Felting needle substitute

Can you needle felt with yarn?

In fact, you can needle felt with yarn. Using yarn is also an excellent way to decorate items or to mend your crafts. Wool yarns are the best for needle felting because they naturally stick together and cling to moisture and heat, creating a dense, soft fabric for your craft project.

What kind of a needle should I use for felting?

A felting needle must be used for felting because they are specially designed to be used in industrial felting machines which work to matt and lock fibers together to alter loose wool into felt fabric. These felting needles are longer than normal sewing needles with a small bend at one end and are specifically designed for making felt.

What makes a felting needle special?

Felting needles are unique from other types of sewing needles. They aren’t smooth and they have tiny notches along the shaft. They have barbed needles that are used to punch tangles and locks the felt fabric together in place. The more you poke your felt fabric with the felting needle, the more solid your craft will be, helping it to not easily be torn apart.

Felting needle substitute Video 1

Felting needle substitute Video 2

What types of felting needles are there?

There are many different kinds of felting needles and also several felting needle manufacturers. Felting needles come in many different shapes (triangular, star shaped, twisted, etc.) and sizes (heavy, fine, or a specific number gauge). You can choose which kind of felting needle you would prefer to use, depending on the texture of your fiber you are using and your personal taste.

Do I need to buy felting needle tools and handles?

It is not necessary to buy any extra tools or handles to be able to use your felting needles, but they can be helpful in some circumstances. If your felt crafts are fairly large or you are trying to finish your project more quickly, you may use tools that hold several needles at once. Handles can be helpful to use while working on and holding your felt projects more comfortably and for safer ergonomic use.

What else do I need to get started with felting?

Aside from your felting needles, you will also need fiber to work on your felt crafts. For beginners, we recommend coarser fabrics, such as wool, and a thick felting mat that prevents your needle from penetrating through the mat. Foam is a good and inexpensive option to use as a felting mat.

Can I use cotton for needle felting?

Cotton can be used for needle felting to accessorize your crafts. As cotton is an extremely soft fabric and the individual fibers can be taken apart easily, it is a nice fabric that can be used for animal hair, as an example.