Here’s a great weekend DIY project for modern felt doors I found at Apartment Therapy. Designing with wool felt for fashion or home brings lots of advantages: it’s a renewable material, biodegradable and naturally flame retardant.
The Materials:
• 1/2 inch white wool felt from Sutherland Felt Company @ $75 a yard
• Hospital track, endcaps and rolling hooks from Medical Products Direct
• Thick brown leather
• White spray paint
• Silicone spray
Other Felt Suppliers:
• Central Shippee
• Southeastern Felt
• Aetna Felt
The Tools:
• Exacto style knife
• Drill with 1/4 drill bit
Designer’s Note: The toughest part was finding the right felt. It turns out that to get good felt you have to go to industrial suppliers who sell this stuff for aircraft engine mounts and other heavy vibration situations. Some offer felt made from recycled content. Here’s what we ended up with.
The Instructions:
1. Measure your doorway and order your felt large enough for both panels to more than cover the opening both side to side and up and down. It comes 72″ wide so you are in the best shape if you only have to buy one length and have them cut it down the middle for two 3′ wide pieces.
2. Order your hospital track to all felt door to slide out to the side in both directions. It only comes in silver, but don’t worry, you can paint it.
3. Mount your track on the ceiling and as tight to the door as possible so that the felt will hug the opening.
4. Insert end caps and rolling hooks. Spray with silicone to ease movement.
5. Masking off area around track, spray with white paint to blend in with ceiling.
6. Hold up felt and measure to fit.
7. Trim felt down with eXacto knife.
8. Using 1/4″ drill bit, drill holes in top of felt about 1″ down and 3″ apart. Also drill holes for leather handles as well.
9. Stitch leather handle on with leather thong.
10. Hang felt from hooks.
Fab Green Recommendations
1. Source wool felt or ask vendors if they have felt made with recycled content.
2. Use recycled leather for your handles found on your next trip to your favorite thrift or vintage shop. Or try another rescued, gorgeous material that inspires you!
3. A lightweight slider track from IKEA is a good alternative to a hospital track. If you like the look it will save you the painting step.
4. Design your own pattern! For inspiration, check out the amazing felt creations of Anne Kyrro Quinn.
Thanks Maxwell!
