DIY Wool Felted Animals and Crafts

by Mish Volonino

Have you ever seen some of the fantastic Wool Felted animals that seek on Etsy?

diy wool felted animals and crafts, crafts

This past Christmas season I found myself drawn to Wool Felted ornaments. I probably would have purchased some but they were pricey and I am a crafty girl with the attitude of "hey, I can do that".

I fell in love with a few Wool Felted nativity sets but those were so expensive I decided I was going to learn how to felt so I could make myself a nativity set by next Christmas.

This is one of the sets I fell in love with.

I went to Joanne's, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby to see what they offered. Their selection was so limited. I ended up ordering all my supplies on aliexpress.com. It takes awhile to receive them since hey are coming from China but their selection of wool color and tools were great and the prices are even better.

I figured I would start first with making a pug dog since I have two pugs.

I searched the Internet and YouTube to soak up as much info as possible on the techniques. It's like sculpting. You use a tiny needle to continuously poke the wool fibers. It condenses which then allows you to poke the fine details. You start with basic shapes and build on to that shape, eventually attaching all your pieces by once again poking.

So here in the picture above I was making the pieces to construct my Pug dog. I started to layer shades of brown and black for the face. The needles are so think and it is so easy to poke your fingers. I decided from the start to wear protective leather finger gloves and I'm glad I did. The one time I didn't slip them on I stabbed my finger and boy did that hurt.

I made the ears and attached them by poking them deep into the head. Everything gets attached by poking. Now since this was the first time experimenting with this craft, I didn't use a wire armature like many do.

This was my finished Pug. Considering it was my first try, it wasn't so bad. Really anyone can do this. It's very therapeutic, almost meditative.

I had time sitting in the waiting room while my husband was having a tooth extraction so I decided to bring supplies and start again but this time working with a photo and pipe cleaners for the legs. I wanted to make a pug laying down.

The picture below was what I completed while waiting with the photo I was working from

I'm trying to learn how to make thin legs but I think the pipe cleaners made it difficult. Next time I will work with 22 gauge wire, like suggested.

So above you can see I attached all legs and stated forming the face and adding color.

On my first try I didn't realized there is core wool, which s cheaper. You use that wool to form your shape and start adding the desired color wool once your piece if formed. So on my second try I used the core wool to form the whole body and started layering a soft beige wool over the entire form.

I kept examining the photo to replicate the details.

Down below you can see I added the ears and started the detail on the foot.

Honestly, this so so much fun and you can be so creative in what you can make. I most definitely will be making Christmas gifts like this next year.

For all you girls who are creative, love experimenting with new crafts, techniques, and tools, I highly recommend you try this. It is really fun to see this glob of wool take shape.

So here's my Puggy Sahara. I'm just waiting on the glass eyes to be delivered. I'll finish her tail and she will sit by my side in my office.

That Woll Felted Nativity Set is going to happen, as well as cute little holiday gifts for my friends.

Hope you give it a try. Happy Cafting.

Cute little Eli's that would make great ornaments gifts to be cherished forever. You can do it too.

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3 comments

Hannah V on Jan 19, 2016
Wow these are seriously amazing! You are so talented!

1 Reply
- Mish Volonino on Jan 19, 2016
  Hannah V, I didn't make them all, only the pugs. But some of those artists that sell n Etsy are amazing. I'm jealous. Wish. Could make beautiful creations like that. It really is an art form
  
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Bea on Feb 23, 2018

Wow you did an INCREDIBLE job! Thanks for sharing!

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