Finally, lets make some handles for the bag we’ve been working on in the last two posts, and apply the flowers to finish the bag.
You’ll need:
- felted bag
- felted roses and leaves
- fiber to match your bag
- felting needle and mat
We’ll begin by adding some felt handles. If you prefer, you could sew on handles of fabric, webbing or leather, or add eyelets to thread through a cord or chain handle. I like the look of these chunky felt handles, though, so lets take a look at how to make them.
Take the fibre that matches your bag, and pull off a length of roving the same length you want your handle, plus 2-3 inches either end for fixing it to the bag. Speaed it out on the mat and needle-felt roughly until it just holds together in a rough rectangle. Work only the length of the handle – the ends should be left fluffy and loose to enable them to be felted onto the bag.
Next, roll the rectangle lengthwise, into as tight a cylinder as you can manage, and work along the join to stop it coming unrolled. Now work all over the cylinder with your felting needle, making the cylinder as tight and compact as possible, rolling as you go so as to work evenly all over. The more you felt the handle at this point, the stronger it will be.
Finally, bend the handle so it forms the same shape as it will do when attached, and work the inside of the curve to hold it in this bent position. This makes attaching the handle easier, and works out any folds and crumples that may appear when you bend the cylinder.
Now we have all our pieces ready to be fixed together. This is done by holding the pieces in position, and then working over them with the felting needle, through the handle (or flower) into the fabric of the bag, until it is firmly attached. For an extra-firm join, work from the back as well, through the bag and into the handle join.
Felt the flowers into place in the same way, tidy up any loose ends by felting them in, and admire your handiwork 
