How to make your own felting needle

Felting is a hobby with which you can make a huge number of different things. This is not a very complicated process that can be easily learned even if you have never done anything like this before. There are two types of felting: wet and dry. In order to do the job correctly, you will need a special needle, which can be purchased at any specialty store.

But what if you need to make a product now? How can I replace a felting needle and how does it differ from other sewing accessories of this type? You will learn about all this in this article.

Do-it-yourself felting needle - useful information for beginning needlewomen

Felting wool requires special tools. This is one of the few types of needlework that requires special tools. You can make some tools yourself, but this is a very small part. The information for novice needlewomen presented in this article regarding all kinds of needles will be very useful, since before starting work, you need to carefully study the features and subtleties. Can a felting needle be made quickly and easily with your own hands? We will try to answer this question in this article.

A felting needle is a thin stick with a serrated edge. It is precisely due to the fact that the jagged edges catch the wool pile when punctured, the reverse movement of this device makes it possible to knock the pile together more tightly, and subsequently form a tight lump. In fact, this is the principle of working with these needles.

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How to make your own felting needle

It will be useful for beginning needlewomen to know which needles are used for dry and wet felting.

The presented markings correspond to foreign needles, but the Russian markings are different:

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to make needles for felting. But it can be repaired. For example, you don’t have to be a professional or have any special skills to repair a felting needle. It’s very easy to turn an inconvenient tool into a comfortable one with a handle. For these purposes, a regular ballpoint pen, the top of which can be unscrewed, along with foam rubber and hot glue are quite suitable.

In order to repair a felting needle, you must follow the successive steps of work:

With such a modernized tool, the felting process will become even more enjoyable and interesting. And for beginning needlewomen, the work process will also be significantly simplified.

Needles for dry felting.

A needle for dry felting is shown in the photo. Dry felting needles vary greatly in shape and size. In accordance with the thickness of the needle, they are indicated by numbers. Needles range from 0.5 mm to 1 mm. The designation of their sizes is very similar to the designation of crochet hooks or knitting needles.

Reverse felting needle requires detailed consideration. It is not used for main work, but it is ideal for creating light fluffiness on the surface of products. With this needle you can easily make animal fur, hair or fluff on flowers and fruits. The principle of its operation is that it not only dumps the pile, but also pulls it out a little during the return movement.

Size No. 32 - thick reverse needle for felting dense wool or pulling out large tufts of fibers;

Size No. 40 - fine reverse needle to create a little fluffiness.

Beginning needlewomen should take into account that if they are going to engage in felting wool for a long time, then it is better to buy needles of recommended quality.

Needles for felting wool and accessories for felting

Today you can find many brands and types of felting tools on sale, both dry and wet. The market includes both Russian needle manufacturers (for example, “Gamma”), and foreign, including English and German companies offering high-quality needles (the same “Rayher” or “Clover”). They differ primarily in price.

The quality is also slightly different: according to reviews from needlewomen, Gamma needles deteriorate faster, break easily, and are more fragile and flexible.

If you are going to engage in felting wool for a long time, it is recommended to buy only high-quality needles

If you need to choose needles for yourself, but you don’t know where to buy them, you can try ordering a trial ready-made felting kit on the Internet. Today, a large selection of such goods is offered by large handicraft trading platforms, for example, the Leonardo hobby store. Its assortment also includes other products that will be useful to the felter.

What you should buy for successful felting:

Set of needles;
Felting mat (it can be replaced with a wide thick sponge);
Pimpled film for wet felting;
Felting brush (slicker brush);
Needle holder: in some cases it is more convenient to felt with several needles at once, which can easily be secured in the holder;
Sliver is a base for wet felting or fabric for creating works using the “nunofelt” technique;
Actually, wool.

If you like felting wool, in the future you can choose the most convenient needles for yourself and buy them separately. We recommend choosing needles with a wooden handle - they are more convenient to hold.

It's no secret that felting needles often break. This does not mean that you need to urgently buy a new needle, which can cost a lot of money. There are spare needles on sale that you can turn into a convenient tool yourself.

Felting for beginners. What are felting needles for?

Let's talk about felting needles.

