How to Do Felt Sculpture

A cat sculpture can be created with wool using needle-felting techniques.

Felting is a unique wool and needle hobby that does not require knowledge of knit or crochet or any other needlework stitches. It does, however, involve wool and needles. A multi-sided barbed needle is punched into layers of wool. The barbs cause the individual fibers in the wool to latch onto each other. This process causes the fibers to mat together. As layers of fiber are built up, the wool can be given a sculptural form. You can sculpt any number of objects using the needle-felting process. For our example, we will sculpt a small cat.

Things You'll Need

• wool fiber or a felting kit available in the sewing department at many craft stores
• felting needles
• felting-needle holder (optional)
• felting mat
• embroidery floss
• sewing needle
• safety eyes, glass eyes or embroidery floss, beads or buttons to make eyes

Instructions

1. Pull out some wool fibers and roll them into a ball. Using your felting mat to protect the working surface, punch three felting needles into the ball repeatedly. If you do not have a needle holder, wrap three needles with first-aid tape to hold them together. The ball will shrink as you continue to punch with the needles. When the ball is firm and has become smaller, add more wool fibers and wrap them around the ball. Roll the new fibers and the ball together with your hands. Needle punch again. Repeat this process until you have a ball about 1 inch in diameter. This will be the cat's head.

2. Pull off a small handful of fibers and roll them into a tube. Punch the fibers with the felting needles so they adhere together. Layer more fibers lengthwise around the tube and felt them with the needles. Continue to build this form until it is about 3 inches long and an inch or more in diameter. This cylindrical shape will become the body. You can use the needle to shape details such as shoulders and hips by punching more wool in areas where you want the cat's body to be larger. Where you want the body to be more narrow, needle more without adding fiber. You can add more detail or less as you prefer.

3. Take a small bit of wool and roll it into a ball that is smaller than the head. Needle felt this ball and add more fibers until you have a fairly firm ball about 1/2 inch in diameter. This will be the neck. Hold this ball against the ball that you made for the head. Needle this onto the head. Add the body to the other side of this ball where you want the neck to attach. Use the needles to firmly attach the neck to the body.

4. Roll four separate pieces of wool into long thin shapes 2 to 3 inches long. Use your needles on the felting mat to form these cylinders into rough approximations of legs. Needle the four legs to the underside of the body, attaching one at a time.

5. Roll two small balls of wool fiber. These should be about the size of the neck. Use the needle to form these two balls into ear shapes. They should be somewhat triangular with a point at the top of each. Needle the ears onto the top of the head facing forward. Use the needles to create two indentions where the eyes should be. As you punch the eye sockets in, you will also be creating a nose ridge. Punch the needle up from the area where the chin should be and you will complete the form of the face and head.

6. Use the needle to develop the shape of each leg and add toes to form paws. Add fiber as needed and build up the density of the legs and paws as you proceed. The legs will need to be fairly stiff in order to support the cat's body in a standing position. Add more fiber if needed or, if you are having difficulty, consider a lying position for your cat.

7. Roll a bit of fiber into a long cylinder about the size of a leg. Needle this cylinder and make it tighter and firmer. This will be the tail. When the tail is approximately the shape you want it, needle it onto the back end of the cat. You can add fiber and use the needling process to make the tail curve as desired.

8. Add eyes using purchased glass eyes, safety eyes, or embroidery floss. The nose can be embroidered in pink or black. Stitch a line down from the nose and into a J-curve to the left. Mirror that curve to the right. You can use a small bit of pink wool to roll a small ball and then needle it into a flat tongue. Attach the tongue where the two curves intersect below the nose.

Tips & Warnings

• To create density, use the felting needles intensely and add more layers of fiber. When a large volume of fiber is firmly and intensely compressed into a form, the form will be stronger and more dense. You cannot add bulky bunches of fiber at one time. Simply add layer after layer and continue to needle the fibers into place.

• Be extremely careful with the felting needles. They are very sharp. They are barbed along the shaped sides and they can cut your hands very easily. Do not allow children to use felting needles without very close supervision.

• If your felted sculpture is intended for a baby or small child, make sure to felt it together securely. Use embroidery floss or even wool fibers to create the facial features so that they will not come off while a small child is playing with it.

References

• Felting: The Complete Guide; Jane Davis; 2009