Tutorial: Borb Base | Meadow Reveries

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Step 1: Unroll the base wool

Unroll the base wool roving from the ball it was packed into. Grab a fistfull of it, but leave at least a little bit extra.

The top half of the image shows a partial view of two hands unrolling some soft white roving wool on a grey felting mat. The roving is 2-3 inches thick. The bottom half of the image shows the unrolling having been completed.

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Step 2: Divide the wool

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Divide the wool into two portions: one larger portion, and a smaller portion that's about 1/3 to a 1/4 the size of the larger one.

Learn More: Learn more about how to handle wool

The top half of the image shows a left hand and a mostly obscured right hand pulling apart soft white roving wool about 2-3 inches in thickness. The bottom half of the image shows two pieces of soft white roving, the one on the left about half as large as the one on the right.

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Step 3: Roll a big ball

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Take the larger portion, and roll the roving up into a ball and then roll it between your palms to make it nice and round. The ball should be slightly larger than your desired borb's body size.

The top half of the image shows two hands rolling soft white wool roving into a ball. The bottom half of the image shows soft white roving rolled up into a ball about two inches in diameter.

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Step 4: Felt the big ball

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Use your felting needle to poke the ball of roving evenly and consistently with one hand, while the other hand holds the ball "closed" - to keep it from unfurling. You can continue to roll the ball in your palms to make a nice round shape. It's okay if it's a little lumpy - you can smooth over these later when you add the borb's colors.

The top half of the image shows two hands partially obscured, one on the left pinching a ball of soft white wool roving, while the one on the right pokes the ball with a felting needle. The bottom half of the image shows a tighter, felted ball of soft wool roving.

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Step 5: Roll a smaller ball

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Now you can make a head. Take the smaller portion you separated in Step 3. Roll the smaller portion up into a ball, and then roll it between your palms. Its diameter should be a little less than half that of your ball.

The top half of the image shows two hands rolling up a small ball of soft wool roving, about an inch in thickness. The bottom half of the image shows the left hand pinching the small ball of soft wool roving.

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Step 6: Felt the smaller ball

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Like you did with the larger portion, pinch the ball to keep it from unfurling while you poke gently and consistently with your needle all over the ball. You can roll it in your palms as many times as you need in order to keep it round.

The top half of the image shows two hands partially obscured, the one on the left pinching a small ball of soft wool roving and the one on the right poking the ball with a felting needle. The bottom half of the image shows a tighter, smaller felted ball of soft wool roving sitting on a grey felting mat.

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Step 7: Attach the smaller ball to the big ball

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Attach the smaller head to the larger ball -- keeping the pinched underside against the larger ball -- and start felting with your needle evenly and consistently from all angles. It will look a little like BB-8 from Star Wars.

The top half of the image shows two hands partially obscured, the one on the left holding a small ball of soft white felted wool on top of a larger ball of soft white felted wool about a third larger than the top ball. The hand on the right is poking the small ball on top with a felting needle. The bottom half of the image shows the left hand holding the resulting body shape of one small ball on top of a larger ball, a round baby chick like shape. The shape is becoming a borb.

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Step 8: Optionally smooth the form with extra wool

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Optionally, take a generous pinch or two more base wool roving and wrap it around the "neck" for a smoothing effect. Poke with your needle in shallow and even movements to attach this piece.

The top half of the image shows two partially obscured hands wrapping some soft wool roving around the neck of the borb base, which is the space between the smaller ball and the larger ball. The bottom half of the image shows the borb which has had its neck smoothed, sitting upright on a grey felting mat.

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Step 9: Flatten the bottom

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On the bottom, poke with your needle in shallow, even movements to flatten the bottom until the borb base will rest on a flat surface without rolling over.