10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Needle Felting

In this video I share 10 tips on needle felting that I wish I had known when I started needle felting. If you're a beginner to needle felting these tips will help you improve your needle felting skills on various techniques such as shaping the wool, knowing how much wool to use, how to get two legs looking the same or the best way to insert plastic eyes.

The Templates and full instructions on how to needle felt these two cute dogs are here on my Etsy shop:

I’d really appreciate it if you are able to purchase this PDF as it would support my channel and enable me to continue to create content like this.

If you do find this video helpful it would mean the world to me if you’d click on the like button.

If you needle felt one of these doggies I’d love to see how your dog has turned out if you’d like to share them with me on instagram or facebook:

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Recommended Needle Felting Needles:
36 or 38 Gauge Triangular Needle (i.e. Medium-Thick needle)
40 Gauge Triangular (i.e. Fine needle)
Optional needle: 40 Gauge Reverse felting needle, only needed if you want to create a short fur effect on your dog.

Wool for Barney:
Carded Corriedale wool slivers or any carded wool slivers or batts (around 25-30 microns). In the following colours:
Ginger Brown or tan coloured wool, approximately 15 grams.
Bright white (for eyes), less than 1 gram.
Black, (for nose) approx. 1 gram

Wool for Patch:
Carded Corriedale wool slivers or any carded wool slivers or batts (around 25-30 microns). In the following colours:
White wool, approximately 15 grams.
Brown/Sienna wool, less than 1 gram.
Rust or Reddish Brown wool, less than 1 gram.
Black, (for nose) approx. 1 gram

Other Recommended Equipment
Needle Felting Mat which protects your work surface and needles.
Glass or Plastic Eyes, I’m using 4mm Glass eyes for Barney and 7mm Plastic eyes for Patch.
Scissors
Awl or thick sewing needle
Optional: Multi needle tool holder
Optional: Finger Protectors

Here are some of my other needle felting tutorials that you might like:

Chapters or Timestamps:
0:00 What I wish I knew when I started Needle Felting
0:34 Tip 1 - How much wool to use
1:44 Tip 2 - Shaping before you even start poking
2:13 Tip 3 - How to avoid Breaking Needles
2:56 Tip 4 - How to hold the wool to help shape it
3:21 Tip 5 - Using your needle to shape
3:50 Tip 6 - The woolly slug stage
4:34 Tip 7 - Making legs match each other
5:39 Tip 8 - Best way to attach legs
6:37 Tip 9 - When to attach
7:07 Tip 10 - Getting two ears the same
9:30 Bonus Tip!!!

#NeedleFeltingTutorials #NeedleFeltingForBeginners

[joeyotten]

I always ask people in my needle felting classes “if you’re not bleeding, are you really crafting?” We also have a pile of band-aids in the middle of the table…we always have at least one bleeder! Thanks for the tips! I always suggest people watch your videos for extra help after our classes! Love your videos!

[tobiasware]

Great video tutorial, Julie. I love your quirky humour as it adds greatly to a learning experience. I've been needle felting for almost twenty years now, and you've rekindled my love of this craft; it's so less messy than wet-felting! Thanks again, I've subscribed and liked of course. Cheers from Brisbane, Australia.

[ceeceedawson]

Perfect coaching on how to and why...the dogs look really cute.

[mamaschmeeda]

Your videos are so helpful!! Thank you soooo much! Also love your little talking characters!

[LekkerLillico]

you're my favorite <3 thank you for helping me <3

[DanettaHarding]

Great tutorial. I always learn so much from your videos. Thank you!

[schokovondu]

At the moment I'm not interested in my felting drawers- but I still watch your videos, because I really like, how felting and humor are not mutually exclusive! Kind regards from Germany!

[TheLela]

Hi! I'm a college student looking to make gifts for her friends over the summer. Your videos have been very helpful for a beginner like me and is the best needlefelting resource I've ever came across. Thank you.

[BroAshleysHere]

I'm still waiting for my first needle felting kit to arrive but I've been watching your videos in the meantime and I have to say how helpful you are! Definitely the best channel I've come across, can't wait for more videos!

[mangomations]

I just started needle felting and your videos have been so helpful! Thank you so much :)

[sionnach]

Thank you Julie for your tips always! The template for the ears and holes for the eyes were an eye opener (not meant to be a pun lol) 😆 I wonder maybe if we could use the templating for the limbs/ legs as a "starter" or base and build it up into 3D/solid. I almost always end up making a leg bigger than the other, but hate to discard felt so I add thin layers of wool bit by bit to the smaller limb to match the bigger one. And if that isn't enough, I make the body of the doll bigger to match the adjusted limbs as well😂
Shows how much I still need to learn...

[beckbecca]

Love your videos! They are a huge help!

[mirthy]

Oh thank you for sharing this! Its so helpful😍 I always have problems with size of my works. I recently was making some base balls for something and it was a horror to make them all the same😆 I should have just cut the same amount of wool and prepare it but I was so sure I will know how much to use just by mesure it with my eyes. Mistake!😆

[coolcatchloe]

What do you use underneath the thing you’re felting?

[susanwalker]

The dogs look great so much patience and pain I felt the needle going in your finger I have done that so many times 👆🩹but the finished dog is worth it 😍