needle felting videos - Ultimate Guide To Needle Felting In The Felt Hub

Image shows cute needle felted Christmas decorations. DIY Christmas wreath, bauble, gnomes and fairies

How To Make Spectacular Needle Felted Christmas Decorations

November 10, 2022March 24, 2024Leave a comment

FILL YOUR HOME WITH SEASONAL ‘HANDMADE BY YOU’ JOY

Tis the season to get creative and, whatever your seasonal style I have a Christmas craft project to suit. From cute and quirky, to stylish and minimal. It’s all here, on the blog, completely free, and all you have to do is fill your seasonal stockings full of inspiration, grab your wool and needles, and get felting. And of course, ten times better than shop bought and made with love by you.

There are so many great seasonal ideas on this page you won’t know where to start. From Nordic gnomes giving you all the hygge feels, cute snowmen, baa-ble tree decorations, super stylish wreaths and garlands, to forest fairy tree toppers. There’s a felting project to suit every taste, even Christmas pumpkins. Proof, if ever needed, that pumpkins are not just for Halloween. And it has to be said, these cool winter wonderland pumpkins wouldn’t look out of place on the set of a Disney movie.

Needle felting is a fun, creative process that can be used to make some absolutely adorable Christmas crafts, and I have some fabulously fully festive needle felting projects to share with you! You’ll need wool tops/roving or carded wool, felting needles, and a felting mat.

From stylish wreaths and garlands to quirky gnomes, there’s a project for every age and ability!

Check out the fabulous felting projects below, and make your holiday season merry and bright!

VIDEO TUTORIALS

The Felt Hub on YouTube is full of seasonal creativity. Just click on any of the photos below and you can felt alongside me, workshop style

Shows a cute needle felted Christmas bauble

Shows a seasonal Nordic gnome with a needle felted pumpkin body

Shows an elf on the shelf style gnome that can be easily needle felted.

Shows a needle felted penguin holding a fishing rod with a pile of rightly coloured needle felted fish.

Shows a needle felted Christmas wreath and garland with realistic needle felted orange and lemon slices, and needle felted chilli.

Shows a needle felted Nordic gnome that can be made and used as part of your handmade Christmas decorations.

SHOP NEEDLE FELTING PATTERNS

My needle felting kits and patterns have been inspiring creativity since 2014 and, if you are finally ready to take the needle felting plunge then you will find everything you need on the WEBSITE or over at ETSY

Shows a needle felted winter hare being held by a person in a bright pink dress.

Shows a needle felting mat with tools, accessories, and wool.

SKILL LEVEL

When it comes to these tutorials and kits, they are for all abilities. Allowing you to make your project as difficult, or intricate as you like. Keep it simple if you are just starting and build your skills. But once you have one project under your crafty belt there will be no stopping you. However, be warned, it is a highly addictive craft so be prepared to loose hours, maybe even days to this amazing hobby.

WANT SOMETHING LESS SEASONAL?

Just pop over to the home page HERE and take your pick from the drop down menus. You will find this blog is packed to the rafters with free needle felting tutorials, from learning basic shapes to more advanced projects. There are even free patterns and downloads for you to try.

Shows images of needle felted characters. Text says: Join the VIP Felt Club and get creative inspiration straight to your inbox.

BE A VIP! It’s completely free and you will receive a free, super easy, needle felting pattern, lifetime discount code, exclusive early access to new product launches and promotions, as well as notification of new tutorials and live needle felting workshops.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get cosy with crafts so just grab your wool, felting needles, a big dose of enthusiasm, and maybe a glass of something nice. Cheers and happy festive felting!

EASY NEEDLE FELTED HEDGEHOG – IN JUST ONE HOUR!

February 24, 2022April 3, 20243 Comments

Hedgehogs are a much rarer sight in our gardens than they used to be and I remember my dad getting my 11 year old self, and younger brother out of bed at midnight to see a visiting hedgehog in our garden. What a treat and such cherished memories! Whilst you may not see the real thing very often, at least you can have your own handmade hoglet to keep you company all year round. So, I present my needle felted version of our beloved hedgehog and how using a reverse felting needle creates fabulous spikey details.

