Needle felting is a form of needlework that may not be as well known as knitting or crochet, for example, but it is nevertheless an incredibly fun method to use to create all sorts of imaginative creations.
Needle felting is basically just using a felting needle to create 3D shapes out of wool. You do this by sticking the felting needle in and out of the wool material, so that the fibres in the wool bind together, allowing you to shape it into whatever you want. It may sound a bit magical, but needle felting almost is.
Needle felting
When you hear the word "felting", many people probably think of the type of felting where you use soapy water to make the fibres in the wool bind together. However, this is not the case when filtering with needles. When you filter with needles, you filter the wool using only special needles.
These needles are called felting needles and they are designed in such a way that they are able to bind and felt the wool. This is because the felting needle has a kind of barb that catches and takes the fibres of the wool down through the wool layer, making it possible to bind the wool together into all sorts of fun shapes and designs.
Felt needles are incredibly thin and enormously sharp, so it's a good idea to watch your fingers when needle filtering. In addition, you should always stick the needle straight down, otherwise it may tend to break.
How to start felting
Needle felting is a form of needlework that sounds far more complicated than it really is. Needle felting doesn't require many tools or much practice before you're able to create the finest little creations, such as cute furry animals, beautiful flowers, or whatever your imagination can come up with.
If you want to start felting, you only need three things: a felting needle, a base such as a piece of foam mattress and some wool. These three things are the only ones you absolutely need, but it can also be beneficial to have a felting needle holder.
There are a number of different techniques you can use to felt, but you can easily get away with just trying it out at first. By trying out different methods then you will quickly get a feel for how to shape the wool by gathering it in different ways.
Cheap felting needles for needle felting
Not only is needle felting an easy hobby to get started with, it's also a craft that doesn't have to be expensive. We sell different types of felting needles suitable for all kinds of projects. What they all have in common, however, is that they can be bought at an affordable price.
If you're keen to take up the hobby, we also sell needle felting starter kits, which include needles, backing, needle holder and wool in one package. However, if you already have some of the individual parts, it is also possible to buy the items separately.