Holiday Stitch Exchange: Make a Needle Felted Ornament

Materials Needed:

• Foam block
• Heavy Gauge Felting Needle
• 1 oz of Light Brown/golden Wool, merino and corriedale are best
• .25 oz of Red Wool
• .25 oz of White Wool
• Gingerbread Cookie Cutter
• 6" Piece of Red Yarn
• Tapestry Needle

Felting Directions:

Place your foam block flat on a sturdy surface

Take your gingerbread cookie cutter and place it in the middle of your foam block

Use your golden colored wool - open it up and tear off 2" x 1/2" chunks

Lay the pulled fiber inside the cookie cutter, creating a solid layer of wool.

Using your felting needle slowly push in the golden wool, making sure to press down the cookie cutter against the foam, carefully keeping the wool within the cookie cutter shape.

Keep your fingers away from the needle point and continue slowly punching the needle over the wool

Once the wool has become felted, you can add more wool, until the felted gingerbread reaches a felted piece of 1/2" thick

Once all the wool has been firmly attached to itself, lift the cookie cutter, then lift you gingerbread from the foam

The wool will likely be slightly attached to the foam, carefully lift peeling from each corner to keep the shape

Flip the gingerbread on the foam and place the cookie cutter back - lining up the gingerbread outline

Slowly punch your needle into the gingerbread shape, felting the fibers

The density of the gingerbread should be firm but still squishy

Remove cookie cutter and gently peel the gingerbread from the foam block

Pull a few more wisps of golden fiber and gently lay them over the gingerbread, wrapping them around

Place gingerbread over foam, keeping your fingers out of the way

Lightly punch the wisps, creating a uniform layer of wool - this will cover any needle holes, continue on all sides

To make the gingerbread's buttons, use a very tiny amount of red wool

Take a tiny piece of wool and roll it into a ball with your hands

Place the ball on the foam and gently punch it - this should make a small red, flat felt button

Once finished with the button - place it on top of the gingerbread and slowly punch the outer edges

You can test the attachment of the button by slowly trying to lift the button - it should stay put

Repeat this process for the other red button and white eyes

To make a smiling mouth - use a small amount of white fiber and make a tiny roll 1/2" long

Place it over the gingerbread and again punch very slowly attaching it in a thin mouth shape

Thread your tapestry needle with the red yarn and pull through the top of the gingerbread

Tie the two ends together and hang on tree branch

Congratulations! You have just needle felted a happy little gingerbread ornament 

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Holiday Knitting & Needle Felting Party - Sunday, December 21st

Happy Holidays!