Sunday, March 6, 2011

Woodland Flower ~ Powder Puff

I made this Woodland Flower Powder Puff simply because it makes me smile.  That and I actually use dusting powder.  But why did I really make it as I can obviously get along just fine without it?  For the simple reason that exploring my creative side adds beauty and fun into my life.  I may have left kindergarten but I have never forgotten how much more fun it is to finger paint than it is to sit at a desk working sums, which I do plenty of.


The real truth revealed in that early class room experience is that you don't have to have special skills or be "an artist" to enjoy creating.  You simply have to enjoy the process and with a little luck you will be happy with what you make too.  And since I am happy with this powder puff I'm going to explain how to make it.

Wet felting is very much like finger painting.  You can be an absolute beginner but with some fiber, hot water, and soap you can begin to use your hands to create felt.  There is a bit more to it than that, but not much more, and nothing that isn't readily found on the internet.  For the purposes of this blog I'm assuming you know the basics of making felt but should you need a reference book I found Uniquely Felt helpful.


This powder puff is incredibly easy to make.  To make the base I soft felted a clump of wool roving (batt) in my hands using just my body warmth and a bit of needle felting to achieve the size and form I wanted.  I then embellished it with a small amount of white silk that I needle felted in place, as pictured above.  I then attached a wet felted flower and wool locks as a decoration.  As an alternative to attaching a flower you could simply attach a pretty ribbon bow for a more traditional powder puff look.


To make the wet felted flower I used a small amount of wool top to form a round disk shape that I slightly prefelted.  I then shaped the disk around a blunt knitting needle (any blunt pointed object will do) and rolled and twisted the felt around the knitting needle until it felted into a fluted shape. You can also add a stem (as I did) by rolling a small amount of wool top into a stem leaving a dry brush at one end.  The dry brush is then wet felted onto the flower base. When the flower is dry you attach it to the base using a stitch or two of embroidery floss. If desired silky locks can be needle felted around the base of the flower.


Particulars: Woodland Flower Powder Puff; wool roving (batt) is by Peace Fleece; silk top is from Jazzturtle; wool top for flower and stem is hand dyed by Ingermaaike; silky locks are from Artclub.  If you are new to wet felting I find Etsy an incredible resource for finding materials for wet felting and needle felting.You can also find several blogs about wet felting on my sidebar under "Crafting Blogs I enjoy Reading" just below the Knitting Blog list.

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut


I consider nuts part of my whole grain diet and, as a treat, I'll occasionally roast them.  This is a recipe from Ina Garten's Paris Cookbook slightly adapted based on personal preference.  You will find many versions of this recipe online.

Rosemary Cashews

1 pound raw unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Spread nuts onto a baking pan and roast approximately 10-15 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs.  You should begin to smell the roasting nuts but they should not be over browned.

Mix your seasonings together but don't add to the butter.  Instead, pour the melted butter over the nuts and then sprinkle the nuts with the seasoning mix.  I find that otherwise the seasoning does not cling to the nuts as it should.  You might even pop the nuts back into the oven after adding the seasoning (for just a minute) to set the seasoning being careful not to overcook.

These are wonderful served warm.

Until next time, be well and love well and explore your creative side ~ whether your interest is cooking, knitting, photography, or whatever, you will find it adds fun and beauty to your life.

23 comments:

Monika said...

That powder puff looks cute. How long does it take to make it? I've never wet felted anything on purpose, except in the washing machine. Thanks for the nut recipe! I'm going to roast some cashews soon!

Renee said...

Your woodland flower is absolutely lovely!
Am going to try your roasted nut recipe, we all enjoy nuts here, thanks!

Willow said...

What an adorable flower! Someday I'm going to learn to wet felt and needle felt...

Tracy said...

Oh, that puff is sooo SWEET, Claudia! Wet felting is such fun. And tuning into our playful child keeps us young, I think. ;o) Thank you for the roasted nuts recipe. I adore cashews...mmm... Happy Days, my friend :o) ((HUGS))

jillian said...

How beautiful! And those are the best reasons to create :)

subliminalrabbit said...

YUM (felt) and YUM (cashews)!

Kathy said...

I love cashews and will have to give this a shot!

Ally Jay said...

It is important to have a lot of fun in life and to take the time to enjoy the simple things. Love your flower puff.

knittingdragonflies said...

The flower is precious! I'm rummaging around for the rest of my felting fiber now.
Nuts, yum..
Take care
Vicki

Jenny Hodgson said...

How awesome! I love how it looks peeking out of the powder container : ) Nice work...a lovely way to celebrate the sweet moments in your day...

SissySees said...

Where do you find your dusting powder? I used to love it, and haven't found any I find silky enough in the right scent in years.

LOVE the nut recipe. If I had cashews in the house, I'd be making it now!

Kristen Rettig said...

I love your woodland flower, so dainty and feminine!

raining sheep said...

How romantic Claudia...and you are the only person I know who uses dusting powder :) It sounds so feminine. I love the flower, so pretty. I am trying the nut recipe, I absolutely adore cashews.

At Home Mommy Knits said...

Your flower puff is beautiful. I have never done any finger/needle felting but always see wonderful things in magazines and blogs. Thanks for the little tutorial and the nut recipe looks divine.

Anita said...

Sweet powder puff. I love it! :)

Katherine said...

Thank you for cashew recipe! I eat cashews everyday so I will certainly try roasting them.

Your flower powder puff is adorable and would be such a pretty addition to a dressing table. It reminds me of my Mother's dusting powder in a crystal dish on her dressing table. The table had a big heart shaped mirror over it and drawers filled with sweet smelling things that made a young girl's heart pitter patter. Thanks for the lovely memory!

t does wool said...

now that is a perfectly wonderful piece you have created Claudia..
and the cashews sound divine...very divine.

gMarie said...

That powder puff is incredible. I love it. The nuts look yummy too. g

Hilary said...

Your powder puff is so cool! The flower adds a really lovely touch, as do the silky locks forming tendrils underneath. I bet it's a lot of fun to use, too. AND was a lot of fun to make! Eek, Claudia, you're making me want to get into felting now...

Anonymous said...

Very cute. Do you ever use a tea cozy for your teapot? My husband announced that I should make us a tea cozy.

betty said...

I haven't gotten around to trying that last Italian cookie recipe and now I have to add the nuts recipe to the list!

Cute powder puff.

jenn said...

very cute puff! LOVE lush bubble bars... they are the best!

amanda said...

We saw a demo of wet-felting at Woolfest last year and were so impressed. It drew quite a crowd. Your flower is so pretty!