Plano Learns: Needle Felting

One of the newest STEAM Kits at Plano Public Library is Needle Felting! Continue reading to learn more about this art, kit and additional books from the library to continue your needle felting journey.

What is Needle Felting?

Needle felting is a fiber art where you use felting needles and wool to create shapes and creatures.

From Iowa PBS: “Felting is the process of taking an animal fiber, such as sheep’s wool, and tangling the individual fibers together to make a fabric and/or artwork. Wet felting, the original felting technique, consists of matting wool fibers together with water, soap and agitation to create the felt. Dry felting, or needle felting, requires using a special barbed needle to tangle the animal fibers together, a technique that is often used today to make 2D and 3D artwork.

“Needle felting has a more recent history, with machines developed in the 1800s to use needles to form felt. It wasn’t until the 1980s, however, that artists started using single needles to create small-scale fabrics and artwork.”

These photos are from our spring 2024 Needle Felting workshop. Check our calendar for upcoming workshops.

Needle Felting STEAM Kit

Inspiration and Projects

Needle Felting Dolls by Roz Dace Print
There are 10 varied projects, each with needle felted clothing, hair, accessories and even props such as spectacles, a toy rabbit, and an armchair.

Needle Felting Teddy Bears for Beginners by Judy Balchin Print
Award-winning authors Judy Balchin and Roz Dace show how to make 20 wonderful little teddy bears using this tactile technique.

Jaana Mattson’s Landscapes in Wool: the Art of Needle Felting by Jaana Mattson Print
Learn how wool works as a material, how to make the best use of tools as you work with the dry-felting-only techniques, and the color and composition basics you need for planning successful landscapes in wool.

Cute Birds Made with Needle Felting by Miwa Utsunomiya Print
This book brings together a wide-ranging collection of needle felted birds, including parrots, parakeets, kingfisher, hummingbird, flamingo and many other kinds. This book contains 35 clearly explained projects with step by step instructions.

Painting with Wool: 16 Artful Projects to Needle Felt by Dani Ives Print
Introductory guide and must-have for fiber artists and other crafters looking for a new and exciting art form to explore. This style of needle felting uses wool fibers and a felting needle to layer and “paint” embellishments, for pieces that are bursting with texture and depth.

Wool Buddies: 20 Irresistibly Simple Needle Felting Projects by Jackie Huang Print
Here Huang teaches readers, using just some wool and a needle, how to needle felt a wide-eyed owl, a toothy shark, a fuzzy sheep, a towering giraffe, and more. With step-by-step instructions and helpful how-to photographs, crafters can create clutchable keepsakes to be instantly enjoyed and forever cherished.

Feltlicious: Needle-Felted Treats to Make & Give by Kari Chapin and Kerri Wessel Print
The menu features such fare as Good Morning breakfast dishes; Diner Delights; Farmer’s Market fruits and vegetables; Sweet Tooth desserts; and Holiday Treats–like heart-shaped lollipops for Valentine’s Day.

The Complete Photo Guide to Felting by Ruth Lane Print
With these easy-to-follow, step-by-step directions and hundreds of full-color photos, you’ll be able to explore these easy projects that provide fun opportunities for you to try the techniques. Galleries of unique felted designs and creations by renowned fabric artists act as beautiful examples and inspiration to pursue the hobby yourself.