care instructions
“handle with care”
…but what does that really mean?
It’s quite simple, even easy….to both protect and care for them, AND completely destroy them. Don’t panic – that only means this section is critical. With a little know-how, we can prevent tragedy from ever striking. Wool is incredibly resilient – I mean look at those cute sheepies, they look marvelous and they live outdoors!
To keep your sculpture looking fabulous for generations, use these tips…
need to know
TIP
Display them in an area with light (out of the direct sun) and fresh air.
Light helps deter wool-loving bugs, but too much direct light can fade the vibrant colors and dyes used to make your wool sculpture so beautiful. Indirect light is best!
friend: Well-lit room
foe: direct sunlight
TIP
Speaking of bugs…proper storage is key.
I include a cedar chip in each shipment. Take a second to sand it down to refresh the scent before placing it in the box with your sculpture. Cedar is a natural repellent, as are Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemon (or any citrus), and Peppermint. These scents are wonderful to keep invaders at bay. I don’t recommend spraying or putting the essential oils directly on your sculpture, as the oil will draw dirt and likely cause a stain over time. You may spray a cotton ball and put it in the box with your sculpture for storage.
For display, not a bad idea to put a few drops on a cotton ball and tuck it out of sight near your sculptures. You could also choose these scents for a diffuser nearby, if you’re into those!
friend: Admire the view
foe: Admire the taste
TIP
Keep out of reach of your four-leggeds
Speaking of taste. Dogs and cats LOVE the smell of wool, and have every reason to want to “play” with your new sculpture. Keep out of reach of your four-leggeds, unless you’ve purchased a pet toy – then have at it! In fact, take a picture and tag us on Instagram for a fun surprise from MUWD. We love pets as much as we love wool
friend: pet-specific toys with your pets
foe: pets playing with NON pet specific toys
TIP
Steer clear of displaying in bathrooms or other damp spaces
While sheep can stand in the rain for days, and need water to survive, your wool sculpture will not welcome moisture in the same way. Steer clear of displaying in bathrooms or other damp spaces, as molds and mildews could become a problem.
friend: displaying your gnome
foe: moisture
TIP
Keep your wool sculptures and ornaments in an airtight container.
When not being displayed, and for long term storage, keep your wool sculptures and ornaments in an airtight container. Dust them prior to storage, and make sure they’re dry. Putting a few cedar pieces (like the one I include), or lavender sachets, can be a helpful way to prevent invaders; but simply storing it in an airtight container does the trick most the time.
friend: storing gnomes or ornaments
foe: dust, moisture or prolonged exposure to sun
TIP
Snuggling is un-avoidable - we get it! But a little goes a long way.
I get it, they’re so freaking cute! That hat, those silly shoes, the moustache? It’s a needle felted wool sculpture and it is soft and inviting, snuggling a little is unavoidable.
But a little goes a long way.
If overhandled, some of the decorative woolen clothing is looser than the rest. I purposely leave arms and beards a little loose so you can position them the way you’d like them best. What if they want to put their arm on their new critter friend? They should be able to, just don’t yank on them or push them beyond their limits. You can gently shape feet/boots to help them stand better. I encourage it! Pressing and squeezing their feet will allow them to be sturdy on the surface you choose. You can even trim any loose fuzz with small scissors, to maintain the smooth surface or tame fly away beards. Most hats can be readjusted or encouraged to scrunch down or stand up straighter too. It’s fun to change their looks sometimes, if in doubt, simply message me and we’ll talk it through. My pleasure!
ALSO, the more you handle them, the more your natural skin oils will transfer. These attract dust and if handled while dusty …it can turn into dirt, which is difficult to remove. Some pieces won't be harmed much, but light- colored pieces can become darkened from body oils, so use your judgement on how much to handle your wool sculptures.
EXCEPTION: Toys are inevitably going to change color and shape over time, and I believe this adds to their charm. My daughter’s favorite polar bear, Bob…bless his heart, he is now a lovely 10 shades past white. SO much love poured into that beautiful silly bear, he wears that coat with pride.
friend: gentle encouragement to get your new friend to stand up or reshape their arms/hat/shoes
foe: just be careful to not over do it!
TIP
Bugs love dust, so avoid the welcome mat and take care to minimize dust in your new friends.
The best ways I've found, from experience and research, is to either gently vacuum your piece, or use a gentle air source to blow the dust off. For the vacuum, use an attachment hose or extension, and put a thin nylon stocking or something similar over the vacuum (drapery setting if you have one), then vacuum from a bit of a distance. Avoid setting the vacuum hose right on the sculpture. Some people report using those little keyboard vacuums. I haven't tried them, but it makes sense. Let me know how it works for you!
The other method is blowing the dust off. It's the most popular solution, but some argue it can blow dirt deeper into the sculpture, and that could be true if you use pressured air. Blow across the sculpture, not into it! If you keep it a gentle air stream and not blast it straight into the piece, it works fine, especially for light dusting.
You can either use canned air, like for keyboards, or a manual air blower for cleaning camera lenses. One artist uses a Rocket Air Blaster that she bought online at Amazon.com for a few dollars. She reports it is a manual air "puffer" that can shoot out nice, quick bursts of air. I felt it was worth mentioning here!
friend: gentle vacuuming or canned air
foe: large amounts of dust or dirt — or washing your gnome!
quick beauty tips
Now that we’ve talked about the do NOT’s of your new companion - let’s talk about some quick beauty tips to keeping them looking incredible!
Fly-aways: Trim don’t pull. Pulling will only create more fly-aways.
Unruly beards or moustaches: Comb with a sharp sturdy needle, don’t pull or brush, you could pull the beard out by accident.
Clumsy feet: Push, squeeze, press them into position. Avoid pulling, you could remove a shoe by accident.
Dust: See above, but use that vacuum with a thin / nylon sock rubber banded over the wand. If your vacuum has a vent to adjust the amount of suction, then turn it to reduce the suction. Then gently pass the wand over the wool sculpture to remove the dust.
Water: NO! Water is not their friend. No matter what you read, don’t use a damp cloth to dust them. Wet wool can become moldy thus ruining your sculpture. If it happens to get wet, then let it air dry thoroughly. You do not want to use heat - including hot water - on your sculpture. Heat and water can damage and misshape your sculpture.
Stains: The best way to treat a stain on your sculpture is to not let happen to begin with. Obvious, right? I thought how fun it would be to have a gnome on my office desk, then I thought better of it when I glanced at my morning coffee.
For dirt you can use a soft paintbrush to gently sweep away the debris. Again, if your wool sculpture gets dirty, do not use water! When sweeping away, avoid too much friction or sweeping harshly which can create more fuzz or pull wool out.