If you, like me, love felting wool, then sooner or later you will be faced with the question of what needles are needed for and how they are used for felting.

I think you know why and how wool fibers adhere to each other. Under a microscope, it can be seen that there are scales on the surface of the hair that become entangled during the felting process, catching on each other.

The result is a more or less dense canvas or three-dimensional product, for example a wool toy or an interior sculpture.

According to the method of connecting these scales to each other, felting is divided into wet and dry. For wet felting, soap and water are used. And for dry - special needles, which confuse these same scales with each other.

Needles are classified into straight and reverse, according to the shape of the serrations, and are also numbered. The higher the number, the thinner and shorter the felting needle

Straight needles are used for felting and tangling fibers. When felting toys or sculptural objects, the felting process begins with the coarsest, thickest needles, for example No. 25. The denser the workpiece becomes, the more often the needles are changed to thinner ones. The final grinding of the surface of the finished work is carried out with the thinnest needles, for example No. 50.

But if you are just at the beginning of mastering this skill, and you have not yet conquered all the wonders of wool, do not be discouraged if you do not have the full range of needles.

I felt my wool flowers only using size 38 needles.

According to their shape, the needles are divided into triangular and star-shaped. Below you see examples of cross-sections of needles.

How to learn wool felting - step-by-step instructions, what materials and tools you will need

To take up felting on a regular basis, you will gradually need to acquire a number of tools that will simplify the needlewoman’s life and speed up the results. Depending on the specific material, as well as the tools, the resulting craft will differ.

If we consider devices, tools and materials, there are many options. But the main ones are:

needles;
Sander;
sponge;
brush;
stencils;
the wool itself is for felting.

What needles for needlework look like and how they can be replaced

Felting uses different types of felting needles. They have triangular and star-shaped notches, which affects the degree of grip of the felt. At the same time, they also differ in thickness. At first, a thick needle is used, when the felting process is just beginning. But then it is replaced by more subtle ones. They are usually sold in sets.

Cost – 155 rubles.

Needles often break, and therefore it is somewhat expensive to buy a whole set because of one broken one. To prevent this from happening, it is better to master the technique of using the tool correctly. So, when working, the needles are stuck strictly perpendicular to the product, or at an angle. But the main rule is that you need to pull it out at the same angle at which you stuck it into the felt. In this case, the product must be constantly twisted during processing so that the needles do not turn the material into wool dust.

When the needle enters the wool, a crunching sound should be heard. This is normal and indicates that the master is doing everything right.

You can replace a broken needle using a special crochet hook, which must have serrations. Or make needles from an old broken one, making appropriate notches on it. But this is a rather painstaking task that may end in failure and not give the desired results when felting.

Grinding machine - machine

The sanding machine is often used in wet felting. It is perfect for working in the style of nuno-felting, that is, combining silk with wool in wet felting. In any case, the unit is able to speed up the process of creating wool fabrics, as well as reduce the load on the back and arms.

Sponge

Sponge – it is necessary for dry felting. It should be dense enough so that it does not sag or wrinkle during operation. The material rolled into a cylinder is placed on it and processed with needles according to the generally accepted scheme.

Brush

A brush from a pet store allows you to comb out the fur. In this way, it is possible to increase the multidirectionality of fibers, which will ultimately affect the speed and quality of felt formation.

A brush is used if a layer of combed tape is purchased in a store. Price – 76 rub.

Stencils

Stencils are necessary if you need to create a specific pattern on felt. A specific pattern is cut out on cardboard or paper. Then it is applied to a previously prepared layer of sponge. A stencil is placed on the surface in the place of the pattern, and wool of the desired shade is placed on it. Next, you need to walk the needle first along the contour, and then along the main part of the drawing. Place a new portion of wool on top and go through the needle again, and then, if necessary, add material again.

A stencil is used to create parts that must be the same size. Some craftsmen don’t bother with the form and buy ready-made stencils.