Did You Know?

Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant so bread and milk is not good for them! Find out what they really love to eat on The Woodland Trust blog at the bottom of this post.

MAKE YOUR OWN NEEDLE FELTED HEDGEHOG

Skill level: Complete beginners and beyond
Make time: 1 hour

Time to settle down with creativity, a cuppa, maybe a slice of cake, and join me for a full tutorial teaching you new needle felting tips, tricks and techniques.

VIDEO TUTORIAL AND MATERIALS LIST

You will need:

Grey wool top for body
Brown carded batting for top layer
Light brown wool top or carded for face
Darker wool for nose
Brown wool top for spikey halo
Standard/medium felting needle – I use a 38 star
Reverse felting needle for spikes – I use a 32 reverse
Glass beads for eyes
Felting mat
Enthusiasm

SHOP NEEDLE FELTING KIT- MAKES THREE COLIN HEDGEHOGS

Available from: LINCOLNSHIRE FENN CRAFTS or ETSY

If you want to encourage hedgehogs in your own garden here are a few guidelines from James Martin, content editor of the WOODLAND TRUST

What do hedgehogs eat, and how to feed them?

Evidence suggests this decline is most severe in rural areas and hedgehogs are actually faring better in our towns and villages than the countryside. This means gardens can be an important refuge for the species. One way you can help any visiting hogs is to provide some food. But what do hedgehogs eat and what should you feed them?

FOOD FIT FOR A HEDGEHOG

Insects and other invertebrates are the hedgehog’s main natural food source. A typical diet includes:

Beetles
Earwigs
Caterpillars
Earthworms
Millipedes
Fly larvae

What to feed hedgehogs?

As opportunistic eaters, hedgehogs will readily consume food left out in your garden. The best foods to provide are:

Meat-based cat or dog food
Specially-made hedgehog food
Cat biscuits

As well as providing food, you can put out a shallow dish of water to ensure any visiting hogs stay hydrated.

What not to feed hedgehogs

The following foods should be avoided when feeding hedgehogs:

Bread and milk (hogs are lactose intolerant so milk can make them ill. Bread has little nutritional value)

Mealworms (thought to cause health problems when eaten in large quantities)

Read the full blog at THE WOODLAND TRUST

Workshop Creativity

How to make your own curls for needle felted sheep

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So you have spent hours making your fabulous needle felted sheep, only to realise you don’t have any curls to finish it. Grrrr! Not to worry, just grab a ball of wool, yarn or similar and make your own. It’s really easy and creates a whole new look for your needle felted animals; Scroll down for video tutorial.

It is also very calming and saves you sitting by the post box like this, impatiently waiting for your curly wool to arrive.

VIDEO TUTORIAL

Here is a quick video (part 2) showing you how easy it is. I have used a coarse rug yarn but any yarn with an element of wool in it will do.

Use any yarn you have in your craft box; It is easier to apply if it has some wool content. I have used a coarse rug yarn and a really soft Merino for these two gorgeous sheep.

Create beautiful texture with standard yarn

You will also find out how to add this lush, art yarn (video part 1) to your projects. I used a 40 triangle needle as it is a little easier but a standard (usually a 36 or 38 gauge) will do just fine.

Sheep needle felting kits using this fabulous art yarn are available on the Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts website

Happy creating. Sandy x

We need craft therapy, now more than ever!

