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Last week we looked at the fabulous 150g bag of wool scraps…this week we are going to give you some ideas on how to use this mystery bag of colour!

1. Lets start with the obvious – they are great for collage work – mix with some PVA or even a glue stick and twirl, wrap, tie and cover with the colourful strands.
2. Combine with our cardboard weaving loom bookmarks or cardboard weaving loom christmas tree and star shapes and tie pieces of wool around the loom struts like the old hook and loop rugs – the more wool you tie the fluffier the decoration becomes!
3. Or, using the weaving loom still, opt for the traditional route and weave the strands in and out of the struts to create a flat bookmark – leave loose ends hanging out for fun effects.  You will need to run a line of glue on the ‘back’ of some of the woven lines to secure the wool.  If students are having difficulty threading the wool through the holes, use a stem as a needle – just bend the bottom 1cm of the stem over the tip of the wool scrap and you can use it like a needle to thread and drag the wool after.
4. Friendship rings (or bracelets if you combine 2 together).  Knot a few strands together and either opt for a simple plait, or research online and use some of the more sophisticated friendship knots.  One length will easily make a ring, or tie a couple together to make bracelet lengths.
5. Glue wool scraps around cardboard rolls in patterns, then tie multiple rolls together to create pen holders.
6. Mini ‘fireworks’ sparkles – lay a bunch of coloured strands (around 20 or 30) side by side and tie as tightly as possible around the centre with another piece of wool.  Wrap the end of a stem a few times around the middle, then ‘fluff’ the pom pom out – trim stray edges as necessary.  Great for hair or hat decorations on sports days, rings, bracelets, desk accessories, pen toppers…you get the idea!
7. Wool wrapped mini basket (warning, this is a messy one!) Cover the outside of a small bowl with plastic wrap, then make a solution of PVA and water in a second container.  Soak wool strands in the PVA mix and wrap in patterns around the bowl.  Criss cross and loop around for fun effects.  Make sure to pat all pieces into each other so they stick together - then leave to dry.  Once dry remove from bowl and there you have a nice little treat basket!  Have some extra PVA handy for any weaker spots or strands that need re-gluing in place.
8.  ’Dream catchers’.  Using our eye masks cut into the eye holes to extend them leaving around 1.5cm of card around the edges. To make threading easier use a hole punch to make holes around the edges of the shape – as many as possible without compromising stability.  Thread tie and wrap coloured wool scraps from one side to the other in random patterns.  Combine with the Bucket’o'buttons threaded randomly throughout.  Tie some coloured feathers so they hand from the bottom, glue on some sequins or glitter and you have a fun ‘dream catcher’ type mobile.
9. Dough Worx pet rocks – poke tufts of wool into the top of a blob of dough and when dry glue on some moving eyes for fun.
10. Wool makes great hair when glued to characters made from polystyrene balls, felt or foam or use around masks.

There are 10 of our favourites…what else can you do in your classroom with wool scraps?

Tune in next week to learn how to make our fun little woollen people.

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