A Warm Welcome & Woolly Beginnings
In 2020, a flock of sheep displaced by Oregon’s Labor Day Fires joined us at the farm. Their arrival sparked a delightful discovery: when we pair their wool with our goat’s milk soap, it’s perfect for wet felting. Ever since, we’ve been crafting practical, beautiful items that bring joy to everyday life.
Fiber Art for Busy Farmers
We like to call our felting “fiber art for busy farmers,” or “almost instant gratification crafting.” Unlike needle-felting tiny animals (which can be slow and fiddly), wet felting with soap, hot water, and friction is surprisingly quick and tactile. A handful of wool transforms into a solid object right under your hands! Needle felting still plays a part, though—we love using it to decorate and add special details to our wet-felted creations.
This winter, we refined our techniques and wrote up detailed instructions so you can share in the fun.
Easter Egg Trees & Felted Decorations
Have you heard of the German Ostereierbaum (Easter egg tree)? It’s a tradition where you cut a few branches (filbert, fruit tree, or flowering quince) and place them in water so they’ll leaf out and bloom indoors—a sweet reminder that spring is on the way. In Germany, people hang hollow eggs on these branches, stored carefully year to year like treasured Christmas ornaments.
We love using felted Easter eggs for this tradition. They’re sturdier than fragile shells, and you can even add a drop of essential oil for a springtime scent. We have one set up at our farm stand and plan to bring some to the market, but we hope you’ll try making your own!
Shop our Easter Egg Felting Kit here!
Why We Craft
We’re passionate about surrounding ourselves with well-made, long-lasting items—especially those that avoid plastic. While plastics are sometimes necessary, we feel there’s no need to buy cheap plastic Easter trinkets that end up in the trash. Making our own heirlooms feels deeply satisfying; over time, these handmade pieces become more meaningful, and they reflect our unique tastes and values.
Chicks in Eggs: New Felting Kits
Last year’s “chicks in eggs” were a huge hit at the farmers market, so this year we’ve created a kit that lets you make your own. We even made a second kit for those who want to dive deeper into felt sculpting—a wet-felting method for three-dimensional objects. It’s faster than needle felting and wonderfully tactile. Our kits are entirely plastic-free, aligning with our commitment to sustainability.
The Smooshmallow Question
You’ve probably seen Smooshmallows (and similar plushies) everywhere. While they can be cute, many end up in landfills after a short shelf life, contributing to microplastic pollution. In contrast, a hand-felted wool item gains value over time, often becoming a cherished heirloom. Wool breaks down naturally, doesn’t shed microplastics, and carries a story you can share for years.
From Sheep to Fluff: Our Wool Process
Our wool starts right here on the farm with our sheep. We wash it by hand, then pull it through a picker and carder—impressive (and slightly medieval-looking) machines that turn raw wool into soft, fluffy batts ready for felting or spinning. You might have seen these batts on our dryer balls at the market—yes, those are covered with our very own wool!
Baby Goat Events & Farm Happenings
Kidding season is taking a brief pause, but more baby goats will be arriving mid-March. Keep an eye on our updates for the next round of baby goat events—we love sharing this special time with our community!
We also have classes and workshops coming up, where you can:
- Meet the sheep
- Learn about washing, picking, and carding wool
- Craft an essential item for daily life (think tea cozies or mug covers)
Shop & Share
- Soap Scraps: We have soap scraps in the farm store—great for laundry, household cleaning, or even travel-sized bars.
- Felting Kits & More: Buy your felting kits here and get started on your next project.
- New Recipe-celebrate the end of winter with this refreshing salad
Thank You for Supporting Local & Sustainable
Thank you for following our journey. We hope this inspires you to explore wet felting, set up an Easter egg tree, and embrace sustainable, meaningful crafts. As always, your support keeps our small farm thriving—every purchase and class signup helps us continue doing what we love.
We wish you a spring filled with creativity, blooming branches, and a deeper connection to the land.
Warmly,
The Fraga Farm Family