How to felt wool by hand

Wool can be felted by hand using several methods - wet or dry felting. The process is carried out as follows for dry felting:

The felt tape is rolled into a tight cylinder. Next, it is placed either on a sponge or on a brush with stiff bristles.
After this, a thick needle is taken into hand and the felting process itself begins - the needle is stuck in different places.
As the surface compacts, it is necessary to change the needle to a thinner one.
After the parts of the future toy, bag or other thing are ready, you need to connect them. This is done either by sewing or using the same felting. But to do this, more fluffy material should be left on the adhesion surfaces, which is then pressed down with needles when fastening the parts.

During processing, the product necessarily rotates around its axis.

Dry felting is quite simple and does not require special technical skills or equipment. When wet felting, everything is no less simple:

You need to lay out an oilcloth on the table, it is better to take a pimply one, which will provide an excellent option for handling the uneven surface of the felt during the felting process.
Next, gauze or other fabric is placed on the film, and wool is placed on it in an even layer. On it, if the composition requires it, a background or pattern is laid out.
The wool is moistened with a soap solution, which is prepared from several grated pieces of soap and 2 liters of water.
After this, another layer of oilcloth is placed. You can roll the resulting surface around a rolling pin or bamboo mat. The option is selected based on the area of the product. At the stage before rolling the roll, some craftsmen use a vibrating grinding machine.
After this, the roll is secured with tape and begins to actively roll out, as if rolling out dough. Then everything turns around, the formation plane is rotated by 90° and the procedure is repeated again.
When the surface is ready, they continue to manually rub it over the surface of the bubble wrap, and also knead it like dough, but without excessive zeal.
The last stage is rinsing the fabric.

Next, the necessary parts are made from the resulting felt layer. In some cases, if only small items such as ears for a toy are required, then wet felting is combined with the use of a stencil.

The golden rule in wet felting is considered to be 100 rolls of the fabric. This is done with slight pressure on the roll. When using a sanding machine, some craftswomen make 50 movements.

How to replace wool for felting

This question plagues those needlewomen who make voluminous things using felting. In this case, there are plenty of options. Some craftswomen recommend using padding polyester as a base, which will be the “core” of the toy.

In the case of wet felting, many people use silk as a basis.

How to dye wool for felting at home

For staining you will need:

the wool itself;
table vinegar;
dye;
polyethylene;
newspapers;
pot;
pallet;
colander.

The wool is soaked in water for 15 minutes. The dye diluted in warm water is added to the spray bottle. Vinegar is also poured into it in a ratio of 1:5 (5 parts of dye). If you don’t like the shade, you can add more water. Mix everything by shaking the container with a closed spray bottle.

Remove the wool from the water, squeeze it lightly, spread it on polyethylene in a tray, lined with newspapers, in a uniform layer, straightening the fibers. Spray the paint evenly onto the wool. There should be little liquid so that there is only a small puddle under the combed tape.

Wrap the mass in film, covering it tightly on the sides with its edges. The layer rolls up, squeezing out excess liquid. Next, the roll is placed in a colander and lowered into boiling water in a pan. The structure should be kept on fire for about 30 minutes. Afterwards the stove is turned off and the mass is allowed to cool.

If you intend to use large volumes of wool of the same tone, then it is better to dye them together so that the shades do not differ later.

Cooled wool should be rinsed in hot water to remove excess dye. After the skein has dried, the wool can be used for its intended purpose.

Wool consumption

If we consider the approximate consumption of wool, the experience of needlewomen shows:

slippers require about 200-30 g of wool;
for chuni – 260-350 g;
for flip flops – 180-260 g;
for mittens – up to 200 g depending on size;
for a scarf or bath cap – 100 g;
cap or cap – up to 100 g;
handbag – 200-400 g;
short coat – up to 800 g;
felt boots – up to 900 g.

It is important to consider that during the felting process the volume of wool decreases by an average of 30%, and therefore the size of the product will be smaller than the original version.

Safety precautions

It is important to handle equipment correctly, especially needles. They quickly tear and pierce the skin. Therefore, it is advisable to carry out the dry felting process on a sponge or stiff brush.

In the case of using a sanding machine for wet felting, you should be careful with wires and the electrical network, because moisture and electricity can give a sad result in the end for the master.

What to replace a needle for felting wool with

But what if you need to make a product now? How can I replace a felting needle and how does it differ from other sewing accessories of this type? You will learn about all this in this article.

