If you are new to DIY crafts, then you probably are looking for tips on how to glue felt to wood effectively. Why would you need to know this? There are many applications in DIY crafts. For instance, you will need to do this when you want a lining for a wooden box.
This is also necessary when you are making furniture. You have to put felt on the feet to protect the flooring. Here, you will learn about the methods of gluing felt on wood and then you can decide which one is the best to use for every situation.
How to Glue Felt to Wood?
Materials Needed
- Glue – Choose the right one depending on the type of surface your will be working with.
- Applicator – You can use the one that came with the glue but it would be better to use a foam brush
- Felt
- Felt roller
- Sharp scissors or a razor blade
Step1 – Choose the Right Glue
Technically, you can use any type of glue for sticking felt on wood but not all work as great as the other. Here are some of the factors you have to consider when choosing a glue:
How long it takes to dry
This will be an important consideration because you will not always have the time to wait for the glue to dry. This is especially vital when you need to follow a deadline.
Super Glue dries fast, but you won’t get enough time to work around it once applied. Wood glue provides you with a lot of leeway but it takes a while to dry.
Ease of application
The design of the applicator is also important when choosing glue for your projects. Ideally, you should be able to spread the glue straight from the bottle. On the other hand, you should choose a glue that is not so viscous so you can spread it evenly over the surface.
Translucency
It is also important to choose a glue that dries to an almost completely transparent finish. This is so you can easily hide any gluing mistakes that you will inevitably make. You might need to get small bottles of the glues you would like and then test each of them to figure out which ones dry translucently.
Step 2 – Mask the Surface (optional)
One of the ways how to attach felt to wood evenly is to use spray glue. If you will be using spray glue, you have to lay down masking tape so that you will not get glue in places that you do not want.
Do not skimp on the masking tape. It is quite cheap anyway and it will be more of a hassle to remove the excess glue.
Step 3 – Cut the Felt to Size
Now that you have prepared the surface, it is time to cut and stick the felt onto it. When cutting the piece of felt to size, it is always better to cut it slightly bigger than what you need, especially if you are a beginner. You can always trim the felt edges later but it would be more wasteful if you cut the felt too small.
Step 4 – Apply the glue
After choosing the right glue, the next step is to choose the right applicator. For most cases, the best applicator for the job is a foam brush. Not only are these brushes dirt cheap but they also apply glue quite evenly. Because the edge of the foam brush is completely flat, it can apply the glue completely flat.
Step 5 – Stick the Felt
To apply the felt, first flatten it out using your hands, making sure that you cover the entire glued surface. To ensure a more even adhesion, you can use a roller to flatten the felt completely, and then use an old credit card to get into the corners and edges.
Step 6 – Trim the Felt
Once the glue has dried and set completely, use a sharp pair of scissors or a razor blade to trim the edges to the exact size.
Removing Felt from Wood
If you are planning to refurbish an old piece and you have to remove the old felt liner, it can be quite difficult. You cannot just glue a new patch of felt over the existing one. Here is how to remove glued felt from wood.
Materials Needed
- Metal scraper
- 60-grit sandpaper
Step 1 – Rip the old felt out
First, rip out as much of the old felt as you can using your hands. After that, use a scraper to get rid of the bits left behind.
Step 2 – Sand the surface to remove the bits of felt and old glue
To remove the old, dried-up glue you will need to use sandpaper to sand the surface; 60-grit sandpaper works best, and it also prepares the surface for the new felt.
Useful Tips on How to Glue Felt to Wood
- Choose the best quality felt you can find. This will ensure that the piece can last much longer, which means you do not have to repair or retouch it anytime soon.
- Place wax paper and a weight on top of the glued felt. Applying a bit of pressure on the felt while the glue dries will ensure that there will be maximum adhesion between it and the wood surface.
- Apply glue on the wood surface and the felt. This will guarantee that there will be enough glue to hold the pieces together. Press on the felt firmly and use a roller to squeeze out the excess glue.
- When trimming the excess edges of felt, use sharp scissors. Make sure to use an extremely sharp pair of scissors or a new razor blade when trimming the excess felt. This will prevent jagged edges and keep you from accidentally ripping the felt.
Conclusion
It might seem like a relatively simple task but you need to learn how to glue felt to wood properly so that it will not just look good but also ensure that the pieces will not come apart anytime soon.
Taking the time to do this process properly will result in a more polished and durable project.