Top 5 Most Asked Questions about Needle Felting
1. What do I need to get started needle felting and where do I find it?
- All you need to get started needle felting is a felting needle, felting cushion and some wool. These items can be purchased through me or you can find all sorts of supplies for felting on Etsy. It is easy and inexpensive to get started with just a small amount of wool. Once you have these basic supplies you can begin your felting journey. Download my free e-book Needle Felting Basics for more information.
2. How do I make a wire armature?
- This is always an easy one for me to answer, “Don’t!” Wire armatures are not necessary. If you start with a firmly felted base, using the right wool and techniques, you will not need a wire armature. Wire armatures are not easy to felt around and therefore I don’t use them. I have more freedom in my felting without them. Wire may be needed in legs, just to make sure they stand up over time, but there are easier ways around this than entire armature. I put a post together on my thoughts on wire armatures that goes into more detail that you may be interested in.
3. What wool do I use and where do I find it?
- There is such a variety of wool to choose from out there and they all felt differently. Some wool felts amazingly well and others not so much. If you have access to wool locally start there, try it out and see how you like it. You will never want to limit yourself to using just one kind because you will never know until you try others, what your favorite will be. I use mainly Romney wool with a mix of others here and there. We raise Romney wool so it is readily available and is what I have used for years. It felts quickly to a nice solid finish. Since I have been asked this question so frequently I have started a blog post series where I am felting my way through the sheep breeds. This has been a great way for me to try out different types of fiber and I share my thoughts on the different types of wool’s feltability in my blog posts. I sell my favorite wool (Romney) here on my website. There is a ton of shops on Etsy that sell wool specifically for felting. Stay away from Super Wash wools, as they will not felt.
4. How do you get such smooth and firm sculptures?
- I believe it is because I start with a firm base, spend a lot of time felting on the felting process and use Romney wool. My sculptures are very solid and heavy. This is how they hold their shape and how I am able to add such detail. It takes a lot of patience and time to felt sculptures to be firm and smooth. I have also found that other wools tend to be slightly spongy and will never felt as solid as my Romney.
5. Where do you begin when you start a project?
- This changes for me depending on what I am making or what I feel like starting with. Most of the time I start with their body, (their midsection) and work my way out. Other times I start with the head and then add the body later. I start with the head when starting a new animal that I have never felted before. The head is the most challanging part of the sculpture and I want to make sure I have it perfect before moving on to the body. This often dictates what size my sculpture will be. Usually if I am struggling on the head it gets bigger and bigger, thus I can make the body to match. If I am confidant on making the head I start with the body.
I hope these answered some of the questions about needle felting you may have had as well!
I have been painting with several ladies and a couple of weeks ago a new gal came. She was needle felting. I fell in love with it. I ordrrrd the sheep kit. Can’t wait to receive. She told me to go to your site. Thnx for being there
Awesome! So happy you found out about needle felting.
Thank you for the tips… I’m just getting started after buying a beginners kit on Amazon. Not being sure if this was the craft for me, I have a very wide array of things on the go at any given time,but I’ve quickly put everything else away to focus on learning this fabulous new past-time.
I tried a little owl…not bad,husband knew what it was! Trying a chocolate now…yikes!
BUT I absolutely love turning loose fibres into an almost recognizable bird😁
Thank you so much for your great videos!
Awesome, because needle felting is so much fun!
I purchased your complete snowman kit for my first project and it was perfect. I learned most of the basics and had all of the tools needed to start. The snowman turned out so cute and gave me confidence to make more designs. One thing I would recommend adding is a set of finger protectors to your beginners kits. Ouch, those needles hurt! I purchased the book “Needle Felting for Beginners: How to Sculpt with Wool”. This book has great basic instruction for building the core and adding the features and I highly recommend it. Thank you Bear Creek Felting for starting me on this journey.
I am so glad I found you on Etsy…I have yet to stab anything OR my fingers. But have been collecting the tools to get started from friends who do felt…I have filled a burlap with rice and found it to be VERY heavy to move around easily…Rice isn’t very firm thus is limp weight when carrying it from spot to spot. (It may be great to rest my feet on as its movement does massage nicely)…I saw your wool ones and love that idea so have ordered one from you. Can’t wait for it to come…I think I am about ready to embark on this path….With a bit of fear and trepidation…
I am glad you found me too! I have never used the rice filled burlap, but I know you are going to absolutely love your wool felting cushion. Nothing to fear, needle felting is very forgiving.
I have done some needle felting and wet felting. I find wet felting alot of work so I started needle felting. I love animals am really interested in doing them. I have done but not well as yours.
