I know what you are thinking. Yuck!
Right?
But really what is dryer lint? It is recently washed and dried fibers from something you wore or slept on or dried yourself off with. And then of course in my case there is a lot of fur from my four legged friends but the hair in the dryer lint is actually cleaner then the pets with whom I snuggle and pat.
If you are still grossed out, fear not you can substitute extra wool roving or cotton batting. But me, well I love to use stuff that would by most standards be considered unusable. So I am practically giddy about using dryer lint for this easy little craft project. Yes I said giddy. I know that makes me weirder than most folks but we all have our little crazy parts. This is one of mine. :-)
Anyway, if you have ever done felting you know how easy it is to do. All you need is felting needles, a foam pad to work on and some wool roving. So when I started this project I made a trip to the craft store for some black wool roving. But to my surprise all they had was one little package! I knew that would not be enough to cover two big mouse ears so I decided to experiment with some yarn. Unfortunately this particular craft store did not have any 100% wool yarn so I opted for some bulky loosely twisted acrylic yarn.
Get ready for another giddy moment. It actually worked!
Making the faux wool roving did add a little extra time to the project but it was also a cheaper option than real wool roving. Of course as an upcycler using free stuff like dryer lint is the best but finding more economical ways to make things is also a lovely feeling.
You can see the whole process in the video below.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Upcycling and Happy Halloween!
If you missed the rest of the Upcycled Minnie Mouse Costume you can find the shoes here, purse here and skirt here.
