Felting felt boots is not an easy task, but the survivor
You definitely need to have the skills to do this.
This process consists of many stages:
the wool must be cleaned, combed, “broken” into lint, rolled, soaked in boiling water and saline solution, chop on a triangular shape, and then knock down on the block until the right size, dry...

* It is not surprising that before the mechanization of their production, felt boots were an expensive pleasure. In peasant families, the whole family took turns walking in one pair. Valenki are shoes designed primarily for dry, frosty weather. If you want to wear felt boots in the slush, you will have to purchase galoshes in addition to them.
In different parts of Russia, felt boots had different names: felt boots, felt boots, felt boots, felt boots, rods, scooters, boots, pimas.

Russian peasants had considerable experience in making felt boots at home, which they passed on to us.

The production of felt boots is based on the ability of wool to easily tangle. The ability of wool to mat (form felt) is enhanced if it is simultaneously, on the one hand, loosened by heating in warm water or influenced by some chemical(acids or alkalis), and on the other hand, increase the influence mechanical force, which causes wool fibers to intertwine with each other.

THE HOME PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING FELT FEET boots consists of the following operations:

To make one pair of felt boots, you need to take 2.2-2.4 kg of heterogeneous coarse wool, preferably autumn shearing, and separate the flower by hand. Then plant and mineral additives are removed from it, for this:

Wool is soaked in warm water (35 ... 40 °) with the addition of 1% of its volume of soda ash or synthetic powder for washing woolen products. Keep the wool in the liquid for at least 30 minutes

Hand-wrung wool is washed three times in a soap-soda solution with a soap concentration of 0.3 and soda concentration of 0.2% of the volume of water, or 3 g of soap and 2 g of soda per 1 liter of water. The temperature of the washing solution should be 45-52 ° C. After washing three times, the wool is rinsed in clean water and dried.

Washed dry heterogeneous wool is cleaned of burdock, straw and other impurities by hand.

Then the wool is combed with special combs - manual carders (see video 3)

A pattern is cut out from the resulting dense fabric, which should be 1.8-2 times larger than the finished felt boot. The knocked wool is placed in an even layer on top of the pattern moistened with water. Where the sole of the felt boot will be, more wool is placed (see video 1)

The edges of the pattern are folded inward and the other side of the workpiece is laid on top of it, wrapped in the same fabric and started to be rolled on the table with force, while spraying the workpiece hot water.

The process of transforming a cotton-like mass into felt under the influence of hot water and mechanical action of the hands occurs within 10 minutes

The boot obtained in this way is immersed for 4-5 hours in a weak solution of sulfuric acid (50 g per 2 liters of water), in which the wool is degreased and “fell” even more.

Next you need to do everything so that the felt boots big size, consisting of a loose felt mass, compact... Compaction is carried out by forcefully rolling a board with a ribbed surface (rubel) over the felt felt blank.

The felt boots are immersed in boiling water for 10 minutes, then laid out and kneaded with your hands. This process is reminiscent of washing clothes and “rolling” them on a ribbed surface.
When the product has cooled, it is placed in boiling water and the same operation, “washing” and rolling, is carried out again.
This process is repeated 3-4 times for one and a half to two hours. The felt boots become more and more compact, decrease in size and take on the appropriate shape of the finished product.

* The formation of felt boots is carried out after they have been sufficiently compacted. A last (boot shape) consisting of five separate parts is inserted into a wet felt boot. In this form, it is placed in an oven or oven and dried at approximately 70 ° C for 24 hours. The block is removed, and the felt boots are cleaned with pumice and fired to remove any protruding fibers.
After these final operations, the felt boots are ready

* Felting felt boots can only be done by very patient and calm people, because this is a very painstaking and long-term process that requires complete dedication.

YOU CAN MAKE FELT FEELINGS WITH YOUR OWN HANDS IN 2 METHODS:
- using a stencil
- using a bulk workpiece

1. USING A STENCIL.
To felt felt boots using a stencil, you need to decide on a pattern, because natural wool shrinks strongly.
Thick cardboard is suitable - this is what you need to lay out the wool layers on, and this needs to be done on both stencils at the same time.

