How To Needle Felt a Bird

All righty then! You’ve had extra time to gather your supplies… let’s create a bird!

I want my birds lightweight, so I’m not making them solid like if I was using hot water to felt the wool. I’m just layering light roving… creating a close approximation to a bird’s body… then adding some details.

The needle is used in a straight up and down motion while laying on the foam, going completely through the wool and binding the wool together each direction. Care must be taken when holding the bird in your hand, that you DON’T go clear through! REMEMBER, THESE NEEDLES ARE SHARP! A bird in your hand is good… a needle in your hand… not so much!

This little house finch needs some tweaking (ha!), but he’s fairly complete at the end of this little movie. I’ll get a better look at some on my feeder and correct or add anything to help him look a little more realistic. It helped to do that with my chickadee, seen in the background.

Feet can be made from wire and attached… I’m not sure if I want that yet or not… These little guys just may hang around in a basket or nest or potted plant… They are fun to make!