Needle No. 40

This needle is used for working on small details that require increased accuracy and caution. It leaves almost invisible holes in the product. Most often it is used in the manufacture of small crafts or as a final step in processing. If you create dolls, then it is better to take a needle with a number forty for working on facial plasticity. Then the doll will look more believable.

The felting technique itself involves the use of several needles, so you definitely won’t get by with just one. Only a skilled craftsman can felt wool with one needle. If you want to spend as little money as possible and save money, then buy sets. For a beginner wool felter, three to five needles will be more than enough.

If there is no specialized store in your city and you do not know where to buy needles for felting, then contact online stores. Most often, you can also pick up wool for felting and special literature with lessons for beginners.

Needle for felting wool - features and purpose

A new needle may be needed because the previous one is broken.
Unfortunately, this happens quite often for beginners, and buying new sets every time can be problematic for financial reasons. What to do in this case? First, let's figure out why ordinary needles are not suitable for felting. The fact is that they are more reminiscent of knitting needles than the small sewing needles we are used to. At the end of such devices there are special teeth, with the help of which the felt is grabbed. Thus, the whole process occurs - one piece of wool is captured by a needle and transferred to another place. This is how the shape is formed, and the product also has the required volume.

That's why felt products are so beautiful and pleasant to the touch.

Reference! There are several types of felting needles, each with a different purpose. That is why it is not very advisable to buy a new whole set because one needle breaks.

For example, the thickest devices are used exclusively in the first stages of work, while medium models can be used from the beginning to the end of felting.

Defects when felting wool

Despite all efforts, it happens that felting does not bring the desired results. In this case, there may be certain mistakes made by the craftsmen or poor quality material for the work.

Why isn't it lying around?

Quite often, craftswomen are faced with the fact that no matter how much you felt, three or three times, vibrate the fabric with the machine, the wool will not fall off. There may be several reasons for this:

unsuitable breed of sheep that produced the sheep's wool;
special means used to treat the mass;
wrong choice of material.

The latter is very important, because some types of fibers are used exclusively for spinning, and therefore simply cannot be felted. Therefore, when purchasing, it is very important to clarify this point. Find out about the composition and description of Dior fabric at this link.

Wool matted after washing: how to fix it

This kind of trouble also happens, especially if you do not follow the rules of care and washing. You can get rid of shrinkage by:

Daily soaking of the item in water, alcohol and ammonia. Add a little shampoo to 10 liters of water, 2 tbsp. ammonia and 1 tbsp. alcohol Keep it for a day. Then stretch the item diagonally, and then in width and length.
Simply soak the item in hot water. Let it cool a little until warm, periodically stretching it according to the previous method and repeat until the water has cooled completely.
You can eliminate shrinkage in the water with which the beans were previously soaked. Heat it until hot, place a sweater there and proceed according to the previous method.
Soaking in cold milk gives excellent results that return things to their original appearance. It costs about 4 hours to keep the item in it. Then rinse and stretch.

When drying things on a horizontal surface, you also need to slightly stretch them along the diagonals, length and width. This will prevent her from sitting down again. Read about pleated fabric here.

Shrinkage during wet felting of wool

Shrinkage may also occur when wool is felted wet. This is fine. In many ways, incorrect calculation and choice of material play a role here. 30% is the average minimum figure. In fact, to get the same 1x1m fabric, you need to lay out 143 cm of wool. That is, approximately the volume is calculated as follows: 143-143x30%=100. This article will tell you about the characteristics of the moleskin material.

In this technique, it is permissible to reduce the volume of the product by 30-49%.

How to replace a needle for felting wool

Replacing a needle specially designed for this process can be quite problematic.
You can try to take a crochet hook if it has characteristic notches and try to start working. But not every hook will work, so you'll have to use trial and error. In addition, there are special felting machines into which replaceable attachments are inserted. Making them for such a device is quite simple:

Machines into which needles are inserted allow you to complete the felting process much faster and with better quality. You no longer have to stand for a long time and poke at wool to get a beautiful product as a result. But some craftswomen still prefer to do all the work with their own hands from start to finish - they believe that this is precisely the meaning and pleasure of making this or that thing on their own.

