As a society, we’ve become sedentary creatures. We sit at work, we sit in front of the TV at home, and we sit in our cars during gridlock traffic. If you watch even an hour of daytime TV, I’m sure you’ve heard Dr. Oz (or another TV doctor) tell you about the benefits of hitting the gym.

It’s no secret that we should all engage in regular workouts and healthy eating. In fact, after just one day of exercise, you already start to improve your brain’s functioning abilities.

There’s an endless amount of information about the positive effects of working out, but what about working with your hands? The truth is, besides typing, most of us have lost sight of the importance of using our hands. Nowadays, most people live in cities and aren’t used to the manual labor that was involved in daily life before technology.

Now, I’m not telling you to go out and plow a field, but I am telling you that something as simple and relaxing as needle felting could help improve your life in a major way!

Our Brains Need It!

Would you believe that we exercise our brains more when we use our hands compared to our hips, legs, or back muscles? It’s crazy, but it’s true! Those tiny digits at the end of our arms take a whole lot of brain power.

When you reach for your needle, your brain has a lot of figuring out to do. How hard or soft should you hold the needle? How much control does your hand need to create a pattern? If your brain doesn’t control your hand in just the right manner, you’ll end up poking yourself or making a mistake on your creation.

With a simple needle felting project, your brain learns to remember order, strength, positioning, and signals. Now that’s a workout!

Give Your Memory A Hand

Have you ever heard that writing something down will help you to remember it better? I’m not talking about writing it down in the notepad on your phone. I’m talking about taking a pen and paper and actually jotting a note down!

Well, experts on writing explain that handwriting is a task that requires a variety of motor skills. To feel the pen and paper while moving the writing tool isn’t easy, and because it’s something we were taught to do at an early age, we take it for granted.

The same goes for needle felting. Your brain gets exercise every time you have to control your hands, control the needle, and adhere to your design aesthetic. It’s no wonder retirement homes encourage their residents to craft as a way to boost memory and motor skills.

If you don’t use it, you really will lose it. Needle felting will help sharpen your brain, flex those memory muscles, and improve motor skills, all while boosting creativity!

Power In Progress

DIY projects can be an absolute headache. Usually, halfway through the process, we ask ourselves, “Why didn’t I just hire a professional?” But at the end when we’re able to see that big, beautiful project that we created with our hands, a sense of pride washes over us and all that trouble feels like it was worth it.

In needle felting, you’ll notice a similar phenomenon. Once you challenge yourself, at some point, you might wonder how your project is ever going to come together the way you intended. But, when you’re able to sit back and look at your beautiful felted masterpiece, you’ll feel a kind of happiness that you could never receive after buying something from the store.

It’s a new year, and I hope you feel inspired to pick-up your needle felting supplies, not only to create amazing life-like critters and gorgeous pieces but also, for a little me-time away from the rest of the world.

If getting back to crafting is a goal for you this year, we’d love to have you join the Bear Creek Felting Academy. To put it simply, we’re a community of needle felters who love to share tips, tricks, and techniques while bonding over our love for felting.

In the academy, you’ll learn how to felt projects you didn’t even think were possible. And I’ll be right there for your journey, offering feedback and guidance whenever you need it!