An Introduction to Needle Felting

By Linda Calver

Simple step by step guide with clear diagrams and photographs, allowing beginning to advanced felters to make a variety of projects for gift-giving or holiday décor.

If you love the versatility of working with wool and are looking for a new crafting addiction, this book will get you started on the wonderful hobby of needle felting. An Introduction to Needle Felting begins with a brief history of felting and felting /wool terms. You’ll also get a handy list of items you need to purchase to make yourself a starter needle felting kit. Each chapter begins with a list of the materials you will need to complete that project. With projects ranging from flowers, sculpted birds and animals, there is a variety of fun ideas to choose from. The book also contains resources for finding suppliers for any materials you might need. There’s also a chapter introducing wet felting and needle felting combined and another that offers lovely gift ideas for family and friends as sell as seasonal ideas. Each project contains both diagrams and photographs of how to complete the item with suggestions and tips along the way. Novice felters can start from basic simple shapes and learn how to build on those shapes. Projects will advance in difficulty as you go through the book so there is something for everyone, including intermediate and advanced crafters looking for inspiration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781526780652

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Simple Shapes

Four mini shapes to get you started. These can be used in lots of ways which you will see later in the book.

FOR ALL THE PROJECTS in this book, I would encourage you to have available a few of all the sizes of needles I mentioned and try them all for yourself as you go along to see how well each needle felts. This will help you learn which to use and when. The lower the gauge number, the thicker and coarser the needle, so I suggest a 36 triangle or 38 triangle needle would be a good choice to start a project with. This depends a little on the breed type of wool you are using, so I encourage you to try them both and you will soon work out which one you are progressing best with; you will feel it working when you have the correct one. The 40 and the 42 gauge triangle needles are finer, and leave a smaller hole in the felt, therefore these are really very useful for smoothing and finishing off your project. As a basic selection to start off with, I would have some of each size to hand, along with a pen tool and if possible, a punch tool, all as described in the tools and equipment