Now you know how a felting needle differs from other sewing tools. The characteristic notches make it an indispensable attribute of this process, without which felting wool simply will not work. But if you choose the right tool or make it yourself, then in the end you will get a magnificent felt product. In addition, there are “reverse” needles, with which you can achieve incredible softness of a toy or craft. This way they turn out even fluffier.

Felting is a useful and interesting activity that will bring pleasure not only to you, but also to everyone who sees or even receives your amazing creations as a gift, because beautiful animals or figures obtained from a simple piece of wool are a real miracle!

Source

Dry wool felting technique

Making toys with your own hands is a very exciting and interesting activity, the result of which is sure to please the diligent craftsman. It is enough to at least try to felt some figure once, and you will certainly love this activity.

Anyone who likes to create something with their own hands, invent and create, will love this activity. After all, for the finished toy you can also come up with an image, clothes, accessories, which is also very exciting.

Felting dry wool is easier to learn, so beginners are advised to start with this technique. This technique involves felting raw, dry wool that has not yet been processed. Needles for dry felting are no different from needles for wet felting. Therefore, you can stock up on the above-mentioned tools and work with them in several techniques at once.

DIY felting needle: information for beginners with photos

It’s the 21st century, but many needlewomen preferred to choose an interesting Old Slavic craft as a hobby – felting. Having mastered the felting technique, you can easily create wonderful cozy toys and souvenirs, clothes and shoes, beads and other unusual and individual things. That’s why this activity is gaining more and more fans. However, this rare craft cannot be done without special tools. Likewise, special needles are used to create felt products. In this article we will tell you in detail which needle is intended for what, how to choose the right needle, whether it is possible to make a felting needle with your own hands and a lot of other useful information.

Essentially, felting needles look like an iron stick or knitting needle, the end of which is covered with teeth to capture the pile. The point of the needle easily enters the wool ball, catches the thread and, pulling it out, inserts it into the other end of the ball. Thus, the lump is given elasticity and shape. Let's look at the information for beginners about which needle is what.

Making a simple toy using the dry felting technique

Take unspun wool in any color you like, felting needles, pastel crayons or acrylic paints for detailing. You can also take a backing on which the product is fixed.

Draw on paper what you see the future toy to be. Tear off a piece of wool and take the coarsest needle. Begin to quickly stick it into the fur with force and at the same time form the body of the toy. When the workpiece has become dense and hard enough to the touch and can hold its shape, you can take a thinner needle and process uneven areas.

Create all the details separately. In the place where you are going to connect them, you should not felt wool. If you do this, then in the future it will be difficult for you to connect all the blanks.

When the parts are ready, you can connect them. Take a coarse needle and work the pieces together. Decorate the finished toy with paints or pastel crayons. You can also sew or knit clothes for the toy, or make jewelry from beads. Everything that your imagination is capable of can be used in creating such crafts from dry wool.

Triangular option

Triangular needles are used in the first stages of work. They have a simple shape, making it easy to pierce felt. The triangular needles vary in thickness, but each has a jagged, sharp tip.

The thickest triangular needles are used only at the very beginning of the process.

With a medium-diameter needle you can work from the first to the last stage.

Small triangular needles are intended for “jewelry” finishing of the product.

Triangular twisted

The twisted triangular needle differs from the usual spiral-shaped working side. This needle is used for felting wool at the very end, because it leaves very small, unnoticeable holes.

Reverse

A reverse triangular needle is used to pull small hairs out of the product and form a soft pile. Thanks to the reverse teeth, you can easily catch the right amount of wool without damaging the structure of the toy or decoration.

Needle star

Due to the number and arrangement of teeth, this needle copes better with felting than, for example, a triangular one. It is best to use such needles for working out a pattern on a product, felting flat parts, etc. Star needles can rightfully be called universal, since they can felt anything you want in half the time.

Twisted model

This needle is used both at the beginning and in the middle of the felting process. It has a twisted end with teeth along its entire length. There are 16 cloves in total and each of them is used to the maximum. Accordingly, working with this needle can significantly reduce the time for making a particular item. Another advantage of this needle is the twisted working end, thanks to which the holes from the needle in the product are almost invisible.

