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April 19, 2019 by Joy Kincaid 20 Comments

How to Needle Felt: Needle Felting for Beginners

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How to needle felt, with a simple tutorial for beginners! If you’re new to needle felting, this post will show you how to get started!

needle felted wool bird eggs

We love all things crafty at our house, especially if wool is involved! So it was a natural thing for us to pick up needle felting.

What is Needle Felting?

As this article states:

When you felt wool, you’re agitating the fibers so they bond together, creating a solid fabric. If you’ve ever felted any of your knitting projects, you’re already familiar with the process — except that you probably used a washing machine with really hot water to get the fibers to bond. Needle felting mimics that process, but instead of agitating the wool with hot water, you’re doing it with an extra-sharp needle.

I was surprised at how simple needle felting actually is. It looks and sounds like it might be a complicated process, but it’s actually really very simple.

P.S. Kids can learn to needle felt too, but I’d recommend you get a pair of leather finger cots to protect fingers, because the needles are sharp! Kids should always be closely supervised with sharp objects such as needle felting needles.

Needle Felting for Beginners

We started with a simple needle felting kit, which made it so much easier. Kits are wonderful because they include everything you’ll need to complete the project.

Needle felting kits also usually come with all the instructions you’ll need, which teaches you the basic skills to take on other projects.

Our first project was these simple needle felted acorns a couple autumns ago:

needle felted wool acorns

Aren’t they adorable?! You simply felt the wool into a little ball shape, and then glue an acorn cap on the top.

They were such a hit that we followed them up with these spring eggs:

needle felted eggs in nest

 

These felted eggs are perfect for spring! The blue ones are my favorite.

Supplies Needed for Needle Felting

As I mentioned above, the easiest way to get started with needle felting is to start with a kit. This will teach you the basics of how to needle felt, while completing a simple project at the same time!

needle felting supplies for beginners

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Here are the basic supplies needed for beginner needle felting:

Wool

Foam Pad

Felting Needle

And that’s all you’ll need to get started!


How to Needle Felt

To get started with needle felting, if you want to make a round shape (like for acorns or eggs), first tear off a small piece of wool roving.

hand with wool roving needle felt

Next, roll the wool into a tight ball, tucking the ends in as you go.

needle felting

Place the wool ball onto the foam pad, and poke the needle into your ball about halfway.

needle felting beginner

Turn the ball as you continue to poke the needle into it, and it will begin to start firming up.

In these photos, I’m trying to turn my ball of wool into an egg shape, so I poke the needle into the wool at various points. Sometimes I even use my hands to roll and press the wool into the shape I’m trying to get.

how to needle felt an egg

Continue the needle felting process, poking the needle into the wool about halfway, until your ball (or egg) becomes as firm as you want it.

needle felted wool egg

And, that’s it! It’s really a very simple process.

Needle Felted Wool Eggs and Nest

I just love the way my needle felted wool eggs turned out!

beginner needle felting project

My youngest son helped me work on these eggs during read aloud time. He loves the process of poking the needle into the felt.

I don’t worry about him using the needle as long as he wears the finger cots to protect his fingers and sits next to me while he works.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you’ll try this simple craft!

Shop This Post

Wool

Foam Pad

Felting Needle

Finger Cots

Felting Kit

Related Posts:

  • Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth Knitting Pattern
  • Knitted Bunnies
  • DIY Homemade Wool Dryer Balls

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How to Needle Felt

How to Needle Felt

How to Needle Felt Beginner Project

This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure here. Sharing here.

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Comments

  1. Crummy Mummy says

    June 21, 2021 at 1:21 pm

    I’ve I’ve never heard of needle felting before – it looks so effective! Thanks so much for sharing with #fortheloveofblog

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      June 23, 2021 at 10:39 pm

      It’s really fun!

      Reply
  2. Claire Kirby says

    June 21, 2021 at 3:18 am

    I’ve never tried these, but those acorns are adorable. Thanks for linking up to #fortheloveofblog

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      June 23, 2021 at 10:39 pm

      They’re so fun to make!

      Reply
  3. Ann says

    June 19, 2021 at 9:49 pm

    You make it look so easy! Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ’s.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      June 23, 2021 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  4. KreativeKathryn says

    December 27, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    Thank you! I just got a small starter kit for Christmas and it came with no directions. So this is great for a starter! Thanks so much! ❤️

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      December 30, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      So glad it was helpful! Enjoy needle felting!

      Reply
  5. Linda says

    October 21, 2020 at 3:19 pm

    Thank you. I’m just begging to felt and was having trouble finding someone to tell me how to start. I tried on my own and having no luck. I have about 10 acorns and feel like I’m ready to tackle something g else now. So again I say thank you.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      October 26, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      So glad it was helpful!

      Reply
  6. Donna Reidland says

    April 16, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    I had never even heard of this. I love the blue eggs.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      April 17, 2020 at 5:52 pm

      It’s a really easy and fun craft!

      Reply
  7. Michelle says

    April 10, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    Interesting! I always wondered how needle felting worked. Thanks for sharing!

    Michelle
    http://mybijoulifeonline.com

    Reply
  8. Linda Kilsdonk says

    April 10, 2020 at 11:18 am

    I just started needle felting about a month ago, and I am hooked! I love your tutorial for beginners. It’s spot on! Smiles, Linda at Paper Seedlings

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      April 14, 2020 at 6:27 pm

      Thank you, Linda!

      Reply
  9. Dee | Grammy's Grid says

    April 7, 2020 at 12:51 pm

    How pretty, so much want to try this!! Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 11, open April 1 to 26. All entries shared on social media if share buttons installed. I’d like to invite you to check out my other current link parties too!

    Reply
  10. Tolu says

    March 27, 2020 at 4:44 am

    Thank you Katie,it felt good creating something with my hands.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      March 27, 2020 at 8:12 pm

      So glad to hear!

      Reply
  11. Katie @ This Domestic Life says

    April 19, 2019 at 11:41 am

    Those acorns are adorable!

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      April 19, 2019 at 1:46 pm

      Thank you, Katie!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Joy. I'm so glad you're here! I believe creating a beautiful and nurturing home is an art worth cultivating. Read more here...

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