Needle felting is a wonderful craft that can lead to a life long love of making things with wool. I started needle felting when I was introduced to it by a co-operative Waldorf playgroup we were part of in Brooklyn. I am so glad I started this craft when my children were little. Since buying the supplies and diving in, I have made the girls many toys. What I especially love about needle felted toys, is that when they start looking shabby, you can fix them by re-felting them, and they become ‘like new’ all over again That and the fact that they are handmade of a near raw natural fiber, means they are completely decomposable. As far as toys being energy efficient and graceful, needle felted toys rate high on the list. You can find lots of great needle felting starter kits on Etsy. I like to by a wool roving batch that includes some naturally died colors, but it is nice to have some of the vibrant colors on hand too.

Materials

Wool Roving
Felting Needle
Foam
Thread (I use 100% cotton sewing thread)
Sewing needle

Method
Shape the roving into a small bumbled bee shape. Using the barbed felting needle, work the shape, knotting the fibers on the foam base ( I have had my foam base for a long time and it is a little over used looking now). Add stripes to the bee’s body. Make wings, and needle felt them on. Using the sewing needle, add a cotton thread so the bee can fly! I like this short video on how to needle felt.