The first layer of wool is laid out randomly, and subsequent layers should be positioned strictly perpendicular to the previous ones. Don’t be greedy - even if the wool protrudes a little beyond the boundaries of the pattern, at the end of felting the edges will still have to be folded down.

The wool can shift and slip, so you need to carefully monitor this and lay it out as tightly as possible. For ordinary felt boots, six layers of wool are usually enough, but if you want to make very warm felt boots, then increase the number of layers to eight or ten.

Wet felting felt boots made of wool involves processing the blanks with hot soap solution, until the desired thickness of the product is formed. Then the felt boots should be washed, cut, the stencil removed and washed thoroughly in the same soap solution until required shrinkage. The final stage will be stuffing felt boots with paper and drying.

2. HOW TO FELL FELT FEELINGS USING A BLANK.

The process of felting felt boots is similar to the previous one, only the formative element is not a cardboard pattern, but rubber shoes. You just need to choose boots that are at least a few sizes larger than desired, since wool shrinks a lot. Rubber boots should be one third larger than the size of future felt boots.

Just as in the case of cardboard, the layers of wool are laid out perpendicular to each other - this is necessary for better adhesion of the fibers. Special attention you need to pay attention to the sole, as well as the uniformity and uniformity of the layers, otherwise the thickness of the felt boots will be uneven in different parts and it will take a lot of time to correct the defect.

To finally fix the shape of the product, use a hot soap solution (the hotter, the better). Wrap the felt boots in mesh or calico and start spraying it with soapy water, smoothing the surface with your hands or rolling it with a wooden massager or rolling pin.

However, do not overdo it; if you immediately start pressing too hard, holes may form in the felt boots. The whole process takes about 40 minutes - but if you decide to simplify the work, then nothing good will come of it. You need to tumble the felt boots thoroughly, otherwise the layers may shift and become frayed. When you feel that the layers are fixed and do not shift at all, the felt boots are ready.
All that remains is to fill it with suitable sized bottles and dry it.

***
Felt products, including boots, are discovered during excavations of quite ancient burial mounds. The original design was not as perfect as the one we have today: the boot was felt separately and sewn to the shoe, so they were not very strong. Only at the beginning of the 13th century, artisans from the city of Myshkin, Yaroslavl province, invented a prefabricated block consisting of four parts, which made it possible to felt the entire felt boot.

* Valenki played a strategic role during the Great Patriotic War, protecting Soviet soldiers from severe frosts.
They kept in winter cold health for millions of people.

* Fulling products are still in great demand among the population. They are especially necessary for builders, fishermen, elderly people living in rural areas and very often in cold apartments.

In industrial production, rolls are made using felting machines, in which wool or wool products in a wet state are subject to pressure at a moderate temperature (30 ... 40 °). As a result of external forces, the fibers are mixed, intertwined and compacted. The villi of wool fibers contain them, preventing them from moving in finished product. The strength of the product is thus increased.

video:
1 - how to make felt boots using a stencil
2 — wet felting
3. combing wool for felt boots
4+5 - felting using a blank.

HOW TO OPEN SUCH A BUSINESS

DIY felt boots

Demand felt boots is constantly growing. This is facilitated by the “aging population” - for old people, felt boots are the favorite indoor shoes. On the other hand, growing in number and leading healthy image life, the middle class moves from city apartments to cottages, where felt boots are comfortable indoor, yard and walking shoes. The demand for children's felt boots is also growing. The factories remaining from Soviet times produce mainly “oak” black and gray felt boots, while now the main demand is for white and colored felt boots, for felt boots with embroidery and applique, for beautiful multi-colored children's felt boots.

Felt shoes - natural, warm, comfortable, practical and absolutely irreplaceable in severe frost conditions, have become an item of increased demand among modern fashionistas. Being business card“Russian style”, felt “fever” captured not only the CIS, but also spread throughout the world.

