sculpting felt

[melissadowell.livejournal.com]

I'm looking to create a felt sculptural piece - basically, make a sort of ribbon/flower that's bunched and flowing in some places. Very wavy. It'll be wearable, so I would like it to be able to hold its shape.

Is there a way to do this without ruining the felt? I was thinking either threading some thin gauge wire along the sides or maybe misting it in places with some sort of varnish/hairspray. I'd prefer not to hand-knit and then felt the wool myself for this first attempt (also, I've never felted before) and I want to keep it very light weight.