Embroidered Woolly Wristlet Tutorial — Betz White Style
There is something deeply satisfying about a small project that teaches you big skills. Wristlets sit in that perfect sweet spot of the handmade world: quick enough to finish in an afternoon, useful enough to carry every day, and just complex enough to feel genuinely proud of when you hold the finished piece in your hands. This tutorial walks you through making an embroidered woolly wristlet in the style popularized by designer Betz White, whose warm, nature-inspired aesthetic has influenced countless fiber artists and sewists over the years. Whether you are brand new to embroidery or you have been stitching for years and want a fresh project, this guide covers every step from choosing your wool felt to attaching the wrist strap.
What Is a Woolly Wristlet?
Before we dive into materials and steps, it helps to understand exactly what we are making. A wristlet is essentially a small clutch bag with a short loop handle — long enough to slip over your wrist but not long enough to hang from your shoulder. They are perfect for carrying your phone, cards, a few folded bills, and lip balm when you do not want to lug a full bag around. The woolly version uses thick, boiled wool or wool felt as the main fabric rather than quilting cotton or canvas, which gives the finished bag a soft, organic look and a wonderful hand-feel that no synthetic material can quite replicate.
Betz White is known for her work with wool felt and her talent for combining simple silhouettes with charming hand embroidery motifs — mushrooms, botanicals, woodland creatures, and abstract floral designs. This tutorial draws on that aesthetic to create a wristlet that feels handcrafted in the best possible sense, something that looks intentional rather than beginner-made.
Materials You Will Need
Gathering your materials before you begin saves time and keeps your creative momentum going. Here is everything you need to complete this project.
For the bag body you will need two pieces of wool felt or boiled wool cut to approximately 8 inches wide by 6 inches tall. Wool felt from the craft store works perfectly well, but if you want to invest in something more luxurious, 100% wool felt or boiled wool fabric from a specialty textile shop will give you a noticeably richer result. The color is entirely up to you — Betz White often works in warm, muted tones like oatmeal, sage green, dusty rose, mustard, and slate blue.
For the lining you will need two pieces of cotton fabric in the same dimensions. A quilting cotton in a small coordinating print works beautifully here. You want something that complements your wool without competing with your embroidery.
For the embroidery you will need wool embroidery thread or wool yarn in a selection of colors that coordinate with your felt. Betz White frequently uses Appleton crewel wool or similar single-ply wool threads because they give a soft, slightly raised texture that suits the wooly aesthetic perfectly. You can also use perle cotton or standard six-strand embroidery floss if that is what you have on hand, though the finished look will be a bit crisper and more graphic.
You will also need an embroidery hoop large enough to hold your felt piece comfortably, an embroidery needle with an eye large enough to thread your wool, a water-soluble fabric pen or chalk pencil for transferring your design, small sharp scissors, fabric scissors, a sewing machine or strong hand-sewing supplies, a zipper in a coordinating or contrasting color that is at least 7 inches long, a wrist strap (you can purchase a ready-made purse strap, braid one from yarn, or cut a strip of leather), and a few pins or binder clips for holding layers together before stitching.
Optional but helpful: an embroidery transfer pen, a light box or sunny window for tracing designs, and a small piece of interfacing to stabilize the back of your embroidery if your wool is on the lighter side.
Choosing and Transferring Your Embroidery Design
The embroidery is the heart of this project, so take a moment to think about your design before you pick up a needle. Betz White’s signature style leans toward botanical and nature motifs rendered with a loose, handmade quality. Think wildflowers, leaves, acorns, small mushrooms, sprigs of lavender, or abstract berry clusters. You do not need to draw these freehand — there are many free and low-cost embroidery patterns available online that fit this aesthetic perfectly. Look for patterns described as “crewel,” “folk art,” or “nature embroidery” for the right general style.
Once you have chosen your design, print it out at the size you want it to appear on your finished bag. A motif that fills roughly a 4-inch by 4-inch square looks lovely centered on the front panel. You can scale up or down depending on your preference.
To transfer the design to your wool felt, hold the printed pattern up to a window with the felt placed over it. Trace the main lines of the design onto the felt using a water-soluble fabric pen. If your felt is dark and you cannot see through it, you can use a chalk pencil or iron-on transfer pen instead. Keep your lines light — they are just guides, and the embroidery stitches will cover most of them.
