My Needle Felting Secrets!

Over the years I have learned a few things while needle felting that have helped me immensely.  I had to learn about them through trial and error but I am looking forward to sharing my needle felting secrets with you to help you in your needle felting journey.  I think there are some techniques out there that make needle felting more nerve racking than it needs to be and I would like to change that for you.

These are the 4 things I have found that have made needle felting

  • more comfortable
  • cheaper
  • easier
  • and quicker 

I have been needle felting since 2006 with the support of a local group of fiber enthusiasts.  (we call ourselves the Woolly Women)  The Woolly Women have been my biggest fans and teachers at the same time.   (You can learn more about my felting journey here.)   They have helped me think of ways to speed up the felting process along with many things we have learned together as a group.

So here we go, my top 4 Needle Felting Secrets:

 

Felting Cushion – 

Up until 2018 I used upholstery foam as my needle felting work surface of choice. In 2017 I realized how easy it was to felt on felt and in 2018 I worked with my local woolen mill to come up with a solid wool felting cushion made with local wool. We designed the perfect work surface for needle felting, the Bear Creek Needle Felting Pillow. Trust me, it is the absolute best choice for your work surface and will save you tons of money in the long run because it will last so much longer than foam.

Felting needle holder – 

I have tried so many ways to make holding the felting needle for hours and hours more comfortable.  I’ve tried wood holders, that feel awkward in my hand and felting needles I’ve dipped in Plasti Dip that slowly fall apart.  What I finally found to be the most comfortable is putting my single felting needle in a pen.  I remove the guts from the pen, put the needle down in the pen until it comes out the bottom and fill the rest in with packed wool.  This turns out to be the most comfortable and easily manipulated tool ever.  I highly recommend it!  My Favorite Felting Tool Tutorial.

Armature – 

Here’s my big secret!  I don’t use one, Never have. I get asked this so much and I have heard about tutorials on how to make wire armatures.  I can’t imagine how nerve racking it must be to work around wire the entire time you are felting.   Making them posable is one reason I have seen to do this.  The animals I felt are adjustable enough for me, without the headache. I do put a sturdy wire in the long legs of my animals and some of my antlers and horns.  Just one wire though for the legs, after I have made the body. So the only time I have to work around the wire is while felting the legs and antlers.  I don’t mean to bash anyone that has been using armatures for years with much success!  I just want those that are just starting out to know that this isn’t absolutely necessary and beautiful sculptures can be made without them.  (more about armatures) If you would like to learn even more about how I structure my sculptures and get them anatomically correct, join the Bear Creek Needle Felting Academy today and I will be right there to personally guide you.

 

Speeding up the process – 

Needle felting is very time consuming, and any way of speeding up the process is much appreciated.  We raise sheep here at Bear Creek and we have some sheep that aren’t as tidy as the others.  Their wool is full of hay or not as high quality and not favorable for felting.  I use this wool to make the bases for my sculptures.  We take this wool and run it through a picker.  (a tool that pulls the fiber apart)  I ball up the wool and put it in nylon stockings.  I throw them in the washing machine with some soap.  I wash them in hot water a couple times and in the end I cut them out of the nylons and have nice solidly felted balls.  While wet they can be shaped into ovals or flattened to be bases for your felting projects.  This may seem like a lot of work but it saves money and time in the end.  I share a detailed video of how this is all done as well as how to use them in your sculptures in the Needle Felting Academy.

If you are looking for a project for just starting out in needle felting you will want to check out my needle felting kits.  The kits contain everything you need to complete a project complete with wool from my flock of sheep.  The kits are designed by myself for beginners.  The Needle Felting Academy offers unlimited access to all my video courses for beginners as well as advanced needle felters. The Academy offers a more personal experience where you can visit with me and ask me questions as you work on your projects.

That’s all I’ve got for now!  Stay tuned for more helpful needle felting tips.

 

Learn to Needle Felt the Easy Way!

I’m Teresa Perleberg

a needle felting sculpture artist, raising a flock of sheep and teaching others how to needle felt as well as sharing my farm experiences.

~Sheep, wool, farm-life, spinning, dyeing, knitting is what I love.

My mission? To help others learn to needle felt the easy way.

needle felted animals

Let me show you how you can easily create beautiful sculptures

by using the correct supplies and techniques

I have helped over 10,000 learn how to needle felt through my needle felting kits and even more who have received personal instruction from me through my Online Needle Felting Academy.

Now it’s your turn! I would love to help you get started today!

Join the Bear Creek Needle Felting Academy today!

online needle felting classes

The Bear Creek felting Story

Joining Teresa’s needle felting academy is a great investment and learning tool. Her clear instructions, coupled with great pictures of her sweet wool creatures, make it easy for beginners, like me, to be successful in our felting endeavors. Recently, I purchased the Dragon Kit and was amazed at all that came with it…2 felting needles, foam, written instructions with pictures, lovely colored wool and a set of glass eyes. With 5 projects now completed and searching for my 6th, it’s safe to say, I’m enjoying every minute of my new felting journey at Bear Creek Needle Felting Academy.

Peggy

Download my free ebook: Needle Felting Basics

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Free Needle Felting Basics eBook!

Basics Felting EBook
  • What is Needle Felting
  • What's so Special about the Wool?
  • Needle Felting Lingo you Should Know
  • How do I start?
  • What Tools do I need?