DIY Wool Pressing Mat For Quilting

Amy Lollis
Aug 6
2 min read

Updated: 7 hours ago

Have you ever wanted to make your own wool pressing mat? I did! Check out the video, or keep scrolling to see the photos.

The backstory:

Last year, my Oliso iron overheated and burned a hole in my pressing mat. Luckily, they have a killswitch, so it didn't burn the house down.

But it did leave me needing both a new iron (Oliso shipped a replacement and had it on my porch the next morning!). As luck would have it, Novodon also sent a new wool pressing mat for me to try out. Perfect timing!

I love the new mat, but so do my cats. They destroyed it. Apparently, it's very satisfying to pick at. Within a few weeks, it was too lumpy to use, and I have no patience with re-felting a wool mat every month. I HIGHLY recommend this mat, as long as you don't have cats!

I decided to replicate my old one (the original one that got burnt), and this time, I took pictures!

How I Made It:

Technically, my husband built it. I'm happy to admit that I'm not the strong, independent woman I think I am, and I cry when I have to use power tools. He's the real hero in this operation.

Luckily, we had a 1x12x8 board leftover from a remodel, and some scrap wood for the braces.

Wooden board on a patterned floor beside a crafting table with a pink iron, laptop, and green chair; quilting materials visible. Amy Lollis Design | Make your own wool pressing mat

He cut the 1x12 in half, so it made (2) 12x24" pieces. He screwed on (3) 1x4s to hold it all together, leaving enough of a lip around the edge so I could staple the batting.

Wooden board on fabric with visible screws. Sheets of paper with quilt block diagrams in the background on a wooden surface. Amy Lollis Design | Make your own wool pressing mat

I cut the batting 2" bigger than the mat all the way around.

Metal stapler on a wooden board with white fabric. A screw is visible next to it. Patterned floor and a person's foot wearing black sandals. Amy Lollis Design | Make your own wool pressing mat

Using a basic hand-held stapler, I stapled the batting down all the way around, mitering the corners much like you do with quilt binding. The staples don't have to be too close together, but the batting does need to be pulled tight!

Repeat the process with the wool. Make sure it's pulled tight!!!

(nope, I didn't take a pic of that part. Fortunately, I got the Instagram video!)

Pink iron on a gray ironing board, against colorful patchwork quilted background. Visible markings on the board include measurement numbers. Amy Lollis Design | Make your own wool pressing mat

Do You Have To Use Wool?

No, you don't HAVE to, but there are some definite benefits to using wool:

Wool holds heat longer than cotton, so your seams cool much slower, making them SUPER flat.
Wool absorbs any moisture in the fabric, which also makes for really flat seams.
Wool grips your fabric, so it doesn't "walk away" while you're pressing.

I used 100% wool from a thrift store (lucky me!), but you can order it online. Look for wool suiting, and make sure it doesn't have any polyester.

The batting I used was 100% cotton. It's the cheap stuff, nothing fancy, though I bet wool batting would make this even better!

SHOP OLISO IRONS

SHOP NOVODON PRESSING MATS

Hey, Magic Maker.

I'm Amy

A crafty mystic with a practical streak. I help women ditch expectations and reclaim their creativity as a path back to themselves (and find their inner magic along the way).