I’ve just picked up a new crafty hobby: needle felting. Unlike a lot of other fiber arts (knitting, crochet, and weaving come to mind) needle felting is instantly gratifying, and it’s an easy, inexpensive way to make DIY gifts or ornaments. Crafting felted items this way requires a special barbed needle to mix up the wool fibers—this is what holds the piece together.
These are knitted wristwarmers embellished with needle felted polka dots that I purchased from a Helsinki artisan (available at Artisaani and Kiseleffin talo in Helsinki if you’re local), and the very first needle felted items I ever came across.
The process is especially suited to adornments like this (try jazzing up an old sweater) as well as small sculptural and decorative pieces. I started out with some simple shapes and whipped up these flowers for a little friend of mine.
Seriously, folks, it is easy. The flowers were the first felted items I'd ever made and I was down with a cold at the time, too tired to read or knit, too grumpy to talk, and way too uncomfortable to sleep. But I did manage to while away much of the evening stabbing fuzz. So therapeutic! I’m sure there must be a market for needled felted voodoo dolls.
To give you an idea of sculptural possibilities, here’s a pooch that my artsy-crafty little niece made by building a wire frame and then needle felting wool on top. The project is from this book. Too sweet!
Now I’m making an ornamental chain of woolly goodness. I’ll check back in when it’s done. In the meantime if you want to start needle felting all you’ll need is:
A felting needle (These are cheap and probably available at your local craft or yarn store. No, you can’t use a regular sewing needle. The barbs are essential.)
Wool or roving
A block of foam, or something soft to place under your project to protect the needle from breaking (I’ve been using an old pillow, but I’ve had to take care not to felt my projects onto the pillow!)
1. Shape the wool with your fingers. 2. Jab it with the felting needle to mix the fibers (take care, these things are sharp).
3. Add more wool, shape, and jab jab jab as necessary. 4. Embellish with more wool or yarn, if you like. You can even attach beads or other ornaments (check out the eyes of the felted dog above). Hint: Discarded ends of yarn from other projects are perfect for embellishment. I knew I was saving all those bits and pieces for something.
5. Finis!
If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out the latest Craft Sanity podcast featuring professional needle felter and author of Wool Pets, Laurie Sharp.