If twenty years ago felt boots were considered primitive, ugly and rough shoes, then the modern variety of designs of designer samovalki, wire rods, felt boots, pimas, cats, chunyas and chesanok evokes sincere delight and a desire to replenish your wardrobe with a couple of stylish handmade items.

Decorated with appliqué and lacing, embroidered with rhinestones and stones, trimmed with fur, combined with knitting, decorated with pompoms and ribbons, and even painted - our dear and good felt boots have turned into works of art, putting even Finnish uggs to shame.

If you are obsessed with the idea of ​​organizing a fashion show in exclusive felt boots to the envy of everyone around you, I suggest you master a fascinating hobby - hand felting technology, and make felt boots for yourself. Based on your individual preferences, you can safely vary color scheme, style and decor of your products.

Making felt boots does not require special equipment, although the process of felting a “simple” felt boot is quite complex, painstaking and long. Therefore, you will have to be patient. Wet felting is usually done in a bathhouse.

We can get by with a regular kitchen equipped with a table.

• sheep wool;
• polyethylene bubble film;
• mosquito net;
• hot soapy water (the hotter the better);
• template for felt boots;
• wooden massage rolling pin (if available);
• And the best and indispensable tool- our golden hands.

Step-by-step instruction

Step 1

Wool for hand-rolling. Sheep wool, preferably autumn sheared. It is better to take carding (semi-rough, coarse). You can find and buy it at a craft store or order it online.

Wool consumption depends on the size of the boots, the height of the boot and the thickness of the wool layer. On average, felt boots for an adult will require 700-1300 grams. For a child approximately 600g.

Step 2

Sample. We draw a pattern for our felt boots on a piece of paper. We calculate the required size and height of the boot, taking into account 40% wool shrinkage (foot length + 40%, boot width + 40%). We draw as generally as possible, adding calculated allowances along the contour on all sides.

We pay special attention to the instep; if it is too narrow, the leg will not fit. Ideal material for the template - foamed polyethylene ( thermal insulation material, used as a substrate for laminate).

You can cut a pattern from ordinary dense polyethylene. For children's felt boots, it is convenient to use a template with a combined bell for simultaneous felting of two felt boots at once, which will then need to be cut in half along the tops.

Step 3

Preparation. Laying out the wool on top of the pattern is the most crucial moment. We cover the table with bubble wrap and place our template on it. We pull out long strands from the combed wool fiber with our hands and carefully lay them on top of our pattern, first across and then along the template.

The wool must be laid out carefully, in a uniform layer of equal density. You can put a little more wool on the toe and heel. Lay out 3-4 layers. We consider the layout of the wool lengthwise and crosswise to be one layer. Wet the laid wool with a soap solution.

We turn the workpiece over, fold the protruding edges onto the front side and repeat the procedure of laying out the wool in perpendicular layers.

Step 4

Felting and rolling. We spray our workpiece - a half-roll - with a hot soapy solution, wrap it in a net and begin to knead and rub the surface with our hands. Wool loves ironing. Be sure to smooth out all the wrinkles, lumps and folds - sculpt the shape. We form our felt boots, similar to a giant sock.

We make sure that the layers do not shift and holes do not form. We periodically water our felt boots with hot water and soap so that they shrink evenly. We take out the template and iron the felt boots from the inside with our hands.

We continue to intensively knead the workpiece, you can compact it, twist it, rolling it with a wooden massage roller until the felt boots become the desired size and shape and the wool stops being pulled out of the felt. We repeat the entire procedure with the second felt boot. We check the symmetry of the pair by periodically placing them next to each other.

Trim the larger felt boots until the desired shrinkage occurs. At this stage, you can adjust the shape directly on your foot, after putting on a wool sock and a plastic bag. We trample until we achieve the desired right-left shape.

We hit the protruding places with a hammer. We rinse the finished felt boots in cold water and set them to dry, tightly stuffing them with crumpled paper or plastic bottles of suitable shape to maintain their shape.

