felt-making workshops for schools

Feltmaking is a textile art form that is particularly inspiring at Key Stages 1 and 2. The transformation of fleece into felt fabric is an exciting and immediate process that allows pupils to gain confidence quickly.
Children lay out the loose fibres in their chosen design and then, using water and friction, bond them to produce a piece of fabric. The completed panels can be displayed as textile pictures or joined to make wallhangings. Pupils in Key Stage 2 can also tackle more ambitious projects such as bags, vessels and footwear. Workshops are tailor-made to fit in with a wide variety of curriculum areas.

Past workshops include:

Wallhangings based on the work of a selected artist.
A residency at St George’s School in Telford focused on the work of Xavier Cortada. During the week 200 pupils in this large school learned feltmaking and produced pieces inspired by the artist’s mangrove swamp paintings.

Slippers - Unit 6b in the Design and Technology curriculum provides an opportunity to explore what can be done using seamless felting techniques. This workshop is great fun and can be linked to a history unit if required. Pupils at Whixall School made Celtic style slippers individually fitted to their feet. Each pair was different and the quality impressive.

Wallhangings linked to a History unit such as Invaders and Settlers - the Celts, the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings all offer a rich array of symbols and designs with which to work

A map of your local area. Each child can contribute a building or natural feature. At Farlowe CE Primary School all the pupils had a hand in producing a wallhanging for their entrance hall.


If you are interested in a residency or workshop and would like a reference, please contact Jeff Lomas, Head of Whixall School on 01948 880330. If you would like to discuss ideas or hear more about my work, please contact me directly on 01584 856654.