Needle felting for beginners
A barbed needle entangles suitable loose wool fibres into a firm shape.
Gather and work
Use a felting pad, loose wool and a felting needle. Roll a small wool bundle, place it on the pad and stab straight into the fibre, withdrawing along the same angle. Rotate the piece while adding thin layers.
First project
Make a 3 cm practice ball. Firm its centre first, then cover uneven areas with thin teased wool layers.
Keep the work even
Keep fingers out of the needle path; the sharp barbs can break if bent sideways. Superwash or non-wool fibre may not felt in the same way as untreated wool.