Crown needles

A distinctive feature of this needle is that the notches (notches) are located only at the end of the tip. The crown needle was developed by puppeteers. They are used to tumble in hair, eyelashes on dolls, and shaggy toys. The structure of the crown needle allows it to work only on the surface of the product and does not allow the decor to penetrate to the back side of the product. The “crown” needle does not embed the wool, but only fixes it; this is very convenient for felting patterns and decorating.

Type Crown

— size 36 Suitable for tucking hair into the heads of toys, tucking in spots and stripes.

— size: 38 (medium) thinner than 36 No., but breaks more often

— size: 40 (thin)

— size: 42 (super thin)

Needle crown

This needle has teeth only at the end and is used at the completion stage of the work. It is used to perfect small details and mask holes from other needles.

The photo shows the process of working with a triangular needle:

Let's look at the needle sizes.

So is it possible to make a felting needle with your own hands? Unfortunately, without a special machine and special skills, you will not be able to make any of the felting needles described above. But there is also good news. You can easily fix a broken needle yourself. Considering that such needles are much less common on sale than ordinary needles or knitting needles, the information we provide below will be very useful for both beginners and experienced felters.

To repair a felting needle, follow this algorithm. Take a small piece of foam rubber and wrap it in cling film. Next, unscrew the top part of the handle. The needle is stuck into the foam to the depth necessary for the best attachment of the handle. The upper part of the handle is put on the needle until it touches the soft padding. The upper part of the handle is filled with hot glue and the needle is aligned and fixed until it hardens. When the glue has hardened, you need to tighten the handle and beat off the foam rubber.

Using this simple method, you can easily bring your needle back to normal, but it is better to treat your tools with care, then you won’t have to repair them.

Star needles

Star-shaped needles or they are also called “stars” have a tetrahedral cross-section. This allows wool fibers to be felted more efficiently (than triangular ones), this is due to the location and number of notches. These needles are used at the final stages of work, in voluminous toys. They polish the surface, they perfectly smooth the surface and do not leave small holes. They are also convenient for rolling flat parts.

Type Star (tetrahedral section " asterisk, star"):

- size: 38 (medium) - universal needle, suitable for working at all stages of felting. For felting flat parts (fins, ears, tails, etc.) to create reliefs.

— size: 40 (thin)

Secrets of successful felting. Part 2. Tools for dry felting

Felting, felting or felting is a type of creativity that every year not only does not lose its relevance, but, on the contrary, attracts new fans to its ranks.

The process of felting is the process of kneading and compacting soft, airy yarn into elastic felt and giving it the required shape. In the previous article we talked about what felted products are made from, and now we will tell you how and with what help.

There are two main felting techniques - dry and wet. And each of them has its admirers. We will start with dry felting and, first of all, we will tell you what tools exist for this and what will be needed at first. Once you know the basics, you can easily begin the creative process itself.

Needles

This is the most important tool you will need. For felting, special needles with notches are used, to which the wool clings.

Felting needles from different manufacturers are available on the market: for example, Tulip, Rayher, PRYM, GAMMA, Clover. Like any other product, the needles of the listed brands have their advantages and disadvantages.

Tulip needles are famous for their nickel plated finish. Rayher managed to establish itself at the dawn of the popularity of felting as a brand from Germany, although their original products were produced, like everyone else, in the countries of Southeast Asia.

There is an opinion that the country of production affects the quality of the product, and sometimes this statement is true. But, as a rule, everything is decided by quality control on the part of the company responsible for its brand. In this case, an indicator of the reliability of needles is strength, which depends on the alloy from which the wire for the production of the needle is cast. A needle made of a good alloy will not break, but bend.

How to work with felting needles correctly

During the felting process, any needle must be held perpendicular to the product, then it will last a long time and will become an excellent assistant for any needlewoman. It is important to remember that the angle at which it exits the wool must be the same as the angle at which it enters. The needles are quite fragile, so if you start to loosen them, the tip breaks and remains inside the toy.

