NEEDLE FELTING - Turning Wool Fibers into Felt A Division of LoveToSew.com

Dry Needle Felt Tools

The art of needle felting requires very little tools. The ending project is determined by the hands of the artist. It's so easy we teach children as young as seven here at our studio. It is amazing what kids can sculpt with a needle, wool, and the use of their little hands.

Tools Needed for Dry Needle Felting

Wool: Before anything can made, you will need wool to felt. It is best to use sheep's wool as your base. It is faster to felt and less expensive. Once the base is formed and solid move onto the dyed wools and llama fibers to create your project. Today, Sheep and Alpaca wool can be found on the internet for sale and in some local fabric and yarn shops, and comes in many beautiful colors.

Needles: Felting needles have very sharp points with miniscule bars. The needle is poked or pushed repeatedly through fiber and the barbs mix the fibers and lock them in place forming a shape. Felting needles come in different sizes and are great for working with detail. They are much longer, about 3" - 3.5" and much sharper then a typical sewing needle. And unlike sewing needles that tend to dull as they are used, needle felting needles sharpen with each stroke. Keep fingers away from the needles as they are sharp and will draw blood. The needles should not be "jammed" into the foam, but gentle repeated pokes should be used. If jammed or not used right they will most likely break, not bend.

Foam Rubber: Always use a piece of foam as the base when needle felting. It will protect your table or work space and your needles. It should be thick enough to handle the pressure and poking of a needle-felter. Today, with needle felting becoming a popular art,  you can find foam rubber hat forms, sock forms, and mitten forms for the professional needle felter.

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