Tutorial: How to felt shapes: Part 1 of 2

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Tip 1: Let's make a ball

You can form a ball by rolling up a skein or a piece of felting wool. Pinch the ball closed with one hand, and then start poking with your needle with the other hand. Regularly remove the needle and rotate the ball and then resume poking evenly. (Be careful not to rotate the ball while the needle is inserted!) Eventually, you won't need to keep pinching it closed and you can poke your needle at the pinching point to firm it up there as well. As the ball forms, you can also roll it between your palms to make it round. Keep rotating to ensure the ball is evenly firmed and mostly spherical.

On the left side of the image, two mostly obscured hands roll up a length of white felting wool. On the right side, a mostly obscured left hand holds the wool in a ball while a totally obscured right hand pokes it with a felting needle.

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Tip 2: Let's make a circle

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To make a circle, take a piece of felt about twice as long as you want the circle to be wide. Gently shape the fibers of the wool piece into a circle on themselves on your felting surface. It does not need to be perfect! Poke the circle with your needle to firm and form it. You can guide any stray fibers with your needle and bring them back on the circle to neaten it. When you're satisfied with the firmness and shape, gently remove the circle from your feltings surface so you can attach it to another piece.

On the left side of the image, two partially obscured hands stretch light colored felting wool in an arc shape over a felting pad. On the left side, the left hand pinches the wool while the right hand shapes it into a circle.

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Tip 3: Let's make a quadrangle (square, rectangle, diamond)

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To make a four-sided shape - square, rectangle, or diamond - take a piece of felt about two to three times as long as you want your quadrangle. Take the two rough sides of the felt piece and fold them inwards to create straight edges. Carefully hold the piece in place while you poke in with the needle on your felting surface.

On the left side of the image, two partially obscured hands fold the right edge of a small piece of grey felting wool on top of a felting pad. On the right side, a partially obscured left hand places a finger on grey felting wool that has been shaped into a square on the felting pad.

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Basic Tutorial: How to felt shapes: Part 1 of 2

Tip 1: Let's make a ball

Tip 2: Let's make a circle

Tip 3: Let's make a quadrangle (square, rectangle, diamond)