Needle Felting
July 5, 2008 3:02 pm Needlearts, Techniques and Mediums
 Materials
Felting Needle
Roving
Cushion or Felting Cushion
How To
Example will be a simple felt ball sized to about 1″ to make a felt bead.
- Pull tufts of roving and start forming a small ball. Continue to roll the ball with small tufts of roving until it’s just a little bigger than you want the finished ball to be.
- Carefully begin to softly punch the ball with your felting needle. Be careful, felting needles are very sharp with barbed bodies. You only need to push the needle in about ½”. You can do this while the ball is in one hand, felting with the other hand or place ball onto a cushion and felt it while holding it in place. Keep moving the ball so you felt all sides. You’ll see and feel it getting firmer and harder. Continue until ball is firm.
- This is the basic technique of needle felting. You can shape the roving into just about any shape and felt it. For a doll you might make the head, body, arms, and legs. Then you’ll attach the pieces together by felting them… punching the felting needle into the 2 layers to form a bond. Wool fibers have “hooks” and by agitating the hooks (by needle or water) the hooks bond permanently.
- One of the best ways to learn about felting is to purchase a kit or book!
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