A beginner spring project | 4 minute read
How to make a simple felted ball and turn it into a spring animal
Felted balls are one of the most useful starting points in needle felting. They are simple to make, forgiving to work with, and once you have the basic shape, you can take them in almost any direction. This project uses them as the base for three spring animals: a cat, a rabbit, and a mouse.
What You Need
Carded wool in your chosen colours (we used shades from the Carded NZ and Maori ranges), a felting needle, and a foam pad. That is all.
How to Make a Felted Ball
Take a small amount of carded wool and roll it loosely in your hands until you have a rough ball shape. Place it on the foam pad and use your felting needle to work over the surface, turning the ball regularly so it felts evenly on all sides. Keep needling and turning until the shape is firm and round.
The key at this stage is patience. Work the whole surface gradually rather than focusing on one area at a time. A ball that is needled evenly will hold its shape and take detail much better.
Turning the Ball into a Spring Animal
Once you have a firm ball, adding character is mostly about small details: ears, a tail, and facial features. Each animal uses the same basic approach.
Cat — pinch two small triangles of wool into ear shapes and needle them onto the top of the ball. Add two small dots for eyes and a tiny triangle for the nose. A thin coil of wool makes a simple tail.
Rabbit — long ears rather than short ones. Roll two thin sausages of wool, needle them into flat oval shapes, then attach them to the top of the ball. Add a small white or cream puff of wool for the tail.
Mouse — small round ears, a slightly pointed muzzle area built up with a little extra wool, and a long thin tail. Mice benefit from a slightly more elongated ball shape if you want to suggest a body rather than a head.
In each case, attach details by needling the base of the piece firmly into the ball. A few passes of the needle at the join will hold it securely.
Ready to Try It?
These make good gifts or simple spring decorations. If you need supplies, our starter kits include everything you need to begin.
If you make one, we would love to see it. Send us a photo or tag us on Instagram.
The Felt Box · thefeltbox.co.uk · 160 colours. One brand. Built from scratch.