5 Things You Need To Start Needle Felting

Hi and welcome to my ultimate guide to needle felting.

I’m Sandy, creator, owner, designer, chief cook and bottle washer at Lincolnshire Fenn Crafts.

Since 2014 I have taught thousands of people to needle felt through my tutorials, videos, workshops and extensive range of inspiring needle felting kits. Whether you are a nervous beginner or a confident crafter, you will discover a wealth of needle felting guides and resources at your creative fingertips. Let’s craft a happy space together!

SO, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO START NEEDLE FELTING?

Not much at all as it happens and you don’t have to spend a lot of money either! It’s a budget friendly hobby that requires very little space and zero experience and all you need is:

1 FELTING WOOL

2 FELTING NEEDLE

3 FELTING MAT

4 GOOD TUTORIALS

5 ENTHUSIASM

FELTING WOOL

Wool tops or carded wool are both great to needle felt with. Avoid Merino wool tops and go for a coarser wool like Jacob, Shetland or Romney.

CLICK HERE FOR MY ULTIMATE WOOL GUIDE AND QUICK LOOK, HANDY CHART

Hands felting a wool bunny with a needle on a burlap fabric against a pastel background, highlighting the crafting process.

Four bundles of wool roving in orange, dark brown, gray, and light brown colors, placed neatly on a wooden bench outdoors.

FELTING NEEDLES

Just one or two standard felting needles will get you started. I like to use a 38 star as a good all-rounder.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEEDLE FELTING GUIDE

A triptych image showing sewing needles. from left to right: a group of straight needles, a needle threading yarn, and a needle with a green handle inserted into fabric.

FELTING MAT

You will need a foam, hessian, or wool mat. A piece of firm foam is what many people use but there are other mats you can try. I tend to use a mixture depending on the project.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MY FAVOURITE FELTING MATS HERE

Two wooden chopsticks rest on a textured napkin with embossed animal designs, placed on a rustic light blue wooden table. — WOOL MAT

Close-up image of a felted wool sculpture showing detailed, realistic brown paws standing on a gray square base. — WOOL MAT

TUTORIALS

Ignore all the fancy needle felting creations you see online and start with a simple needle felting project or tutorial. It is so important to allow yourself to be a beginner and build up to those fancy creations you have been drooling over.

WATCH MY VIDEO TUTORIALS HERE or on YOUTUBE

Left: hands shaping white wool on a felt pad with colorful wool in the background. right: hands crafting a vibrant orange wool pumpkin with yellow thread details.

ENTHUSIASM (and a cuppa)

When it comes to needle felting enthusiasm goes a long, long way! It’s all you need to get started; you don’t need to be artistic, just enthusiastic. Allow yourself to be a beginner and you will pick up the needle felting basics in no time. You may prefer to start with a needle felting kit , especially if you don’t have any equipment. It is a budget friendly way to get started and allows you to see if you enjoy this fabulous craft without ending up with lots of equipment.

SEE MY FULL RANGE OF INSPIRING NEEDLE FELTING KITS AND ACCESSORIES HERE

A collage of five images showcasing handcrafted felt animals, including mice, sheep, and a bear, each staged with accessories like brushes, a painting, and flowers.

JOIN THE VIP FELT CLUB HERE

SO, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO START NEEDLE FELTING?