5 Steps: How to Glue Felt to Wood

Whether it’s for shelves, jewelry boxes, gaming tables, or any other kind of woodworking project, adding felt to a wood project can help protect against scratches, eliminate friction, or even add to the aesthetic of the project.

However, if you just start adhering the felt without a plan, you might find yourself with a soppy, wet piece of felt and a disaster of a project.

So, if you are asking yourself how can I glue felt to wood without the mess, you might want to start with these helpful steps.

How to Glue Felt

Step 1 – Gather Necessary Materials

Here’s what you will need:

High quality felt, such as billiard cloth – This is much higher quality than the individual pieces of felt you might find prepackaged in a craft supply store.

Contact Cement – The most recommended kind is Weldwood Contact Cement. Using wood glue on felt might seem like the right answer, but it soaks through the felt and creates hard, uneven spots in the fabric.
Foam Brush – to apply the glue
An object to smooth out wrinkles – A roller works best for large areas, while a scraper or an old credit card would be better for smaller projects.
Utility knife/Scissors – for trimming. Choose the tool most appropriate for the size of your project.

Step 2 – Measure and Cut the Felt

Before you can begin adhering the felt to the wood, make sure your felt is cut to the appropriate size for your project.

You will trim off some of the extra felt at the end, but before you begin you should make sure you have enough felt to cover your project and that the size of the felt is manageable.

To get the dimensions just right, try tracing the area you want to cover with felt on to a piece of paper or cardboard and then use that as a pattern for how to cut your felt.

Test the fit of the felt with your project before applying glue in the next step.

Step 3 – Apply Glue

Dip your foam brush into the contact cement no more than ¼ inch.

Apply the contact cement to the felt in very thin balls no bigger than the head of a pin.

This coat should be VERY thin to avoid the felt becoming oversaturated.

If you have cutout areas or a patterned felt, pay attention and make sure you are applying the contact cement to the appropriate side.

Using the same application method that you did for the felt, apply the contact cement to the wood. Again, all you need is a very thin coat.

Step 4 – Apply Pressure

Cautiously place the wet sides of the felt and the wood together, starting in one corner and moving outward. Be careful not to stretch the felt! Press gently with your hands to adhere, and then use a roller or scraper to smooth out the wrinkles.

PRO TIP: If the size/shape of the project allows it, the best method for applying even pressure is to put a piece of wax paper on the dry side of the felt and use a heavy object (such as several books) to apply pressure.

Allow the glue to dry for at least ten minutes (or more, depending on your glue manufacturer’s instructions). Once the glue has dried, you can remove the heavy objects and the wax paper.

Related: 7 Best Woodworking Clamps

Step 5 – Trim

Take some time to inspect your project, looking for any imperfections such as uneven edges or an overhang of felt. Use a utility knife or a pair of scissors to trim these edges evenly and create a finished look for your project.

If you were very careful to cut exactly the right size piece of felt for your project in Step 2, this step may be altogether unnecessary, meaning you did it in four steps instead of five! Great job!

You officially know how to glue felt to wood, and your options for future projects are limitless! Create stunning pieces of home décor or gifts for family and friends.

By following these five steps of how to glue felt to wood, you are now able to add to the quality of your woodworking projects and give any project a professional appearance.