Hooping Your Wool Felt
Wool felt behaves a little differently in an embroidery hoop than woven fabric does. Because it is not a woven cloth, it does not have a grain to contend with, but it can stretch slightly if you pull it too tight in the hoop. Place your felt in the hoop with light tension — just enough to keep it from puckering as you stitch, but not so tight that it distorts the material. If you are working on a particularly large or intricate section, you may want to add a piece of woven cotton or muslin behind the felt in the hoop to give it a little extra stability.
Some embroiderers prefer not to use a hoop at all when working on wool felt because the material is sturdy enough to hold its shape without one. Try both approaches and see which feels more comfortable to you. Many Betz White-style projects are stitched without a hoop, which contributes to their loose, organic look.
Embroidery Stitches to Use
You do not need to know dozens of embroidery stitches to create a beautiful Betz White-style design. A small repertoire of simple stitches used thoughtfully will give you everything you need.
The stem stitch is your best friend for outlines and curved lines. It creates a smooth, slightly twisted rope-like line that has real visual weight, which is exactly what you want when stitching with wool thread on wool felt. Practice this stitch on a scrap piece first if you are not familiar with it — once you get the rhythm of stepping back half a stitch length each time, it becomes meditative.
French knots are perfect for adding texture, filling flower centers, and representing berries or seed pods. On wool felt with wool thread, French knots come out wonderfully plump and tactile. Wrap your thread once or twice around the needle, hold the wraps down with your thumb as you push the needle back through, and you will end up with a perfectly round little bump on the surface.
The satin stitch is ideal for filling in solid shapes like leaves, petals, and abstract geometric areas. Work your stitches close together, angling them to follow the shape of the area you are filling. With wool thread, satin stitch has a soft, slightly matte quality that looks beautiful against the texture of wool felt.
The lazy daisy or detached chain stitch creates individual petal shapes that are quick to work and look charming clustered together into simple flower forms. This is one of the most forgiving stitches for beginners and one of the most recognizable elements of folk-inspired embroidery designs.
Running stitch and back stitch round out your toolkit. Running stitch adds playful dotted lines and can be used to create borders or fill areas with a delicate, airy texture. Back stitch produces a solid line that is slightly flatter than stem stitch — use it for fine details and smaller motifs.
Take your time with the embroidery. This is not a step to rush. Put on a podcast, make yourself a cup of tea, and enjoy the process. The embroidery is what transforms this from a simple felt bag into a handmade heirloom.
Constructing the Wristlet
Once your embroidery is complete, gently remove the felt from the hoop if you used one, and press it from the back using a pressing cloth to avoid flattening your stitches. Trim the felt back to your original 8-by-6-inch dimensions if the hooping or handling has shifted the edges at all.
Now you are ready to build the bag.
Start by installing the zipper. Lay one piece of wool felt right side up on your work surface. Place the zipper face down along the top edge, with the zipper pull toward the left and the zipper tape aligned with the top edge of the felt. Place one piece of your lining fabric on top, right side down, sandwiching the zipper tape between the two fabric layers. Stitch across the top using a zipper foot, keeping your stitching close to the zipper teeth without crowding them. Fold both fabric layers away from the zipper, press gently, and topstitch along the fold if you like a clean finish.
Repeat this process for the other side of the zipper, attaching the second piece of wool felt and the second piece of lining fabric in the same way.
When you open the zipper assembly flat, you should have the two felt pieces on one side and the two lining pieces on the other, with the zipper running between them at the center.
Before you stitch the bag closed, attach the wrist strap. Fold your strap or handle in half to form a loop and position it at one of the short ends of the bag assembly, on the outer felt side, with the raw ends of the strap facing up and aligned with the raw edges of the felt. Baste the strap in place with a few hand stitches or a short machine stitch.
Open your zipper about halfway — this is important! If you forget to do this, you will not be able to turn the bag right side out later. Fold the assembly so the two felt pieces are right sides together and the two lining pieces are right sides together, with the zipper centered at the top. Pin or clip all the way around. Stitch around the entire perimeter, leaving a gap of about 3 to 4 inches in the bottom of the lining for turning.