March 15, 2020March 19, 202122 Comments

For the first time in my 51 years I am suffering from, what I can only assume, is anxiety. I am usually pretty chilled and my glass is almost always half full. Yet, my stomach is in knots, I can’t switch off, my heart is constantly fluttering, I’m frequently feeling overwhelmed, and fight or flight mode is firmly in the ‘on’ position. I’m worried for those who are going to suffer terrible financial hardships over the coming year and for the kids where school is a safe haven and a place where they get most, if not all of their nutrition. Ring any bells? Well of course it does. It is a universal feeling and we are all suffering – to one extent or another – the same emotions. Much of what we take for granted will be out of reach for some time and many of us (myself included) have the added worry of close, immediate family members and friends who are very vulnerable with serious health conditions. We are entering difficult times, in uncharted territory, and need to find our own coping mechanisms to help us navigate the next few months and beyond.
So here’s the thing. We all know how to stay safe but staying sane is another matter. Many of us will be isolated and often lonely over the coming months and crafts, now more than ever, will provide us with much needed respite and allow us to switch off, for a little while at least. For lots of us crafts and the creative community will become our online ‘tribe’ and take on a much more important role. Creativity is so important for our mental health, especially as we hunker down for the long haul.
I had a discussion with a very close friend about how I was feeling and her advice was to keep creating and continue to share it with others, as I have for the last six years. So, to that end, I will continue to add tutorials to YouTube and the blog whenever I can. I may even do a Facebook live if that’s something you might enjoy. It’s also a time to refocus and prioritise and this is just my, very small contribution. If there is any aspect of needle felting you are struggling with, even if it’s the confidence to get started, then just pop over to my Facebook page and message me or pop a question in this FaceBook post. Even if I’m not around (or don’t have the answers), there are lots of knowledgeable and talented crafters on there (some I have been in contact with creatively for a long while) able to share their own creative advice or just give you the boost you need to get going. What you definitely won’t see from me is lots of ‘positive vibes’ quotes. It’s not my bag (I have always found my sense of dark, dry humour to be the best remedy) and it will get very old very quickly, oftentimes diminishing the problems we are facing. Nobody wants a barrage of ‘you got this’ or ‘keep calm and carry on’ when calm is the last thing we are feeling. However, social media really is about to come into its own so let’s bolster and support each other as much as we can and continue to use our creative social media community for the greater good.

YouTube tutorial links are below and kits and supplies available on the Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts website and Etsy but all you need is a handful of wool, a felting needle and a cuppa.
Stay safe and big love
Sandy xxx

This way for craft therapy video tutorials

Needle Felted Hedgehog Video Tutorial

October 17, 2018January 30, 20217 Comments

Hedgehog needle felting kits are available on the Website

So excited to introduce Colin Hedgehog, the prickliest member of the Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts tribe. The full needle felting kit to accompany this video is also available on the Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts website.

This is my version of our beloved hedgehog. More fun than you can shake a stick at? Not sure what that means but it is definitely a lot of fun.

Skill level: Complete beginners to intermediate
What you need: Enthusiasm!

So, make a cuppa, cut yourselves a slice of cake and join me for a full tutorial teaching you new tips, tricks and techniques as well as trying new wool and needles.

Bonus! if you are using the kit you get to make at least 3 Colin hedgehogs! What better way to spend a crafternoon…

Happy felting!

Shop hedgehog needle felting kit at: Website Etsy Store

For all enquiries please message me at: Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts

VIP subscribers receive exclusive access to discount codes, promotions and flash sales:

ETSY BANNER BLUE 9 — Instant pattern downloads now available!

Pattern only instant downloads are also available on the Website and Etsy

If you would like to see more of these types of tutorial don’t forget to leave a comment.

How to needle felt a firm head shape – Video tutorial

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A short video (only 12 minutes) to help you improve your needle felting techniques.

When needle felting a head (animals or people) it is important to make sure you have a really firm shape. If you have a soft head then when you start to add the features you will distort or flatten the wool.

It is one of the most common mistakes (apart from floppy legs) but very easy to get right. As with all things, practice makes perfect, but needle felting does allow for mistakes because you can just add another layer. Just remember the golden rule: Start smaller and build your shape up and you can add but not take away. If you start too big and have to keep adding you will end up with a head the size of a football and then have to make a body to match! We are now talking life size sheep or giant hares that will just scare everyone, especially the dog or cat…

My best advice: Be patient. Don’t try to run before you can walk. Get the basics right and the rest will follow. Yes, I know your bestie, family member or work colleague wants a sculpture of their dog making after seeing a flower brooch you made? However, anything worth doing takes time. If it didn’t we would all be taking David Bailey quality photographs after an hours tutorial, or be able to put in a whole plumbing system after fixing a leaky tap… Most definitely, very soon we would all be very bored of hearing about each others achievements and stop making the effort.

Happy creating!