When I first started needle felting, my tools came as a gift from a friend. I used those same needles for almost a year, until I either broke or lost them. By then, I was fully hooked on needle felting and had to purchase new needles. I’ll never forget the moment I used the new needles for the first time after spending nearly a year with the old ones—it felt like a game-changer! Felting became fun again. It was then that I realized just how much my old needles had worn out.
When a felting needle wears out, it doesn’t grab the wool as effectively, which means you have to stab the wool many more times to achieve the same results. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re not aware that your needle has lost its efficiency.
I needle felt every day, sometimes for hours at a time, and I’ve noticed that while certain types of wool can slow down the felting process, most of the time, it’s the needle. Some wools are more slippery or coarse, making it harder for the needle to grab and pull in the fibers, which slows down the felting process. Wool can vary even within the same breed, so it’s not always easy to tell if the wool or the needle is causing the delay.
After much trial and error, I found a solution: I now switch to a new needle after about every five hours of use. This keeps the felting process smooth and helps me avoid unnecessary frustration. If I’ve spent an afternoon needle felting, I’ll switch to a fresh needle the next time I start a project. This simple routine has made a big difference in my workflow and enjoyment.
If you’re interested in learning more about needle felting, check out my other blog posts for helpful tips and techniques. I’ve also designed needle felting kits that are perfect for beginners. And if you want to dive deeper, a membership in my Needle Felting Academy gives you access to a wide range of courses, from beginner to advanced. Happy felting!
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I am a beginning felter and have fallen head over heels in love with this craft! Thank you for sharing wonderful instructive clues!
Thank you so much for the information and I can’t wait to read your blogs! I am knew to this craft but I am so in love with it! I am having trouble with my needles and them wearing down after a while of using them. Unfortunately I live in q small rural town so I have to order the needles or drive several miles with fingers crossed that the craft store will have some in stock. I will be looking into your kits, etc. Have a great day!
Felting needles are designed for industrial use. While felting needles can and do become dull over time, they are designed for long robust use. As artists working more closely with the needles and fiber, we can be more sensitive to the needles slowly wearing out, but we will never give them the sort of work out they get when put to their original purpose.
I use a needle for as long as it continues to work i.e. good results vs effort.
I’ve had some needles last years and others perhaps as little as a month.
Needles are metal which can be recycled, but care needs to be taken because they are sharp and can potentially cause harm. I use masking tape to tape over the sharp ends and to bunch many needles together before placing in my recycling. I advise against using plastic stirrers or straws because those are rarely recyclable.
Thanks Harlan. I make needle felted hats and such and hardly ever change my needles. Glad to know I don’t have to!
Thanks! Very helpful. I’m used to replacing my sewing needles and serger needles every 8 hours, it’s good to have a rule of thumb for my felting needles 🙂
Great point! 🙂 Wonderful article. Gonna start fresh today!!
DUH!!! I am a person who teaches sewing and serging…. I am always telling people to change their needles after every major project or about 8 hours of use. I makes a difference in the look of the stitches and a new needle wont make holes in the fabric.
Do you think I ever applied the same logic to felting….. Ummm nope! I only replace needles when they break! LOL Guess I need to break out that little stockpile of needles for some great new felting needle fun! Thanks Theresa, once again I have gotten some valuable info from your group!!!
Thank you for your comment! I think that is the beauty of being in community with fellow artists, we can always learn something from other people’s perspectives – I know I do!
Love your work!
I was felting today and my needle dulled beyond use in just a few mins. I replaced the needle every 5 to 10 mins just to finish the project. The only thing different was i had alpaca fibre under the merino but neither would felt after just the first few mins This has never happened before using just merino and the needles are same brand same type/gauge as i was using before. Do you have any idea what could cause this problem? Thanks.
Thank you for your kind comment! I’m afraid we don’t have much experience felting successfully with Alpaca wool. Bear Creek is predominately Romney Sheep and that is what we felt with the most. I’m glad you were able to complete your project though!
I recently got some Alpaca fiber at a local fiber sale so looked up its characteristics and it may take extra effort to needle felt it but it does felt. It and Merino are both prized as great wet felting fiber.
As to the needles – perhaps if you used a courser gauge needle such as 36 or 32. Or even a star or twist barb instead of triangle may make a difference too. Just knowing you are going to have to work harder to needle it than if you were using Teresa’s Romney roving and be patient with it.
I was just wondering about this very thing!
Could you comment on the quality of needles?
I have paid over $1 for one felting needle and the ordered some in bulk that were much cheaper 6 cents each. Do you find that you get what you pay for? Is there a particular brand you prefer?
Hello, you felt beautifully! I’ve had some of my needles for years… those in 3,4 and 5 type holders. They don’t get used as much but definitely more than 5 hours. Are you saying that is the lifespan of a felting needle?
Thank you,
Victoria
Thank you Victoria! I have needles in multi needle holders that I have rarely changed, but I don’t use them that often. I wouldn’t say 5 hours is the lifespan of a felting needle. I am looking to be the most efficient as possible when I’m felting and have found that in 5 hours of constant felting it’s time for me to switch. Everyone felts at different speeds and uses different materials so this will definitely vary. The most important point I wanted to get across with this article is that felting needles do not last forever, they wear out and do not grab the wool as well as they do when they are brand new. This caused me frustration when just starting out because I didn’t realize why it was taking longer to get the wool to felt. I am hoping to save you that frustration. 🙂 Thanks for asking!
Sometimes the expression ” if the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Is perfect. That has happened to me several times during the few weeks I’ve been felting, and this is one of those times. Thank you for the answer to the needle replacement timing.
That IS a good question! …the one about recycling old needles.. when I dispose of old single-edge razors in the regular trash, I wrap something around it so that my dear trash dudes don’t find out the hard way about that…but by and large, I am so recycle crazy that I am holding onto any metals for disposal at the metal recyclers, which isn’t far from where I live… anything that they can dump into their boxes is the kind of thing that I take to them.
And, I too had wondered about needles getting dull! So it’s not my imagination after all!
Do you have a suggestion for how to dispose of or recycle the dull felting needles?
I don’t but that sounds like an excellent thing to look into!
I use a small plastic jar labelled sharps. When I have it full I dispose of it
Do you know anyone who is Diabetic and has a sharps bin for their nedles. Thats where mine go.
I use empty prescription pill bottles to store new needles and to dispose of old or broken needles.
I put all of my needles in old prescription bottles. I dispose of them with my medication needles when I get rid of them. All sharps together.
Recently, I have taken up the hobby of needle felt, but I still have some questions about it. I was curious on how you can tell if it’s time to replace the needle. So, it’s good to know that when the needle isn’t grabbing the wool as easily means it’s probably time to change it out. I also liked how you said that if I am doing this for a long time, then probably about every 5 hours is how about the lifespan of the needle. Thanks for the information!