Understand what felt fabrics is?

Felt fabric is a very unique textile product. It has a wide range of uses and many functions. It can be used in various industries, so it is very popular. Since the appearance of felt fabric, people have used it for a long time, so felt fabric can be said to be the oldest textile product. Felt fabric is a non-woven fabric. Its production process is different from other textile products. It is made by putting the fibers together and then pressing them. Unlike ordinary woven and knitted fabrics, the production process of felt

History of felt fabrics

Felt has a long history. There is a lot of evidence in history that the use of felt can be traced back to 6500 BC. It can be seen that felt fabric appeared earlier than any other textile.

It is said that felt was discovered by Saint Clement, the patron saint of Western shoe and hat merchants. Once, St. Clement ran desperately in the woods to avoid the enemy’s pursuit. During the running, his feet began to heat up and ache, but the enemy kept chasing him. He tried to get rid of the enemy behind him, and then found a pile of wool in the woods.

In order to relieve the pain in his feet, he wrapped the wool he picked up around his feet and put it in his shoes, and then continued to run. After reaching a safe place, when St. Clement took his feet out of his shoes, he found that the wool in his shoes had turned into a pair of felt shoes. Since then, felt has been widely used in religious ceremonies and has become a magical product to drive away demons and bring good luck.

Felt fabrics is loved worldwide

In fact, Asia, Europe and the Middle East began to use felt to make clothes and even houses and armor for war in ancient times. For example, the nomadic people in Central Asia used felt the most. Their yurts, carpets and clothes were made of felt because felt was durable and insulating.

With the development of the times, people gradually discovered that the raw materials that can be made into felt are not only wool, but also recycled polyester fiber or acrylic fabric, or mixed felt made of wool and recycled fiber, which have the same characteristics as wool felt, and are even more cost-effective than wool felt. Later, felt gradually became popular all over the world, representing personality and fashion, and has become an indispensable material for many industries.

What is felt fabrics made of?

Wool felt:

Wool felt is a felt fabric made of pure natural wool fiber. Pure natural wool can be regarded as the best fiber among natural raw materials. Therefore, felt fabric made of pure natural wool will be very soft, warm, and waterproof.

Synthetic fiber:

Felt made of synthetic fiber generally uses recycled polyester fiber, such as recycled polyester fiber, acrylic material, etc. Felt made of synthetic fiber is generally much cheaper than wool felt, and is more used in industrial products or handicrafts. However, the raw materials for synthetic fibers are basically high-quality recycled raw materials, so synthetic fibers have gradually become available in every industry.

Mixed fiber:

Felt made of mixed fiber is mixed felt. Mixed felt is made by mixing natural fiber and recycled fiber. This type of felt is between natural felt and synthetic felt. Generally speaking, it is stronger and cheaper, and it is a balance between natural felt and synthetic felt.

How is felt fabrics made?

Felt fabric is made through a process that bonds fibers together without weaving or knitting. Instead of interlacing yarns, felt is created by entangling, compressing, and consolidating loose fibers into a dense and durable fabric. Here’s how the process works step by step:

Fiber Selection：

The process starts with choosing the right fibers—typically polyester, wool, or wool-blend fibers.
Fiber quality directly affects density, durability, color uniformity, and surface cleanliness.

Opening & Blending：

The raw fibers are opened, loosened, and evenly blended.
This step ensures that the final felt has consistent density and performance.

Carding

Fibers pass through a carding machine, which aligns them into a thin, uniform web.
If density needs to be higher, multiple layers of carded webs are stacked.

Shrinking:

After rolling or other beating, the felt fabric will be tighter, and the density and strength will be higher.

Cross-Lapping / Web Laying：

The web is layered in a cross-lapped structure, which increases strength and prevents directional weakness.

As time goes by, the way to make felt is becoming more and more advanced. The above process is basically completed by machines, and the production steps are faster and more rigorous.

What types of felt fabrics are there?

For centuries, textile craftsmen have developed many different types of wool or fur felt. Recently, fabric manufacturers have deviated from the norm and started to use materials other than natural animal fibers to make felt. Make sure you are familiar with all the different types of felt on the market:

Since the emergence of felt, the raw materials for making felt fabrics were relatively simple at the beginning, only pure natural wool. Now, after development, there are many felt fabrics made of recycled polyester fibers. Let’s take a look at the types of felt on the market with me:

1. Wool felt

Felt fabrics made of wool are still one of the most common types of felt. In the history of felt fabrics, wool felt has existed the longest. Wool felt fabrics are not only beautiful, but also have the properties of other felts, such as good water absorption, insulation or sound insulation.

At this point, many people are still unclear about the difference between wool and felt; you can click on the article to learn more details.

2. Acrylic felt

Soon after the emergence of acrylic felt, it became more and more popular. Acrylic felt is cheaper than wool felt and has the same characteristics as wool felt. However, while the cost is low, acrylic felt also has some disadvantages, such as feeling uncomfortable when in direct contact with the skin, so acrylic felt is mostly used in industry.

3. Polyester felt fabrics

Polyester felt, as the name suggests, is made of recycled polyester fiber. The recycled polyester fiber felt we use is high-quality felt made by large factories, so it has the advantages of wool felt, and it is also cheaper and more cost-effective than wool felt. Another good feature of recycled polyester felt is that it is degradable and reusable, and it has a good protective effect on the environment.

4. Sheet felt

Sheet felt is a more common type of felt made by pressing, and it is also a type of felt with a long history. This type of felt has gone through the processes that all felts have gone through, but it is more sold in sheets when it leaves the factory, and is used in various consumer products, industrial products, or medical supplies.

