Diana: A Needle Felting Friend (and a bit of a weirdo)
By day, I’m a high school teacher of English and Drama; by night, a needle felt artist (when I’m not marking papers, that is). I try to spend 1-2 hours winding down by working on a needle felt project, whether I’m sketching, felting, or staging and photographing a creature.
Who am I as an artist? Meet the gentle side of Gothic!
The focus of my needle felting has been a combination of things that are a little warped and creatures that have a touch of whimsy, hence my Etsy shop name: WarpedAndWhimsical. One of my favourite sculptures to make is my line of Grims, the extended family of the angel of death himself, The Grim Reaper. These little dark lords and ladies reap everything from shenanigans to good luck, ready to share their treasures with the humans that adopt them. The whimsy of wool miniatures can make even a reaper, zombie, or gargoyle cute enough to cuddle! I also can’t resist making the occasional woodland creature, and I love creating custom monsters in the shape of a letter of the alphabet.
Why Needle Felting?
I was lucky to have parents who took me and my sisters to countless plays, museums, and art galleries. I always knew that I wanted to contribute to the arts—it was a world of mastery and limitless imagination! The problem was, I couldn’t quite master anything. My acting was okay; my paintings were mediocre; my sketching, so-so; and my poetry, passable. The wild imaginations of my mind never came out the way I saw them in my head! As an adult, I was starting to drift away from the arts.
A couple of years ago, I discovered Etsy, and a whole new world of artistry opened up. I frequented craft shows and, last year, I came across a small booth selling the cutest little mushrooms. I’d never heard of needle felting before, but I loved the look and the feel of those woolly ‘shrooms. Sold.
A few months passed and at another craft show I came across a different needle felting booth; this one had gnomes. I admired that even though they were crafted in the same way, they all had their own personalities and uniqueness. Sale number two.
This time, a seed had been planted…
How hard could needle felting really be? I couldn’t fathom how it worked—something with a needle, obviously. That night, I searched ‘needle felt’ on YouTube and thought, “Yes. I will do that thing.”
WARNING: Needle felting is ADDICTIVE.
It’s relatively cheap (if you completely ignore the notion that ‘time is money’). The best part? It is ridiculously forgiving. Does this felted head look misshapen? Add more wool! Is this arm wonky? Tear it off! Did Diana spend 10 hours working on a dog head just to scrap it because it didn’t look right? Yes, she did. And everything was okay. Unlike clay that will set, and paint which will dry, felting allows you to add on, take away, and re-shape with relative ease. Embrace the mistakes!
Getting Started:
The YouTube videos seemed straight-forward enough. So, I went to the local craft store and purchased a needle felting kit. It came with all the wool needed, molds, a foam mat, a barbed needle, and instructions. It was a bunny. Not too intimidating right?
That bunny. Took 15. Hours.
But it was great! Who doesn’t like to stab things? Even better—stab things that turn into cute little things later? I didn’t quite follow the exact design (a bunny with nubs just seemed sad), and today I could make an even better bunny in only 8 hours, but it was still a very positive first experience.
Finally: The picture in my head was reflected in the piece I created. At last, I found my niche.
Looking for Inspiration:
The website DeviantArt has so many twisted and beautiful paintings and drawings; it was a great start for inspiration. I typed in ‘monsters’ and was hooked.
Making an account on Instagram (@warpedandwhimsical) was also wonderful, because I found a group of fellow needle felters that are very supportive. Seeing their new creations continues to push me to do better with my own technique and creativity. Some of my favourite felters to follow are @needledbynella, who specializes in dinosaurs, and @feltmeupdesigns, who specializes in birds.
Non-felting accounts have also been a great source of inspiration, especially since I’ve added some doll-making techniques (such as using plastic eyes) into my creations. @bunnyxproductions (polymer clay octopus tentacles), @chrisryniak (absurdly adorable sketches), @woebegoneart (dolls with a dark aesthetic), @petitesterreurs (gothic dolls), @beastlies (polymer clay monsters), and @nicholelillianryan (weebeast creator) are all amazing and each offer a different type of aesthetic and artistry.
One of the best places for inspiration? The dollar store. Seriously! Sometimes I just wander around and get ideas from items that could be used as props. The following creature, Muse the reaper of creativity, was inspired by a little blank easel I found at the dollar store.