The numbering of products from different manufacturers may differ, so in order not to get confused, you should pay attention to the name of the needle and its shape. For examples, we will use the standard numbering used by most masters.

Necessary materials for felting

Wool is a natural, soft, living material that is pleasant to work with. Its fibers can be taken in different colors and mixed with each other, creating smooth transitions. Felting or felting is an ancient type of needlework that has existed in Rus' since time immemorial. It is known for its traditional type of winter footwear – felt boots. After they were made, there was material left that could be used to make toys and jewelry.

To felt crafts, you will need the wool itself, which is sold in skeins - special skeins, as well as felting needles, the numbers of which were mentioned above, and a sponge or a special brush. To protect your fingers, beginners should purchase special thimbles.

Special techniques when working with wool

In order to create a bend, the part needs to be bent the way we need it, and a needle needs to be passed along the bend and around it to fix its position. Flat elements must be constantly turned over for better falling. Wool felters often speed up their work by using applicators that hold multiple needles. But at the initial stage, it is best to use one tool to learn how to control its stroke and tilt. When joining two layers of wool of different shades on a flat piece, the punctures should not be too deep, otherwise one color will begin to show through the other.

Small details are best done with a thin needle, carefully moving from the outline to the center. When the wool becomes dense enough, we change the needle to a thinner one and continue to give the product the desired shape. To create fluffy toys, we use a reverse needle, which pulls the fibers out. You can tie several needles together using a regular rubber band to speed up the process.

These simple tips will help you quickly and effortlessly make a beautiful interior toy or decoration with your own hands.

Features of twisted and star-shaped needles

A special group includes the so-called super-fast, spiral or twisted needles. Due to the fact that their barbs are not located one after another, like conventional needles, but along the entire diameter, their productivity is much higher. But at the same time, the resistance of wool also increases, which is why it is more difficult to work with them than with ordinary ones. For twisted needles, the axis is twisted in a spiral, therefore a larger number of notches are placed on the working surface, and the felting speed increases.

Star-tipped needles are thinner than regular needles and leave smaller holes. But they pull out more wool fibers than spiral ones and are considered more productive. This form is more effective due to the presence of deep grooves on the sides. “Stars” can be triangular or tetrahedral. The eco-star has convex sides - due to this, it fits into the wool more smoothly and does not tear the fibers. Triangular and tetrahedral sprockets, often No. 38 and 40, are almost always used as the main ones. They work well in an applicator. They are easier to felt than regular triangular ones.

All these types of needles are used at the initial stage of work to shape the product. Star and triangular needles are the most popular and often used in the dry felting technique.

Applicators or needle holders

In addition to the felting needles themselves, there are special holders for them - applicators. They can be with replaceable or monolithic heads. In the first case, the mechanism is used for various needles that can be changed, and in the second - only for one, built into the holder. There are special attachments where 3 to 5 needles are inserted to speed up the hair fall. The material from which these devices are made varies. Mostly it is wood or plastic. Applicators are best suited for short needles - long ones will stick out, which will complicate the process.

Do-it-yourself felting needle - useful information for beginning needlewomen

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How to make your own felting needle

Needles for felting wool and accessories for felting

Felting for beginners. What are felting needles for?

How to learn wool felting - step-by-step instructions, what materials and tools you will need

What needles for needlework look like and how they can be replaced

Grinding machine - machine

Sponge

Brush

Stencils

How to felt wool by hand

How to replace wool for felting

How to dye wool for felting at home

Wool consumption

Safety precautions

What to replace a needle for felting wool with

Needle No. 40

Needle for felting wool - features and purpose

Defects when felting wool

Why isn't it lying around?

Wool matted after washing: how to fix it

Shrinkage during wet felting of wool

How to replace a needle for felting wool

Dry wool felting technique

DIY felting needle: information for beginners with photos

Making a simple toy using the dry felting technique

Triangular option

Triangular twisted

Reverse

Needle star

Twisted model

Crown needles

Needle crown

Star needles

Secrets of successful felting. Part 2. Tools for dry felting

Needles

How to work with felting needles correctly

Necessary materials for felting

Special techniques when working with wool

Features of twisted and star-shaped needles

Applicators or needle holders