How wet felting can contribute to your well-being

Wet felting contributes to our well-being and it can even be therapeutic. It’s been used in the Waldorf method for a long time to cultivate the connection to Nature through a natural material, to engage the senses, develop fine motor skills, concentration and creativity in children.

If you’ve been felting for some time, you don’t need any proof of its benefits. You’ve probably felt them in yourself (pun intended).

To me, the final evidence of this came during the COVID pandemic, while I spent 3 months alone in an apartment, and it was wet felting that helped keep me grounded and calm.

Wherever you turn these days, you see more and more people sharing their anxieties. Instability throughout the world, environmental issues and social problems inevitably keep your mind spinning and affect the way you feel. All this, together with our growing reliance on social media for connection, also tends to isolate us more in real life.

While felting isn’t a miracle cure, it can certainly help us feel better. Here’s why.

Touching, feeling and massaging soft wool fibers, and working with warm water and soap can be really soothing, stimulate the brain and help release the “feel good” chemicals called endorphins.

The increased focus that comes with wet felting helps you concentrate and quiet the noise in your head. You stop thinking about the future and just stay present to what you’re making. It helps you slow down your breath and it can be a meditation of sorts.

Wet felting obviously stimulates creative expression, and it allows you to express emotions and feel more grounded. I’ve noticed that when I’m working on bigger projects that get very physical, it helps me release tension as well.

Then, of course, there’s the community effect. When you become a felt maker, a new and growing community opens up to you. There are many, many wet felting groups that meet online and in person. You get to meet people who share your love for fiber art and look for feedback and advice. Sharing your projects and your growth with them can be fun and give you a sense of accomplishment.

So, wet felting isn’t just about making pretty things. It can really help you come back to yourself and feel centered again.