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Needle felting is a curious craft. Supplies are non-existent or hidden away in a back aisle and the actual process can sound a little strange and daunting. An extra sharp needle? Sheep's wool? With our Back to Basics tutorial, we are here to strip away the mystery so you can discover your next favorite past time! Let's start at the beginning...
What is needle felting? Felting occurs when wool fibers are agitated together with a special felting needle. Continually jabbing the roving back and forth will condense and form the fibers into a shape - any shape you like! It's soft sculpture.
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
Needle Felting Supplies
Wool - Needle felting requires sheep's wool that has been combed and carded. There are different types of wool based on how the fibers have been prepared and can be called Tops, Roving, Sliver or Batting. Tops have the longest fiber length and run a single direction while batting has the smallest fiber length and runs amok. To begin with, we will focus on Roving. The term 'roving' has become an overall term to cover any wool used for felting.
Benzie carries Corriedale Roving which comes from Corriedale sheep. Its length works great for spinning, weaving, wet felting and needle felting.
Felting Needle - Unlike a sewing needle, a felting needle has tiny barbs or notches up and down the sides of the needle. The barbs agitate the roving in a way that binds the fibers together.
The higher the number of the needle the finer the detail but a 38 gauge needle is a perfect place to start and comes with our Benzie exclusive needle felting tool.
Felting Cushion - Needle felting MUST be done on a soft surface. A solid wool cushion is the ideal felting surface. It accepts the repetitive pokes of the needle without breaking down and provides just the right amount of tension.
Our two-tone cushion has a light and a dark side that accommodates a variety of roving colors. We also carry small and large needle felting foam.
Preparing the Fibers
To start any needle felting project you will need to first divide the roving fibers. Gently pull to separate the fibers. You may need to spread your hands further apart to get the fibers to separate. Never use a scissors - the raw edges needle felt better.
Freeform Needle Felting
To illustrate freeform needle felting, we will demonstrate a basic sphere. Separate the fibers as described above. Roll the roving into a very tight ball. The tighter you roll, the less felting it will require. Continue to felt by rotating the ball and jabbing with the felting needle until a nice sphere is created. It will take some time, but the more you felt, the smaller, more dense and smooth it will become.
If you find your finished piece extra fuzzy, try the following: 1) Gently scrape the surface with the felting needle to hide the dimples. 2) Use a little bit of additional roving to cover the surface and lightly needle felt into place. 3) Use scissors to give the finished piece a trim.
Needle Felting with a Form
Utilizing a cookie cutter, or other form, helps to easily more intricate shapes. This is a great way to explore how fibers blend, bunch and felt and ideal for kids and beginners.
You can find our tutorial for Beginner Needle Felting using a cookie cutter here.
Additional Tips
- For larger dimensional designs, use styrofoam ball as the base and add roving to the outside.
Congratulations on learning a learning a new skill! Be sure to check out our Needle Felting supplies and various kits that can help you get started on your next great craft adventure!