I’m finding all of your tips very helpful. I just started felting last week and have made four small animals and am working on a little elephant. (It got bigger than I expected and I’ve run out of that color wool.) I’m so intrigued by this art that I bing-felted most of the day yesterday! 😄
Thanks so much for the tips, they are very helpful to a newbie like myself. One of my concerns was needles types and sizes. I didn’t know which to buy and diving in would be expensive. I started with “small needles” as the label said. I have found myself reading all I can on felting. The help you provided is extremely appreciated. Looking forward to this new found art form.
Dear Teresa–I am excited just looking through your information. My career has been as a printmaker, painter and photographer. I tried felting a few years ago because I love the little animals so much. I did OK with a kit–but I see that some of the tools are more appropriate now. I can’t wait to get to it again. I’m afraid with Covid I have just burned out with art and need something to keep me going on the long nights in the northwest. Congratulations on pulling off your dream (I know it is really hard). I live on a small island a short ferry ride from Seattle–so a great place to find what you need–inspiration wise. There is a woman here who does a combination of felting, and felting wool fabric. Her pieces are animals 3-4 feet tall, dressed in the most amazing clothes with antique fabrics–from fantasy fairy tales to Louis the IV. They just don’t seem possible and she sells them for thousands. I will be happy to make a fox and advance to making cats without a kit. Just love thinking about it. I’m not not really asking a question (although I think the hardest thing was how not to prick my fingers). Just that I hope to enjoy working with you guys—Best of luck with the winter ahead.
Hi there, I watched a tutorial online and instead of a dense foam to needle felt onto, it looked like you were felting onto a hessian cushion? ?
Was that correct?? If so what is the ‘cushion’ filled with please.
Hi Karen, I have felted on foam cushions and have now switched to wool felting pillows that I developed.
Thank you so much for all of your advice! You are so talented! I can’t wait to start a new crafting adventure in wool felting!!
( I have been quilting and crocheting)
Thank you so much You are one kind lady.. So genourous to share what you know
I’m new to this world of felting and I do need direction.. I’m getting a, bit better each time I try I(I think) and I’m not hitting my fingers so much..
So my tip to everyone is do not watch TV or turn your head to answer anyone while felting… You must consent rate on what you are doing Those tiny Barbs on the needle are tools of destruction…..
Thanks so much for all the great information. I am new to felting and already finding it addicting. Am headed to a local sheep farm tomorrow to check out some wool and after reading your article will perhaps sound a little like I know what I am talking about.
Felting is definitely addicting! We hope you had a great time at the sheep farm!
Great tips to follow and totally agree with the Romney wool being the best to felt with, I have used the Merino up until I got your wool, and I will not be going back to Merino at all, thanks for all the wonderful tips and help from you site, I also love your kits, so infomative and fun.
Excited to receive my first kit. The snowman. I’ve wanted to felt wool but didn’t know where to start. So happy we found each other .
Teresa
great article, makes sense to me now, got my first bunch of kits from you, very nice presentation, am looking forward to getting started on them. thanks for everything.
Linda
It’s awesome to know that armatures aren’t necessary. As a beginner, I bought a book that included armatures, and not really knowing any different, I used one. It was so difficult to work with that I almost wanted to give up the hobby. Thanks for this tip!
What different results do you achieve by using different size and shape needles. Does it really make a difference?
Different breeds of wool require different size needles as they all felt differently. Finer wools like Merino require a smaller needle. I use a 36 star almost exclusively and I felt with Romney. You can use a smaller size for finishing up a project, but this isn’t required with Romney.
I just felted my first bunny. Thanks for all your tips, looking forward to all your blogs and my next project.
Since you produce you’re own wool, I assume you don’t have blue and pink sheep. 🙂 What do you use to dye your wool? I have access to wool but have no idea. I know I can look it up but would like somewhere to start. And do you sell your wool here in San Diego Ca? Thanks.
I use wool dye such as Gaywool and Jacquard to dye my wool. I only sell my wool on my website and at festivals I attend. Thanks!
thank you for your help, I have just started as I was given needles and wool for mother’s day told “mummy there is something for occupying your imagination”…apparently painting isn’t good enough and messy…lol…love your work, I don’t think I will be any competition but I really enjoy doing little animals, specially mice to fill the grandchildren “mousehouse”
Thank you so much Teresa; this helps immensely! How do you run a business, felt beautifully, run a ranch, raise children, keep up on social media, and (I am sure I am leaving a whole lot out)? You are amazing!