Step 5

Decoration. The possibilities for decorating felt boots are endless. On the Internet you can find many original ideas and necessary accessories for every taste and budget.” Go ahead” - show your imagination, create with pleasure and surprise your loved ones with unique works of your own hands.

Handicraft master class: “Making felt felt boots using the wet felting method”

Fahurtdinova Larisa Anatolyevna, technology teacher at the Obdorsk Gymnasium, Salekhard.
The master class will be of interest to technology teachers, educators additional education, children of middle school age.
In Rus' there was a belief that if you hang whispering felt boots on front door and whisper your wish, it will come true.
Purpose: felt boots can be given as a gift for the New Year or hung on a Christmas tree, on a bag or in a car.
Target: making a product by wet felting from wool with your own hands.
Tasks:
Learning how to work with wool.
Formation and development of cognitive interest in the subject, handicrafts, and development of independence.
Development of creative abilities and aesthetic taste of students.

Materials and tools for work:
1) natural wool for wet felting (any color);
2) bubble wrap;
3) foam rubber for the template;
4) dishwashing liquid or liquid soap, spray bottle;
5) towel;
6) ribbons, cords, felt, lace, beads, sequins, threads

Operating procedure:

1) Print out a template for felt boots.

2) Cut out the felt boots template from paper.

3) Place the cut-out felt boots template from paper onto a piece of foam rubber, trace and cut out the template for felting the felt boots.

4) Pour warm water into a spray bottle and drop a few drops of dishwashing liquid into it.
5) Cover the table with bubble wrap. We will do the work on film.
6) Take in left hand wool ribbon, right hand We pinch the very ends of the wool and pull out the wool. We lay out the wool on a template for felting felt boots.

7) We lay the wool on the template for felting felt boots, first across and then along the template.

The ends of the wool should extend beyond the edges of the template.

8) Next, spray the wool laid out on the template with a soap solution from a spray bottle.
It is not necessary to moisten very much. If you wet the wool too much, it will not mat well. Excess water must be removed with a towel.

9) Place your fingers on the laid out wool and press lightly. We begin to rub the fur with our fingers.
Three lightly, the wool has not yet matted.

10) Then we turn the template over along with the wool.

11) Bend the wool that extends beyond the edge of the template. We try to avoid wrinkles.

12) We again begin to lay two layers of wool on top, one layer across and the other along.

13) Spray the wool laid out on the template with a soap solution from a spray bottle.
Three fingers wool.

14) Turn the template with wool over.

15) Again we bend the wool that extends beyond the edge of the template. We try to avoid wrinkles.
16) Rub the template with wool on the bubble wrap for about 20 minutes. Where it is not possible to go through the film, use three fingers: first gently, and when the wool is felted more strongly.

17) Cut the template with wool into two equal parts with scissors.

18) Take out the template. We won't need it anymore.

The felt boots don't hold their shape yet. After falling down they will decrease in size.

19) We put our fingers inside the felt boots, moisten them with soapy water and continue to rub the felt boots on the film with bubbles, helping to hard to reach places fingers. At this stage you can already rub hard.
To make it easier to felt the tops, you can use markers or caps from thick felt-tip pens.

20) Periodically check that the felt boots are the same. If some felt boots come out larger size it needs to be felted separately.
21) It’s very easy to check whether the felt boots are ready or not: you need to try to pinch off the wool with your fingers, if only a few woolen hairs come off, then the felt boots are felted, but if more are caught, you need to felt them further.
22) Rinse our felt boots from dishwashing liquid. You can blot with a towel and remove excess water.
23) Straighten the felt boots and put them to dry, but not on the radiator.
24) You can decorate felt boots in different ways. You can make patches, thin felt soles, felt appliques, and decorate with satin ribbons and rhinestones. Sew on braid or lace. Then tie the felt boots with thread. The souvenir felt boots-whisperers are ready!

Valenki are ancient shoes, comfortable, warm and durable. Until recently, it was associated with a rustic style and was not widely popular. But thanks to the global trend towards using natural materials, studying ancient crafts, she gained new life. Main criterion, which characterizes the quality of the shoes - what felt boots are made of, what technique and material they use. Despite the development of modern technologies, the manufacturing process requires the use of knowledge and methods used by our ancestors.

