Make It Mine Magazine - Dimensional Needle Felting

[slysquire]

Seriously don't think the "associate editor" ever really needle felted before. You can see small pieces of styrofoam being felted into the leaf! The stryofoam has no "give" like the foam squares = greater chance of breaking your needle. You should NEVER cut the roving - just pull off the piece you need...

[MySymptom]

Don't cut the roving. D=

[YLskeptic]

Save the dense black foam that comes as packing around new laptop computers & other electronics. They would work well to felt on. To protect fingers, get an old leather garment/purse; cut pieces to wrap around your fingers with overlap. Then use a glue gun to glue seams. You can also buy them at quilting shops. Some felters also use bristle pads to felt on. The felt doesn't stick to them, but they are not useful for every needle felting project. Primarily used for felting on other felt.

[momionaire]

I too use the soft foam form I bought mine online from American felt and craft and 6 months later its still holding up really well, not bad for a $6 investment and I never have to vaccume after felting like you'd have to with styrofoam

[annimon]

don't cut the fiber pull it, I've stabbed myself a million time with those lethal barbed needles :)

[WhoaThereMama]

every other place has told me never to cut the roving with scissors..

[AlmightyBungholio9]

because i find wool to be a bit on the pricy side, could i make the "base"/inside from wrapping yarn to make a shape, then felt over it? or do you think it better to just do all wool?

[bashfulbutterfly]

The barbs don't cut nor tear your skin. I have rubbed in the opposite direction plenty of times. Also, if you cut the roving, it will not matt together properly. It will be more difficult to felt it. You need fluffy bits to attach it securely. Don't cut it.

[xFiSHiES]

I have the same needle, it doesn't break your skin and its just tiny bumps.

I don't use Styrofoam. Upholstery foam and packing foam work best.

[Silver23stream]

never, ever cut the roving. Also, the barbs do not tear you skin, and regular upholstery foam works best.

[twocooltexans]

I have never used styrofoam. I use the big green slabs of foam that you get at the craft store. I imagine that the styrofoam wouldn't last very long and it seems to actually take her a lot longer to get that little leaf felted.

[heybeeg]

Styrofoam? No. Use foam.

Don't stab so deep into the foam and it won't stick.

[ferretnut]

She uses what works, foam doesn't always work that well. It didn't stick that much, not like she had any trouble getting it off.

To the author: thanks for the tutorial. Keep them coming!