If you’re wondering how to get wrinkles out of felt or if it will melt when ironed, this is the right article for you. We’ll cover everything from the safest ironing temperature for felt to the best irons to use.
Can you Iron Felt? Yes. You should use a pressing cloth to protect the felt and set the iron to 275°F. Also, avoid using steam which might cause the colored dye to seep out of the fabric.
Further down, we also discuss how to iron craft felt, pool tables, hats, and scarves.
How to Iron Felt
1. Choose the Correct Ironing Temperature
Felt is usually made from wool which is then matted together with polyester or nylon. Here are the ideal ironing temperatures:
So, if you know that your felt fabric is 100% wool and polyester, simply set the iron temperature to “Wool” or 300F. If you’re not sure, choose the “Nylon” setting to be perfectly safe.
2. Use an Ironing Cloth
An ironing cloth can be as simple as laying a cotton dishcloth over the felt to protect it from the direct heat of the iron. Cotton is a great choice because it can easily withstand 400F / 204C. Now you can safely increase the heat setting on the iron slightly for better results.
3. Do Not Use Steam
The steam can possibly make the dye coloring in the felt “melt out”. Dry ironing is the best choice. You should use steam for certain felt hats, as explained later in the article.
4. Keep Going
Depending on the severity of the creases and the thickness of the felt, you may have to keep ironing until it’s perfectly smooth. You could pause over a heavy crease to give it a little more oomph.
5. Iron from the Underside if Needed
If the felt item is stitched, you may want to iron it on the underside to keep the stitches looking “puffier” rather than ironing them completely flat. This may also work if you have any sequins or beads on the creased felt.
4. Other Considerations
In some cases, the felt items, like decorative keychains, are padded with Polyfill wadding or other types of stuffing. The heat from the iron may be safe on the felt but could melt the padding materials below. Since each item is different, you’ll need to decide whether it’s safe. Usually, though, padding is made from a kind of Polyester Fiber which has pretty much the same heat-resistant properties as felt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Iron Pool Table Felt?
Yes. First, ensure the table is perfectly clean. Remove the balls and dust the felt table with a soft (dedicated) brush in the direction of the nap along the cushion rails and the main bed. You can gently dust the particles into the holes.
Nap the Cloth. Attache a piece of similar felt to the back of the brush and gently sweep the nap in one direction to achieve conformity.
Iron the pool table. A specialized snooker iron is the best choice but a regular clothes iron could also work. Make sure to keep the setting low enough to avoid damaging the pool/snooker table felt. You can use a piece of paper to check the iron. If the paper burns, so will the felt!
Don’t move the iron in perfect lines to avoid creating unwanted tramlines.
The exact safe procedure will apply to poker tables but you have to be VERY careful of any lettering or lines. If they are made with vinyl or low-quality paints and inks, it might be better to stay away completely.
Can You Iron a Felt Hat?
Traditional Bowler hats, Fedoras, and Traditional Austrian (Tyrolean) hats are often made from pure wool felt or some combination of wool and synthetic fabrics.
You’ll need to use a clothes steamer or a steam iron to loosen the fabric and restore the original shape of the hat.
Since the dye colors in these hats are usually much higher quality, you don’t have to be too concerned with colors running. Softer felt hats like Tyrolean hats are also pretty resistant to running dyes as long as they aren’t cheap fakes sold in some tourist markets.
That being said, always test the steam on a smaller, inside section first to be sure!
Once you’ve tested, start by laying the hat flat on an ironing surface and steam the brim flat. (Since it’s usually a snapped brim, you can snap it upwards or downwards depending on your preference.)
IMPORTANT: Do not let the iron make contact with the hat. The steam alone will loosen the felt material.
For this reason, you could set the temp as high as you need to produce maximum steam.
If you absolutely have to press the iron onto the hat to remove a stubborn crease, make sure to keep the temperature setting to “wool” or lower, and use a pressing cloth in between to protect the felt hairs from searing.
Can You Iron a Felt Scarf?
Yes, as long as you follow the steps outlined in this article and make sure to avoid steam unless specifically allowed on the label. A low heat setting along with a protective cloth or heat-resistant kraft paper is definitely advised.