Trim your corners to reduce bulk, and clip the seam allowance at any curved areas if your design includes rounded corners.
Reach through the gap in the lining and carefully pull the entire bag right side out through the opening. Push out the corners gently with a blunt tool like a chopstick or the eraser end of a pencil. Tuck the raw edges of the opening in the lining to the inside and either machine stitch it closed near the edge or hand stitch it shut with a ladder stitch, which creates an invisible seam.
Push the lining down into the bag. Press the top edge of the bag along the zipper seam, using a pressing cloth to protect your embroidery. Topstitch around the top edge if you want extra crispness, though on a woolly, textural project like this, it is perfectly lovely to skip the topstitch and leave it with a softer finish.
Finishing Touches
Now step back and admire what you have made. If you want to add a zipper pull, cut a small strip of yarn or leather about 3 inches long, fold it in half, and thread the loop through the hole in the zipper slide. Pass the ends through the loop and pull snug. This small detail looks charming and makes the zipper much easier to open and close.
If there are any stray thread ends on your embroidery, weave them in carefully on the back side using a yarn needle. Give the entire outside of the bag a final gentle press using your pressing cloth.
Customizing Your Design
One of the most wonderful things about this type of project is how endlessly customizable it is. Once you have made one wristlet, you will find yourself thinking about variations constantly. Try changing the size to make a larger clutch. Experiment with different embroidery color palettes — a monochromatic design in shades of one color can look incredibly sophisticated, while a wildly colorful folk art palette feels festive and joyful.
You can also vary the embroidery motifs based on the season or the recipient. For autumn, cluster together acorns, oak leaves, and tiny mushrooms. For spring, stitch a loose bouquet of tulips and daffodils. For a gift to a book lover, try a small stack of books surrounded by stars. The silhouette of the wristlet stays constant, but the embroidery makes each one completely unique.
Consider experimenting with different wool felt colors as well. A charcoal gray felt with white and cream embroidery has a graphic, modern feel. Pale lavender felt with deeper purple and sage green embroidery is romantic and floral. Burnt orange felt with rust and gold embroidery feels earthy and autumnal. The combinations are genuinely endless.
A Note on Wool Felt Quality
If you have only ever worked with acrylic craft felt, working with real wool felt for the first time is a revelation. It has a density and softness that acrylic cannot replicate, and it handles embroidery stitches beautifully because the slightly fuzzy surface grips thread just enough to keep stitches looking tidy. It also has a natural warmth and depth of color that photographs well and looks luxurious in person.
That said, high-quality wool felt does cost more than craft felt. If you are making this wristlet for yourself or as a special gift, the upgrade is absolutely worth it. If you are making a whole batch of them for a craft fair or testing out a new design, craft felt is a perfectly acceptable substitute.
Caring for Your Finished Wristlet
Wool felt is surprisingly durable, but it does benefit from gentle care. Spot clean small marks with a damp cloth and mild soap rather than submerging the whole bag in water, which can cause the wool to shrink and distort the embroidery. If the bag gets heavily soiled, hand wash it gently in cool water with a small amount of wool wash detergent, reshape it while damp, and lay it flat to dry. Avoid wringing or twisting.
Store your wristlet in a breathable fabric bag or simply on a shelf rather than in a sealed plastic bag, which can trap moisture and encourage mold or mildew over time.
Why This Project Is Worth Your Time
In an era of fast fashion and mass-produced accessories, a handmade woolly wristlet is a small act of deliberate making. Every stitch you put into the embroidery is time spent in quiet focus, building a skill and creating something that will outlast a thousand cheap purchases. Projects like this connect us to a long tradition of textile craft — crewelwork, wool embroidery, and folk needlework that stretches back centuries across cultures — and reminds us that making things with our hands is one of the most fundamentally satisfying things a person can do.
Betz White has always understood this. Her designs are approachable enough for beginners but rich enough to hold the interest of experienced makers, and her use of wool felt as a medium democratizes a material that once felt precious and specialized. This wristlet tutorial is very much in that spirit: a project that meets you where you are, teaches you something along the way, and leaves you with something genuinely beautiful to show for your effort.
So gather your wool, thread your needle, and begin. The first stitch is always the hardest one, and every one after it gets easier.