What are they?

The answer to the question of what felt boots are is probably known to every person living in harsh winter conditions. These are shoes made of wool, without soles, designed for dry frosty weather. Traditional felt boots are monolithic, laconic, without fasteners, zippers, or abundant decor. They are spacious, comfortable, easy to take off and put on. Winter models can be insulated with felt, soft ones are used as indoor shoes or under rubber boots.

Felt boots are ancient footwear; their prototype was short boots reminiscent of galoshes - chuni, cats, kengas. There are many versions of its origin. Known a large number of interesting facts about felt boots associated with the legends of the appearance of felt:

1. Felt was accidentally invented by Pope Clement I. He used tow as linings. Under the influence of sweat, constant pressure wool became felted linen.
2. During a long journey, the Apostle Joakov collected scraps of sheep's wool and put them in his shoes so that they would rub his feet less. This is how the first insoles turned out.
3. Noah's ark was lined with wool. Thanks to salt water and compaction by animals, a kind of felted carpet was obtained.

According to archaeological research, felt boots appeared in the 4th century BC - fragments of woolen shoes were found during excavations in Altai. Crafts were well developed in the Caucasus, Tibet, and the Carpathians. It was used by pastoralists and nomadic tribes of the Eurasian steppes. The history of the appearance of felt boots in Rus' is associated with the period of the Golden Horde, the neighborhood with Mongolian and Turkic tribes. The first mention of woolen shoes was recorded in the work “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” The products were expensive, only rich people could buy them. Often one pair was bought for the whole family, and they were used alternately.

At first, felt boots in Rus' were cut and sewn. One-piece products without seams began to be produced already in early XIX century in the Nizhny Novgorod province. The style of shoe most similar to modern models, invented by the masters of the city of Myshkin. When things got better industrial production, felt boots have become more accessible, popular and indispensable. They were used by workers and peasants. During World War II, shoes were worn soviet soldiers. The white felt boots of snipers became famous. Gradually, the popularity of the products subsided a little - winters became warmer, slushier, with frequent thaws.

Felt boots are known under many names - wire rods, felt boots, pimas, chesanki, volnushechki, voyki. The name of the shoe changed depending on the region and material of manufacture. They offer many advantages:

• retain heat well and are characterized by excellent breathability;
• strong, durable, comfortable;
• hypoallergenic, lightweight, comfortable.

The advantage of felted shoes is their positive effect on the body - it produces a massage effect on the feet, improves blood flow, and alleviates rheumatism or radiculitis.

The disadvantages of the products include water permeability and the need for careful maintenance. However, when correct operation shoes can last several seasons. That is why it is so in demand and popular.

Now the history of felt boots continues to develop - new technologies have appeared, changed fashion trends. The product range has expanded significantly. To the range of regular styles are added models with rubber or leather soles, shafts of different lengths, configurations, and various decorations.

Materials

Depending on what felt boots are made from, their cost, quality, and methods of use are determined. In the old days, felt boots were made exclusively from wool that was sheared from a living sheep. This material is called litnina. IN modern production except wool are used Additional materials, which help improve shoes, make them universal, meeting new requirements.

The main material for felt boots is semi-rough sheep's wool, obtained as a result of spring and autumn haircuts. Raw materials are imported to Russia from the Caucasus, Mongolia, and some Asian countries. Interesting models are made from goat, rabbit, and dog hair. Exotic fluffy products are made from camel hair.

Sheep's wool

Rabbit

Significant changes have been made to the production of shoe bottoms. For greater comfort, durability and water resistance, the sole is made of leather or rubber - it is glued or sewn. Often there are options for a molded or corrugated bottom. Winter models are additionally insulated with fur or felt cloth. To protect against moisture, the outer part of the shoe can be covered with waterproof textiles.

