website: www.carolcypher.com