Uses of felt fabrics

1. Handicrafts:

Felt fabrics are the favorite materials of DIY enthusiasts. Whether it is making toys, decorations, or home decorations, the cutability and durability of felt fabrics are good choices.

2. Fashion:

More and more designers choose felt fabrics to make clothes, bags, or shoes, and even felt can be cut into small pieces for jewelry. Its structure will bring better effects to these fashion items.

3. Industrial applications:

There are many types of felt fabrics, some good and some bad, but no matter which one, its functions are very strong, such as filling, insulation, or using it as industrial gaskets, sound insulation, etc., the effect is very good.

4. Household items:

Felt fabrics can be used on almost any kind of household items, whether it is a large sofa, a small coaster, or a pillow. Household items made of felt are a combination of fashion and practicality.

Advantages and characteristics of felt fabrics

1. Versatility:

Felt fabrics are very functional and can be used in different industries to bring different effects. Felt fabric can also be cut or shaped at will, and its shape can be changed according to your needs. The most important thing is that no matter how you cut and shape it, the felt fabric will not fall apart or break. It can be seen that felt fabric can also be used in complex designs or very delicate work.

2. Insulation and heat insulation:

The raw materials used to make felt fabrics are either pure natural wool or the best quality recycled polyester fibers produced by large factories, and then made by machines and needled 5 or more times. Therefore, felt fabrics are generally thicker and are very suitable for use in the insulation industry or the heat insulation industry.

3. Durability:

The manufacturing process of felt fabrics is different from that of other textiles. Felt fabrics made through many processes are more durable and wear-resistant than ordinary fabrics. Even if they are used continuously for a long time, felt fabrics will not be deformed or broken at will.

4. Environmental performance:

The pure natural wool fibers and recycled polyester fibers used to make felt fabrics can be recycled and reused, and will not pollute the environment. Therefore, choosing felt fabrics is a very environmentally friendly thing.

Real Customer Experiences Using Felt Fabric

From a U.S. Furniture Manufacturer

I started using Estrella’s felt fabrics in 2021.
Our company exports solid wood furniture, and the biggest problem we faced was scratches and damage during transportation.

Before we switched suppliers, we were using regular felt from a local source. The thickness varied a lot from batch to batch—one batch was 2.8mm, and the next could be 3.3mm. This forced our production team to repeatedly readjust the cutting tools, wasting both time and labor.

After switching to Estrella’s polyester felt fabric, I genuinely felt like we had finally found a stable material.

The density is uniform, and the thickness deviation is nearly zero. There are no soft or hard spots. We use the felt for chair leg pads, drawer buffers, and protective bottom pads. It adheres well, cuts cleanly, and never gets stuck in our CNC cutting systems.

What impressed me most is that their felt fabric is completely odorless. Even when we open new batches in the warehouse, there’s no chemical smell, making it much safer and more comfortable for our workers.

After using Estrella’s felt fabrics for a year, our transportation losses dropped by 35%, and customer complaints almost disappeared. Honestly, none of us want to switch suppliers anymore.

From a German Handmade Craft Brand Owner

I run a children’s DIY craft kit brand, and what we value most are safety and color performance.

The felt fabric we used before had dull colors, and some batches even had a chemical smell. I remember a customer contacting us to complain about the odor as soon as they opened the packaging. That was when I realized we needed to find a new supplier.

After switching to Estrella’s felt fabrics, I immediately noticed that the unpleasant chemical smell was gone.

This is essential for a brand that creates products for children. The felt is soft, the edges don’t fuzz easily, and kids can cut or glue it without irritation or dust. More importantly, the color consistency is excellent. Our “Rainbow Craft Kit” includes 12 colors, and Estrella’s felt keeps them perfectly consistent across every batch—never a hint of color variation.

Customer feedback improved significantly. Many parents told us our felt is softer and brighter than what they find in retail stores. Our repurchase rate increased noticeably, and I can confidently say Estrella’s felt fabric has elevated the quality perception of our brand.

From an Italian Home Storage Brand

We produce home storage products such as foldable storage bins, toy baskets, and organizers. For this category, we need felt fabric with excellent stiffness, stable thickness, and strong environmental compliance.

I tested samples from three different suppliers, and only Estrella’s felt fabrics met our expectations.

Their polyester felt is exceptionally firm—storage bins made from it can stand up straight without additional reinforcement. For large toy baskets, the material doesn’t collapse or wrinkle. What surprised me most is how clean the cut edges are. Unlike cheaper felt fabrics, Estrella’s material doesn’t shed dust or fuzz, making it ideal for sewing and edge finishing.

Environmental certification is also crucial for us, as European retail chains require traceable, odorless, and formaldehyde-free materials.

Estrella provided GRS certification and other test reports, and every shipment has been consistent—no color deviation, no thickness fluctuation, and the hand-feel remains unchanged.

After we launched our first series of felt storage bins, sales performance was excellent. Customer reviews repeatedly mentioned that the products “look premium” and are “sturdier than expected.” These results confirmed that choosing Estrella was absolutely the right decision.

Conclusion about felt fabrics

Felt fabric has a very ancient history. It has many functions and has been used for a long time. Whether you are a craftsman, a fashion designer, an industrial worker, or want to do something with felt fabric, believe me, felt fabric will be your best choice. Because it can give you effects or functionality that other textiles can’t give. Felt fabric is also a combination of tradition and innovation. It is a very useful and valuable material.