Needle Felted Bear

Needle felting is a versatile medium that allows you to make everything from small figurines to apparel and artsy wall hangings.  It's accomplished by using barbed needles and wool roving.   Basically, you stick the needle into the loose wool over and over again so that the barbs tangle up the fibers and make the wool condensed (vs. remaining fluffy).  With this technique, you can make flat sheets of felt OR stick the needle into a mass of wool in order to sculpt a 3D object.

The repeated motion of poking the felting needle into the wool can be pretty meditative.  I really enjoy this hobby because it allows me to be "in the moment" AND I love sculpting stuff!  It's also a treat to handle all of the colorful raw wool when the weather is getting cold outside.  :)  A nice bonus is the fact that wool is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

The bear shown below is one of the first needle felted items I made.  He's even got moving joints, which makes him pose-able.

To make the bear, I used a kit from Living Felt.


For more information on how to needle felt or to purchase supplies, check out the sites below:

Living Felt (instructional videos, supplies, kits)
Weir Dolls & Crafts (supplies, kits, books)
Ornamentea (supplies, PDF tutorials)

Below is a list of recommended books:

Needle Felting to the Point
Wool Pets
Little Felted Animals
Needle Felted Figures
The Art of Feltmaking (also has info on wet felting)

If you have any questions about needle felting, please leave a comment!

Total time to make the bear: 5.5 hours