Basic Needle Felting Techniques

16 March 2009

Author: Elaine Trout

Now that you have all your needle felting supplies, it’s time to learn how to actually interlock the roving fibers with your felt or fabric surface. You will see by following these basic needle felting techniques that it is really quite simple!
 

Look carefully at the tip of the felting needle. It has notches cut into it, which interlock the fibers.  The needle tip and notches are SHARP; keep your fingers back while you are applying the roving.

Place a foam block under the fabric you are going to felt to protect your work surface.


Take a small amount of roving (about a 1" diameter circle) and lay it over an area to be felted. A little roving goes a long way! Start at the outline of the area and work toward the middle.


Push the needle straight down through the roving and surface to be felted. Your needle should just enter the foam block. Pull the needle straight back out and repeat this action, keeping your jabs close together until the entire area is covered with roving.


When you have finished filling the area, gently peel the fabric away from the foam block. Don’t worry—the attached roving will not pull out. There you have it the basic techniques for needle felting. Follow these basics for all your future needle felting projects.


Tips:

• Keep the felting needle straight up and down as you work; if it is angled, it may break.
• Be sure to cover the outlines with roving.
• If the amount of roving you started with isn’t enough to fill the area, grab another small clump of roving and continue.
• If you finish filling an area and have extra roving that does not need to be felted, simply trim the excess with scissors and poke in any stray fibers.

Now that you have an understanding of basic needle felting techniques, check out our Creative Gallery  for project ideas and inspiration!