Tutorial – Needle Felted Trim

I decided to add a little trim to the flap of my Edgewater bag. I love the dark brown strap that I chose, but wanted to incorporate that brown into the bag itself as well. With a little tuft of spare fiber and a felting needle, I added a thin brown stripe to the edge of the flap. Learn how in this tutorial.

This post contains affiliate links (click for more info). If you click one of these links and then make a purchase, I may be compensated. You get the same great prices, and you will be helping to support this site!

Do you like the Edgewater Bag featured in this tutorial? Get the pattern here!

Needle Felting Materials:

(scroll down for video tutorial)

Felting Needles:

You’ll need a felting needle and a foam block or pad to put under your work. Needles come in different shapes and gauges (sizes). The shapes refer to the shape of the point of the needle – it’s very hard to see without a magnifying glass. Try out some different ones to get a feel for what you prefer for various tasks. For detail work like this, the triangular shaped needles are great. As far as gauge, the higher the number, the finer the needle. A finer needle gives you more precision, but also breaks more easily. 38 gauge is somewhere in the middle and is a good size to start with.

Felting Sponge:

You’ll need a sponge to put under your work. There are lots of felting sponges available commercially, made of various materials. If you’re just starting out, you can even use a normal dish sponge. The one I use in the video is a styrofoam block that I got at a felting class last year. It’s actually 2 pieces glued together to be thicker. You want it thick enough to prevent the needle from hitting the table, and you want the needle to be able to go into it easily without breaking.

Felting Fiber:

For a small piece of trim like this, it doesn’t take a whole lot of fiber. If you spin, you’re bound to have some leftover bits you can use. If not, you can buy felting fiber on Etsy, Amazon, or from most stores that sell spinning fiber. I suggest getting a multi-colored pack to play with.

Words like “roving” and “top” refer to the preparation of the fiber and to what extent the individual fibers are aligned. Roving is generally most popular for felting because the fibers are not well aligned, so they felt better.  On the other hand, top (where the fibers are more aligned) can give you a whole different texture and a somewhat silkier finish.   

Needle Felting Tips:

(scroll down for video tutorial)

Don’t Stab Yourself!

This is tip number one. With the repetitive motions, t’s easy to get into a rhythm and stop paying attention to where your hands are. But remember the needles are sharp, thin, and barbed at the end, so they do sting a bit if you poke yourself. Try to be mindful of where your free hand is at all times.

Bend from the Elbow

Speaking of repetitive motions – your wrist isn’t built to handle the constant up and down, but your elbow is much better at it. Avoid repetitive strain issues by keeping your wrist still and moving from the elbow. Also take periodic breaks if you’re working on a large project.

To work this, start from the bottom – there are 2 stitches on the bottom layer, with 3 stitches on top of it. Put 3 stitches on your cable needle and hold it behind the work (because it’s a right cross). Then work the next 2 stitches. Now let’s look at the next layer – 2 stitches over 1. So put 1 stitch from the cable needle back onto your left needle and work that 1 for the middle layer. Finally, work the top layer – the 2 stitches that are still on your cable needle.

Affiliate Advertisement

[the_ad_group id=”1380″]

Video Tutorial:

(back to top)

Did you enjoy needle felting? You might also enjoy my book review of Needle Felted Tapestries.