A Beginner's Guide to Needle Felting

Needle felting is so easy it's almost like cheating at craft. Though the supplies aren't the cheapest initially, in the long run you'll likely spend much less on this past-time than you would on something like scrap booking or knitting. All you need are some felting needles, some wool, and a mat. That's really it. You can also get patterns and appliqué forms, which look almost like cookie cutters, but for now let's focus on the basics. One real tool, one accessory, and one supply. Yet the items you can make are endless - stuffed animals, hat and sweater embellishments, brooches and other jewelry, details to add on to scarves and wool purses, hair clips, cat toys, and more. You can't really say that about scrap booking, now can you?

The process of needle felting is also very simple. You repeatedly push the needles through the wool until it felts together. The felting needles have small barbs on them which catch on the fiber and cause it to matte together, much the same as if you were to wash and dry a wool sweater. Whichever direction you push the needles into is the direction in which the wool will felt and the direction in which it will get smaller. This is good to know when making details, such as an indentation on a flower petal.

The mat is to protect you from getting pricked by the needles. (A lot of felting books will actually recommend you get a tetanus shot before starting out, just to be on the safe side.) It also allows you to stick the needle through the wool without worrying about hitting something hard such as a table top, and snapping the needle in half. You can really use any kind of thick foam, such as the kind you find inside couch cushions, especially if you're not sure about spending too much upfront on a new craft. However, the mats that are sold near the needles are really superior all around and worth the cost. They have a sturdy and totally flat bottom, and you don't have to worry about them deteriorating and getting bits of foam stuck into your creations. They're also far, far easier to clean.

The wool that you'll usually find in craft stores for felting is merino wool that has been specifically processed for this craft. It's easy to use for beginners and most places carry a decent variety of colors. You can also use it for wet felting if you decide to branch out in your crafting.

Needle felting is one of the easiest, and most forgiving, crafts that you can take up doing. Simple but fun, it doesn't require a lot of equipment or too much focused concentration. It's a great craft for older kids, too, if you feel they can safely use the needles.