Felt boots react poorly to humidity - they can get wet and become deformed. To maintain an attractive appearance, performance qualities Shoes should be carefully treated after purchase. A special impregnation is applied to the upper - a water-repellent spray for suede and nubuck, the sole is lubricated silicone sealant. Products can only be dried when room temperature, store in a dark, dry place.

Rubber, corrugated

Leather, molded sole

Manufacturing Features

Wool is the only natural material that, thanks to its characteristic scales, is able to adhere to each other without additional funds. Based on this feature, the ancient craft of felting or rolling was born. Two methods of shoe production have emerged - manual and industrial.

Manual felling

There are few known craftsmen who felt felt boots by hand. Their work is hard, painstaking, but the shoes made with skillful hands, – high-quality, durable, environmentally friendly. It costs more, but this difference is justified - it can take several days to create one pair of felt boots.

The manufacturing process consists of the following stages:

1. Material cleaning. The shorn wool is carefully separated from debris and sorted by color.
2. Making tow. The raw material is crushed, it becomes like fluff.
3. The wool is treated with boiling water and laid out in a thin layer.
4. A pattern is created and felting begins. During the felling process, the product decreases in size, becomes dense and rigid.
5. The workpiece is placed on a block and beaten with a wooden stick. As a result, the felt boots become softer and take on the desired size.
6. The shoes are sent to the oven to dry.

Masters do not use any chemicals in their work. The result is high-quality shoes in natural white, brown or gray. At the final stage, the products are polished with a wooden block.

Mass production

As a result of industrial development, mass production of felt boots was established. It is based on modern technologies, requires special equipment.

1. Primary processing – cleaning, washing, sorting.
2. The raw materials are sent to scutching and carding machines.
3. The tow is placed on pressing plates, where pieces of felted fabric are formed.
4. A blank is made and sent for stretching.
5. The product goes through the felling stage - placed in drums with hot water. Some manufacturers at this stage use sulfuric acid. The felt boots can be stretched several times, so they acquire the desired size.
6. After felling, the shoes are put on a metal last and treated with steam.
7. Finished products are dried at a temperature of 100 degrees for 6 hours.

Felt boots lend themselves to various experiments - they are sanded, polished, varnished with wood glue, and impregnated with rubber dissolved in gasoline. This creates a water-repellent effect.

Color

The traditional colors of felt boots are natural colors - white, gray, brown, black. In the old days, craftsmen used natural dyes to dye shoes. White felt boots were produced by using whitewash and fresh milk. The solution was rubbed into the surface and then dried thoroughly. The dark shade was achieved using alum, sandalwood or copper sulfate.

Modern models of felt boots correspond to fashion trends and are created in a variety of colors. Bright red, purple, yellow, green models refresh the image, give lightness and a feeling of warmth. Discreet beige, blue, burgundy products are versatile and practical. Golden and silver felt boots have become popular.

To dye felt, special dyes for wool are used. You can dye or decorate felt boots at home. For this purpose they are used acrylic paints on fabric, special dyes for suede.

An interesting discovery was the dyeing of woolen products with hair dye.

Features of design models

Russian felt boots in a modern interpretation are interesting, beautiful, unique. Large manufacturers of antique shoes in Russia are the companies Kalyaev, Tofa, Kotofey, and Zebra. Their range is varied. Every year the following come off the assembly line:

• half felt boots, short, high models;
• with a tight and loose boot;
• equipped with zippers, laces, fasteners;
• styles with heels, platform and wedges;
• warm, comfortable and bright felt boots for children with interesting images of fairy-tale characters or favorite animals;
• practical, durable men's shoes - burkas.

Among the variety of styles, designer models stand out - thanks to the author's ideas, such felt boots are unique and inimitable. Often professionals decorate shoes by hand, using expensive materials - the work is complex, requires patience and painstaking work. For these reasons, designer shoes are expensive and have status. Among domestic fashion designers, the following stand out: original ideas Vladislav Zaitsev, he came up with many interesting models:

• with a gradient color transition;
• decorated with rhinestones, ribbons, fur, lace, beads;
• embroidered with satin stitch, cross stitch.

