Needle Felting Academy
Don’t just follow the steps. Learn the skills with confidence.
The Academy is a place for anyone who wants to truly immerse themselves in the joy of felting. If you’ve tried kits and tutorials and are ready to build your skills beyond step-by-step instructions, join us.
With guidance from Teresa Perleberg, Bear Creek Felting founder, and a community of sculpture artists of all skill levels, The Academy nurtures your felting skills while fostering your creative confidence.
Already a club member? Log in here
Choose a Plan
Monthly Member
$29.99/month
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Needle Felting community
- Access to the entire Library of Video Needle Felting Courses
- Access to Members only Products
- Motivation and Encouragement
- 15% off needle felting supplies, kits and course kits
Annual Member
Save 17%$299.99/year
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Needle Felting Community
- Access to the entire library of Video Needle Felting Courses
- Access to Members Only products
- Motivation and Encouragement
- 15% off needle felting supplies, kits and course kits
- 2 months free! (compared to paying monthly)
- By purchasing this product you are agreeing to the Bear Creek Needle Felting Academy Terms and Conditions
- Cancel any time
- After joining, you’ll receive an invitation to access the Bear Creek Needle Felting Academy through Mighty Networks. Your Academy login is separate from your website login and will require a new free account with Mighty Networks.
- One discount per order. Academy discount and coupons can’t be combined. Automatically applied when logged in. Sale items and select products excluded.
What’s Included in Your Membership
An expertly-made experience for all levels of felters
The Academy is easy to navigate and intuitively designed so you can spend less time searching and more time felting.
New to needle felting?
Our easy-to-begin guidance sets you up with your tools, wool, needles, and essential techniques to get started.
You will not be left staring at a large course library wondering what to do first.
Help with a specific technique
The Skills Library is your go-to for techniques and troubleshooting.
These lessons are especially helpful when you are working on your own designs or want to improve a specific part of your felting.
The Project Studio
Choose from our growing library of more than 40 step-by-step needle felting courses for different interests and skill levels.
Every project gives you a chance to practice familiar techniques while learning something new.
Community Hub
Find your felting people in a welcoming, dynamic space.
Share your work, ask questions, celebrate progress, and connect with other makers who understand why wool, needles, and a new project can be so exciting.
Information & help
Find important Academy information, materials guidance, course resources, and help.
What’s Not Included
- You are always welcome to use supplies you already own or purchase your materials individually.
- For this reason, materials are not included in your membership, but kits are available.
- Each course begins with a materials list so you know what you will need before starting.
- Many of the kits and materials are available on the Bear Creek Felting shop, but you are not required to purchase a kit for every course.
I was just introduced to felting earlier this year and have purchased kits from other sources, not understanding that there was a huge difference in the quality of the wool and other supplies. Then I happened to discover Bear Creek Felting. What a difference! They are now my singular source for felting supplies. Teresa has a large farm where they raise their own sheep and generate all of the wool they sell from the shearing, processing and dying of the wool from their own flock. You can't get better wool than this. Teresa has amazing skills in felting designs and creating some of the most incredible kits for sculptures for a variety of skill levels. Her written and video instructions are so clear and easy to follow, but on top of that she is always eager to share her knowledge, skills and advice if you reach out with questions. I recently had the distinct pleasure of meeting Teresa. She is so genuine, pleasant and helpful. I've already learned so much from her. If you need anything related to felting, look no further. Bear Creek Felting is the best for supplies, support and inspiration!
I love Bear Creek Felting Academy! I have learned so much through Teresa’s instruction. The printed instructions with her kits are very clear and easy to follow, and the videos in the Academy are such a big bonus. I’ve gained so much knowledge which has allowed to branch out with my own construction and creations! Her wool is beautiful to work with. I’ve tried Romney wool from local-ish farms and can still feel quite a heavy amount of lanolin. I’m so thankful to Teresa for offering such support and encouragement to her students through this creative outlet and the Academy.
See What Other Members Have Made
More than 2,500 crafters have become needle felters with The Academy. What will you create on your journey?
Why Join the Academy?
You’ll learn everything you need to:
- Choose the right wool.
- Build firm shapes.
- Create realistic details.
But you’ll also go beyond techniques to:
- Learn the why’s and how’s behind every step.
- Know when things don’t look quite right—and how to fix it.
- Start a project from scratch with confidence.
- Pull from your own ideas knowing you have the skills to create whatever you’re inspired to make.
It’s okay if you’ve never called yourself an artist.
Before she discovered needle felting at 39, Teresa Perleberg didn’t think she was artistic either. But by chance she discovered knitting with her daughter, and soon she became enamored with working with wool.
This love of the material led to her buying a small flock of Romney sheep in 2005, which is when her needle felting journey truly began.
Now Teresa’s flock is nearly 400 sheep large.
She raises them on her family’s North Dakota farm and processes the wool in her own fiber mill with needle felting in mind.
Through the years Teresa’s learned that successful needle felting is not only about artistic talent.
The wool matters. The needle matters. The order in which you build your sculpture matters.
By teaching the techniques she uses in her own work, Teresa has helped more than 2500 crafters bring out the needle felter within them. She knows what it’s like to start from scratch, so she meets you right where you are in your process.
Within The Academy you can ask questions, share your project, and receive personal guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your membership gives you access to the full library of project tutorials, including every Bear Creek Felting kit project—even discontinued kits—plus many advanced and seasonal projects. New material is added regularly, and you’ll have access to all past and future projects for as long as you remain a member. Physical kits and supplies are purchased separately.
You don’t have to figure it out alone! Share your questions and progress in the Academy community so I can offer guidance and help you move forward.
No. You’re welcome to use wool and tools you already own or prefer. Bear Creek Felting supplies are available if you’d like to work with the materials I use.
Yes! You don’t need any needle felting experience to join. Start with beginner projects that build your skills step by step, then explore more challenging projects as your confidence grows.
The Academy offers projects for a variety of experience levels. You can explore new techniques, refine your shaping skills, and work toward creating more detailed wool sculptures.
The video lessons let you learn at your own pace. Pause, rewind, and revisit a technique whenever you need to—whether you have a few minutes to felt or a whole afternoon.
Yes. You can cancel your membership anytime, and you’ll continue to have access through the end of your paid membership period.
The Academy Difference
Are you just trying needle felting? Or are you truly learning it?
Here’s the difference.
Needle felting is a forgiving art.
Most mistakes can be fixed.
But you need to know which questions to ask, and most importantly, you need to feel comfortable enough to ask them.
Within The Academy, beginners are welcome, questions are embraced, and growth is part of the process.
You don’t need to guess your way through the journey.
Unlike other courses, each tutorial builds skills progressively.
You don’t get stuck feeling like a beginner, because from the start you learn techniques you carry into the next lesson.
Skills like:
- Building firm, well-shaped foundations
- Creating balanced proportions
- Making expressive eyes, noses, mouths, and faces
- Layering and blending colors
Within your first couple of course hours, you’ll have created your first felted critter. You’ll be able to hold it in your hands and proudly say “I made that!”
That sense of creative accomplishment is what The Academy is all about.
Start Something Just for You
You don’t have to be an accomplished maker to belong here.
You don’t even need a lot of free time.
The Academy is entirely self-paced. There are no deadlines and no set class attendance times.
Choose a project that sparks your interest.
Pause if necessary. Rewatch as many times as you need.
Felting is a slow and cozy art.
Learn at your pace and let your creative time begin.