It’s true: we’re back to school! Now that your little ones have begun a new chapter this fall, it’s easy to feel scattered. When you have a quiet moment, this simple felted apple is a lovely craft to make—and then give to your child’s teacher. With warm, soapy water, soft merino wool worked even with small hands makes a charming symbol of the classic classroom gift.

Materials

• 1 piece red merino wool batting or roving (a puff about 3 inches by 4 inches)
• 1 piece of green wool roving (a string about 2 inches long)
• scissors
• sewing needle (with a large eye and a dull to medium-sharp point)

• green embroidery floss
• hand or dish soap
• hot water

Instructions

1. Stand in front of your sink. Turn on the hot water and squirt a dollop of dish soap into your left hand. Spread a bit of the soap on the top of the wool.
2. Move the wool to your right hand and, if you used up your soap, add a bit more to your left hand. (I did, because my dollop was a bit small to start.)
3. Put the dry side of your wool into your left hand (so that both sides will now be soapy) and run the wool under the hot stream of water. Begin cupping it loosely to form a sort of disk of wet, soapy wool.
4. Keep adding hot water, and steadily add more pressure with your hand, as you see the wool begin to grow rounder and firmer. You’re actually shrinking the fibers together, and by rolling them, you’re sculpting them. Once your wool feels firm (after about 3 to 4 minutes) run the ball under cold water a few times to help “shock” it into its final firm form.
5. Bring your felted ball to your table with the remaining supplies.
6. Double knot the end of your embroidery floss. If you’re using a not-so-sharp needle, older children can help with this simple stitching. Pierce up through one end of the apple and leaving the knot at one end and short thread tail for the apple’s blossom at the other end (where the top of your apple will be).
7. Take the green wool and roll it up like a coil. Hold it with your finger on the top end of the apple, where your thread has come through. Then stitch the green coil on like a little leaf.
8. Poke your needle back through the core of the apple—you can repeat this a couple of times, if you like—and knot it once more at the bottom end of your new Felted Apple!

Tips

• You can find merino felting wool (look for batting or wide roving) at good yarn stores or online from natural crafting suppliers.
• Even if your Felted Apple isn’t an exact ball, that’s fine. No apple is perfectly round—and a little handmade imperfection makes it all the sweeter.

http://www.amazingmoms.com/arts-crafts/back-to-school-crafts/felted-apple_34306