Very interesting idea– creation of wedding felt boots. Ordinary white wool boots are decorated with smooth embroidery and lace inserts.

Valenki are practical, warm, natural shoes. In the old days, she was simply irreplaceable. Currently, thanks to the trend towards the use of natural materials and the relevance of folk motifs, the popularity of felted shoes has increased. Manufacturers have adapted felt boots to modern requirements, supplemented with other materials, decorated. The result is fashionable, beautiful and high-quality shoes.

"Kalyaev"

"Kotofey"

Valenki from Vladislav Zaitsev

Video

Photo

Opening own business allows you to gain financial independence and the opportunity to work in the field that most contributes to self-realization. Often, a business that began as a simple hobby grows into production with significant profits. One such exciting and creative process is making felt boots at home. Felting felt boots is a very popular area in entrepreneurship, but before taking active steps, it is necessary to study the specifics of this business.

Our business assessment:

Starting investment - 1,300,000 rubles.

Market saturation is average.

The difficulty of starting a business is 5/10.

Types of felt boots produced at home

The following models of felt boots can be made for sale:

1. Children's felt boots
2. Felt boots for adults.
3. Decorated.
4. Felt boots with soles.
5. Souvenir.

This type of shoe can be decorated and put up for sale at a very high price. In addition to “painted” felt boots, copies can be made: black, gray or white. Natural felt boots can be colored, but to make them you will need to purchase felt of the appropriate color or dye animal hair yourself.

Where to sell felt boots?

You can sell finished products in person at the local market, or hire professional sellers for this purpose. With significant volumes of production, you will need to either increase the number of your own retail outlets, or hand over the products for sale to shoe stores.

The development of Internet technologies allows each person to carry out trading operations through electronic currencies, so a significant part of the goods produced can be sold in their own online store, or through specialized trading platforms. Making felt boots to order is also possible in this type of business. This option for selling shoes is very good because the master knows in advance that immediately after making the shoes, they will be sold immediately.

Organization of business for the production of felt boots

It is possible to start the production of felt boots in Russia only if you have an open individual entrepreneur or LLC. Each type of such business activity has its own advantages and disadvantages, but with small volumes of production, when the bulk of the products will be sold to private individuals, it is enough to open an individual entrepreneur so that the business of producing felt boots will not be burdened with excessive clerical and tax burdens.

At the next stage of organization profitable business, you will need to spend significant financial resources on equipment for the production of felt boots.

Mandatory purchases are:

Thus, you will need to spend about 200,000 rubles on tools and equipment. Organizing a business will be limited only to these expenses in the case where you have your own premises to house the equipment. If you need to rent production space, then costs may increase by 10 - 20%. Decor entrepreneurial activity will also require some financial expenses, but if you prepare the documents yourself, then obtaining an individual entrepreneur certificate will cost no more than 1000 rubles.

If in your city it is not possible to purchase what is necessary for the production of felt boots, or if the premises are located in a remote rural area, you will need to pay for the delivery of equipment, which, depending on the distance, will cost a novice entrepreneur 10 - 20 thousand rubles.

Raw materials for felt boots

Felt boots are made from the wool of a goat, camel, sheep or dog. The advantage of using the wool of these animals is that when exposed to high temperature and physical mixing, the fibers of this material intertwine with significant compaction. In the production process of this type of footwear, sheep wool is most often used. Due to the fact that this raw material is relatively cheap, felting felt boots from wool at home will not require significant monthly expenses. You will only need to invest in the purchase of raw materials if you want to open a factory for the production of felt boots.

Expansion of production of felt boots

A plant for the production of felt boots will cost much more than a small workshop, so even if you have experience in this matter, you should take into account all the risks and be prepared for significant financial expenses, for employee salaries, renting premises and purchasing raw materials in large volumes.

