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Needle Felting Simple instructions and tips
Needle felting is the DRY version of felting there is no water involved unless you decide to shrink your project at the end.
1. Materials:
Foam pad (I use the green foam used for upholstery) don’t skimp on your foam!, felting needles, material to felt onto (I prefer thick wool suiting material or wood batting), transfer pen
2. Getting your design onto your background
If using a light to medium background:
Draw your design directly on printer paper then trace with transfer pen. Then lay the design face down onto your fabric and iron following the directions for the transfer pen.
If using a dark background:
Cut the design out and trace around with white marking pencil (from fabric store).
OR if you a computer minded…draw you design, scan it into the computer and then trace it in a photo program. Then print it using T-Shirt transfer paper (either for dark or light background).
Personally..I create as I go and using either reference or a simple sketch simply “resketch” my design with wool if I want to I can pull off the wool and reposition until
I commit and then needle felt the heck out of it.
TIP: Make sure you poke your needle at a 90 degree angle! It is easy to break you needle right off by putting side pressure on it. As you get more comfortable you can put a tiny bit of side pressure on the needle to corral stray little fibers where you want them!
3. Working from “Back” to “Front”
Starting with the “background” of your design pull out whisps of wool from your roving
lay it down on your background and start poking it with one of your barbed needles.
Change your needle size ( or color) as often as you want to get the right feel.
Go deeper with your first pass over your color and then closer pokes that are not as deep
to smooth out the surface.
4. Continue adding wool and felting it
Try experimenting with building up areas and felting them deeper on the sides and not as deep in the middle and doing a careful “smoothing” needlefelting pass. You can make 3-D elements on your flat design this way.
TIP: You can layer wool to “mix” colors, just remember that the color intensifies when you felt it so think whatever you are layering is going to get about 3 shades darker once you needle felt it.
TIP: Use the cheapest coarse wool from OLD sheep as your base for 3D projects. Coarse wool from old sheep felts up FAST! Then cover with color and softer wools for a nice finished project.
TIP: For youngsters AND you! Get out the cookie cutters. Put the Cookie Cutter on the foam pad, stuff in some wool and felt away the cookie cutter helps protect fingers.
I make Teddy Bear ornaments this way!
That is really all there is to it!
1. Materials:
Foam pad (I use the green foam used for upholstery) don’t skimp on your foam!, felting needles, material to felt onto (I prefer thick wool suiting material or wood batting), transfer pen
2. Getting your design onto your background
If using a light to medium background:
Draw your design directly on printer paper then trace with transfer pen. Then lay the design face down onto your fabric and iron following the directions for the transfer pen.
If using a dark background:
Cut the design out and trace around with white marking pencil (from fabric store).
OR if you a computer minded…draw you design, scan it into the computer and then trace it in a photo program. Then print it using T-Shirt transfer paper (either for dark or light background).
Personally..I create as I go and using either reference or a simple sketch simply “resketch” my design with wool if I want to I can pull off the wool and reposition until
I commit and then needle felt the heck out of it.
TIP: Make sure you poke your needle at a 90 degree angle! It is easy to break you needle right off by putting side pressure on it. As you get more comfortable you can put a tiny bit of side pressure on the needle to corral stray little fibers where you want them!
3. Working from “Back” to “Front”
Starting with the “background” of your design pull out whisps of wool from your roving
lay it down on your background and start poking it with one of your barbed needles.
Change your needle size ( or color) as often as you want to get the right feel.
Go deeper with your first pass over your color and then closer pokes that are not as deep
to smooth out the surface.
4. Continue adding wool and felting it
Try experimenting with building up areas and felting them deeper on the sides and not as deep in the middle and doing a careful “smoothing” needlefelting pass. You can make 3-D elements on your flat design this way.
TIP: You can layer wool to “mix” colors, just remember that the color intensifies when you felt it so think whatever you are layering is going to get about 3 shades darker once you needle felt it.
TIP: Use the cheapest coarse wool from OLD sheep as your base for 3D projects. Coarse wool from old sheep felts up FAST! Then cover with color and softer wools for a nice finished project.
TIP: For youngsters AND you! Get out the cookie cutters. Put the Cookie Cutter on the foam pad, stuff in some wool and felt away the cookie cutter helps protect fingers.
I make Teddy Bear ornaments this way!
That is really all there is to it!
