The Complete List of the Best Needle Felting Supplies
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If you’re looking for a new craft, look no further! Needle felting is such an amazing craft to dive into. I recently fell in love with fiber arts and the possibilities of all that can be made by felting wool. In fact, if you’re looking for a few felting projects to try, you can find my projects HERE.
It may be a little bit nerve wracking when you think about using sharp needles to stab something into existence, but it really isn’t as daunting as it seems! Even nervous beginners can felt with confidence with some basic knowledge about the craft of needle felting and the tools you need. To clear things up so that you can get started on your needle felting journey, I have compiled a list of basic supplies that can help you complete your needle felting projects. You too can be a confident needle felter or fiber artist with a few tools and a little know-how!
What is needle felting?
The craft of needle felting is essentially the art form of stabbing wool roving into two or three dimensional shapes or sculptures using sharp needles. Basically, you grab some loose wool, use some specialty needle felting needles, and form sculptures by needling your wool. These needles have barbs along the shaft that help the wool fibers lock into place as they are needled. With this unusual medium, you will find that it is a great way to sculpt pretty much anything. You can felt with dry fibers as well as wet fibers, depending on the result you are trying to achieve. This art form is actually quite simple once you learn the basics, and the methodical stabbing of wool can be quite relaxing.
What can you make with needle felting?
The art of needle felting allows you to make so many different felting projects. If you’re looking for specific needle felting project ideas or tutorials, you can check out a few of mine HERE! You can create two dimensional or three dimensional forms by felting. One of the most commonly seen needle felting projects are realistic animals. You can achieve so much detail in a wool animal sculpture. They turn out so cute, it’s no wonder this is the favorite needle felting project of many fiber artists.
There are also several simple felting crafts like felting small balls of wool to use in your dryer. You can also felt simple two dimensional shapes using die or cookie cutters as a guide. Turn these simple two dimensional shapes into anything from a wool iron on patch or a bunting of festive wool shapes for any holiday! You can also use wool to “paint” two dimensionally on sheets of felt for some beautiful wall art. The options with needle felting are limitless and it is truly great fun!
Now that we’ve covered a little bit about what the craft of needle felting is and what you can make, let’s discuss what basic tools and supplies you’ll need to get started. If you don’t want to grab each item individually, there are several great needle felting kits out there that are perfect for beginners. Most of these supplies should be available at your local craft store, but you may have to look elsewhere for the higher quality tools and materials. I will provide links below so that you can find everything you need!
Wool
One of the most important supplies that you will need to get started on your needle felting journey is wool! You want to use a high-quality wool, like merino wool. This felting wool is available most everywhere, but you can find speciality wools in specialty shops online or even from wool farms. Merino wool is available in pretty much any color you can imagine. You can also create your own color blends by mixing multiple colors of wool together or dying your own. Texture of the felting wool will also vary. Some felting wool is slicker while there are coarse, curly wools as well. Merino wool is a softer wool. Romney wool is firm while Wensleydale wool is curly. Some textures will suit a project better than others.
Needles
When I think of needles, I think of a needle and thread that you’d use for sewing. The type of needle used for needle felting, however, is different from a traditional sewing needle. It doesn’t have a hole at the end used for holding thread. A needle felting needle is a barbed needle that helps weave the fibers together as you stab your project.
Felting needles are available in various textures and sizes that will yield different results on your wool projects. Coarse needles or needles that have a star shape are perfect for roughing in the basic shapes or forms of your sculptures. Fine needles are better suited for getting in small details.
You can even felt your wool using different quantities of needles. A single needle works wonderfully by itself, but there are multi needle tools that can be used to speed up the process. These multi needle tools are great for roughing in the main form of your sculpture. Multi needle tools are not the best for achieving fine detail work. You’ll want to stick to single needles for the little intricate parts of your project.
Felting Pads
Felting needles and merino wool are not the only important tools that you need to needle felt. Felting pads are a crucial tool to have in your felting arsenal. The majority of felting is done on top of a felting mat or foam pad. Otherwise, we would constantly be sticking our hands and fingers with those sharp needles on accident! Ouch! The foam pad or felting mat allows a safe place for the ends of those needles to land. They cushion the blow of the sharp points and largely prevent any stabbing accidents from occurring. Foam pads are pretty cheap and will last you for a time, but they will lose their shape and density after a while. I love the felting pads and prefer them because they are so much thicker and really hold up over time!
Books
It’s no secret by now that I am a big ol’ nerd who loves to read craft books. I feel like even in the world of video tutorials, there is still so much to be learned from a good book on the arts. I recommend getting a few felting books for your library at home, if you can. Many of them come with free patterns as well as many project ideas and applications on the craft of needle felting. I have actually written a separate blog post HERE that will show you all of my favorite needle felting books! Each book on this list really helps to break down the craft into small, palatable steps that even beginner felters will have great success with!
The Complete List of Needle Felting Supplies
Now that we have covered the basics of needle felting and some of the most important tools that you’ll need, let’s get into the complete list of needle felting tools and supplies. Everything that you will need for your future projects is here in the supplies list below. I have linked each item as well so that you can get everything you need online, if you don’t want to run to your local craft store. Below you will also find a needle felting kit. I actually began felting with this kit, and it is a great option if you’re looking to get everything in one bundle. Over time, I did upgrade the foam pad to a nice felting mat. I also grabbed a nicer multi tool and some big bundles of wool. It is still a great starter kit to use when you’re trying to decide if you love the craft or not.
Needle Felting Supply List
–merino wool in various colors
–felting mat or foam pad
-glass noses OR
-*polymer clay for making your own eyes and noses
-Felting scissors
–felting stencils or die
–awl
–glue
–pipe cleaners or wire for building armatures
Needle felting is such a beautiful, whimsical art form. I fell in love with it because I loved the thought of making adorable, storybook looking animals and creatures for my little ones to play with (oh so gently, of course). I’ve made anything from felted mice to a felted Easter bunny with this versatile medium. There are still so many projects that I can’t wait to start. If you’d like to try your hand at any of these projects, you can find the tutorials HERE.
Needle felting can make beautiful, decorative sculptures and projects. It has so many practical applications as well that made diving into this hobby a no-brainer. Felt a few dryer balls to get those wrinkles out of your clothes. Use the wet felting method to create a beautiful scarf or pair of mittens to keep you warm in the winter. I truly love how versatile and limitless the projects are when it comes to the craft of needle felting! While working with sharp needles to create sculptures might seem intimidating, it isn’t as complicated or dangerous as you might think. Just use the knowledge you learned above and grab the right tools. You’ll be a confident needle felter in no time. I hope this guide to needle felting and needle felting supplies has helped you feel more prepared as you embark upon your journey into fiber arts! Happy felting!
-Samm