An approximate business plan for such a production looks like this:

1. Renting a premises with an area of ​​at least 100 m2 will cost 20,000 rubles a month, provided that the plant is located in a rural area. In the city center, such premises will cost several times more, but it is absolutely not necessary to locate the production of felt boots in such an area; you can rent an abandoned warehouse outside the city limits, which will reduce monthly expenses and, as a result, increase profitability.
2. To fully operate the production in one shift, you will need to hire at least 10 people who have experience in hand felting felt boots. Wages in rural areas are noticeably lower than in big city, therefore, if possible, open an enterprise away from large city, you should use this option. This monthly expense item will be at least 200,000 rubles per month.
3. The cost of purchasing equipment when opening a small factory for the production of felt boots will increase at least 5 times compared to individual production. Thus, you will need to spend at least 1 million rubles on the purchase of equipment.

1. To register a business activity, in this case, it is best to register a legal entity. After registering LLC, it will be possible to easily enter into contracts with large suppliers of raw materials, as well as carry out wholesale products, with the involvement of large retail chains. Registration legal entity will cost the entrepreneur 20 - 30 thousand rubles.

1. The costs of paying for utilities, although not the most significant in the production of felt boots, will require monthly deductions in the amount of 30 - 50 thousand rubles.
2. An entrepreneur who has registered his business in accordance with all the rules must pay income taxes, as well as various deductions for himself and his employees in Pension Fund, payment for health insurance. This expense item can be significant, even if the company employs only 10 people.

The total cost of opening a small enterprise for the production of felt boots will cost approximately 1,300,000 rubles. In addition, starting from the second month you will need to pay wages workers, rent for production room, public utilities, and various tax deductions to the treasury, therefore, from the first days, after the opening of production, you should take care of the sale of finished products.

How to increase the profitability of felt boots production?

Making souvenir felt boots is a more profitable and promising direction in this type of business. Fashionable felt boots are in great demand not only in Russia, but can be supplied outside the country. Tourists who visit our country also buy modern felt boots, which can be painted in various colors.

To find out how much boots that have passed through the hands of a talented craftsman cost, just search on the Internet trading platform, on which souvenir products are placed. On such resources you can find hand-made felt boots with painting at prices ranging from 3 to 8 thousand rubles. Both simple colored felt boots and products with some kind of design on them are very popular among buyers. Felt boots are painted by hand, so even if you don’t have drawing skills, you can hire a professional artist who will turn ordinary plain shoes into a work of art. You don’t have to engage in the production of felt boots at all, but purchase products from a large enterprise at wholesale prices, followed by painting and independent sale.

The process of making felt boots

If you have no experience in producing felt boots, but have a desire to master this business, then you can learn this rather simple task. In order to learn how to make felt boots with your own hands, it is enough to purchase educational literature or videos.

IN general outline this process can be described as follows:

• Sheep wool is purchased at the rate of 1 kg of raw material for 1 pair of shoes.
• Draw a pattern on a piece of paper. Instead of a pattern, you can use a template, which is sold in almost any craft store.
• A template is placed on a flat surface covered with plastic film, onto which wool is laid out in an amount sufficient to make 1 pair of felt boots.
• The workpiece is sprayed with a high-temperature soap solution and wrapped in construction mesh, and manual rolling of felt boots continues by rubbing the workpiece.
• The template is pulled out, and the felt boots are rolled by hand from the inside.
• When the felt boots are ready, rinse them in clean cold water.
• The shoes are stuffed with soft paper and left to dry.

The described method is used to wet felt felt boots. In addition to this option, felt boots can be made using the dry method. Dry felting of felt boots is done using special needles. The technology for making felt boots in this way completely eliminates the need to use water to join wool fibers, therefore this method felting is called "dry".

Felting souvenir felt boots is a highly profitable business, which, with small production volumes, can be organized at home. How to felt felt boots is described in general terms in this article. With enough diligence in mastering this craft, you can become a professional within a short time and receive a stable high income. Decorating felt boots yourself is also quite easy to master, and the final market value of such a product will be increased by 2 - 3 times compared to ordinary shoes.

Open large enterprise should only be done after consumer demand has been studied and the number of competitors in a given region has been determined. If the supply on the market significantly exceeds demand, then the construction of a shoe production plant should be abandoned due to high risks.