Needle Felting Needles: What Are They?
A Beginner’s Guide to Needle Felting Needles
In the world of needle felting, felting needles are like the unsung heroes, quietly working their magic to transform wool fibers into intricate designs and sculptures. If you're new to the world of felting, you might be wondering: What exactly are felting needles, and how do they differ from regular needles? Today I want to share all of the details about felting needles.
Understanding Felting Needles
At first glance, felting needles seem to look like traditional sewing needles, but they are different. Unlike sewing needles, which simply pass through fabric to join pieces together, felting needles are designed to interlock fibers, creating a dense and cohesive fabric known as felt.
These specialized needles feature barbs or notches along their shafts. As you insert the needle into the wool fibers and repeatedly poke them, these barbs grab onto the fibers, pulling and tangling them together. This process binds the fibers, gradually forming a solid structure: felt.
what is needle felting?
Needle Felting is an ancient craft from the 1800s that uses wool and felting needles to create simple shapes to more advanced sculpted pieces. I personally find the art of needle felting very therapeutic, because I love the texture of the wool and the repetitive motion of the stabbing process to create the felt. You can learn more about needle felting through my Needle Felting for Beginners blog post HERE.
needle felting 101 course
If you want to start your own needle felting journey, than you are in luck! I created a beginner friendly needle felting course to inspire you to get started in needle felting. And, you can use the code “youtube” for $20 off the course. You can see it HERE!
Please enjoy this video talking all about needle felting needles
How Are Felting Needles Different?
The key difference between felting needles and regular sewing needles lies in their construction and functionality. While sewing needles are smooth and designed to glide through fabric with ease, felting needles have barbs that catch and entangle fibers as they penetrate the material. This unique feature enables felting needles to effectively mesh wool fibers together, creating a sturdy and durable fabric.
needle Felting Needle Details: style & weight
Two characteristics to focus on when picking out felting needles are the Style and Weight.
Style
Felting needles come in three different styles: Triangle, Star, and Spiral.
Each style has its benefits, but as a beginner I recommend using the triangular felting needle.
The more experienced you get, the more experimenting you can do with different needle styles.
Weight
The weight or the gauge of the felting needle comes in many different sizes. You can find felting needles in the following gauges: 32, 36, 38, 40, and 42.
As the number gets higher, the needle is thinner. So the lower the gauge, the thicker the project and vice versa.
As a beginner, I recommend styling within the 38 gauge as this is the most versatile size. The more experienced you get, the more experimenting you can do with the needle sizes.
Where to Buy Felting Needles
*This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosures page here.
Felting needles are readily available online and at most craft stores specializing in fiber arts. I like both of these felting needs for beginners: THIS OPTION & THIS OPTION.
In conclusion, felting needles are indispensable tools for anyone interested in the art of needle felting. With their unique design and functionality, they allow crafters to transform wool fibers into an endless array of beautiful and intricate creations. So, grab your needles and wool, and let your imagination take flight into the whimsical world of felting!
And remember, if you want to start your own needle felting journey, I would love to see you in my course, and you can use the code “youtube” for $20 off the course. I’ll see you HERE!