5 Tips for Beginners:
I definitely recommend going out and buying a little needle felting kit like the one I got for my first piece. Even though I haven’t used the felting mold it came with since that first felt, it still taught me about density and shape. Don’t get frustrated by phrases such as “felt to desired density”—some people felt fuzzy and squishy; others felt smooth and hard. Experiment to see what you like! This book by Jackie Huang, Woolbuddies: 20 Irresistibly Simple Needle Felting Projects was also great for learning a straightforward technique:
Here are my top tips for the new needle felter:
1) Buy thimbles. Don’t even think about that one. You need at least two (thumb and pointer). I love my purple plastic ones from the local craft shop.
2) If I had to choose one needle, the one I use the absolute most is a 38 gauge, triangular felting needle. Keep in mind that needles do break, wear down, and become less effective. If you’re needle felting every day, you’ll probably want a new needle in about six months.
3) What should you felt on? A foam mat is great for smoothing creations out. The downside is that foam eventually wears down to crumbly bits. A felting brush or burlap sack filled with rice is essential for making thin pieces, such as an ear. The downside with these is that they will make your creation ‘fuzzy’ if you felt for long in one spot. I like having both the mat and the burlap.
4) After I decided that I was in it for the long run, I bought a variety pack of different needles. I wouldn’t recommending these for your first few creations, but once you know you’d like to continue felting, the right needle can help you add detail, felt faster, and even create fun effects. I love the price and options available from the Etsy shop HeidifeathersOnEtsy and highly recommend the “30 needles, 10 different types of needles” option. The purchase comes with a card that explains the purpose of each needle, and there is even more detail on the website.
5 Tips for the Intermediate Felter:
I’ll make pretty much anything upon request, which leads to some great challenges and a steep learning curve. Watching YouTube videos, such as those by GypsyFelting or Sara Renzulli, are great if you’re looking for more challenging technique. Here are my top tips:
1) For any creation that is not super tiny, use core wool (undyed wool) as a base (see pictures below). This is a great way to save your coloured, more expensive wool for the parts that people will actually get to see. Core wool is also easier to felt onto instead of trying to felt dyed wool into itself. I’ve done a lot of research, and the best price/quality I found so far is at Etsy shop DreamFelt. I recommend the 8 oz. pack; go big or go home!
2) The cheapest dyed wool is on eBay, plus there are so many colourful options that I can’t resist! I order 50 grams at a time, which is a fair amount when it comes to wool. Check out the sellers accecity and ouyou2010
3) Making something complex? Sketch it out. Need it to look realistic? Print out a photograph, take some measurements, and do the math for a piece of a different size! Sculpting is just about connecting shapes. That’s not a dog you want to create—it’s a cluster of circles, ovals, and triangles! It will be worth the time to figure it out.
4) Want to make a challenging shape, such as sturdy legs, a curl, or sharp angles? Use simple wire (I bought mine in the gardening section of—you guessed it—the dollar store) to shape a base, wind pipe-cleaners (the cheap ones will do!) around it so that the wool has something to grab onto, add core wool, then top with the dyed wool. For the thinner sections, don’t add pipe-cleaner. A bit of clear-drying glue on the wire will help the wool stick. The process in the following photos of Dark Lord Fluffy took about 8 hours.
5) Last, don’t be afraid to start over. There is such a thing as over-felting, when the wool won’t take on much shape and it is impossible to fully smooth. I usually find that there’s at least something from the original piece that I can reuse. Once you’ve started to master your technique, don’t be afraid to pick up your old creations and give them a makeover. Be sure to take before and after shots, and you’ll be amazed at the difference!
The Take-away:
Needle felting is not for everyone. It requires a lot of patience, time, and—yes—you will sometimes stab yourself. But like most things in life, the more you do it, the better you will get at it (the felting, not the stabbing yourself part). As long as you’re happy developing your artistry (or doing “the stabby thing,” as my sister calls it), may you have warped and whimsical adventures!
Thanks for checking out my stuff! For questions or comments, follow me on Etsy, Instagram or Twitter and send a message. I won’t bite! My Grims on the other hand…
Until Next Stab,
Diana K.
Thank you Diana, what a great article!
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