My Needle Felting Toolbox
These are tools I regularly use for my needle felting. They may not all be the best available, but after much trial and error, it’s a toolbox that works for me. My top three places in the USA to buy wool are Weir Crafts, Sarafina Fiber Arts, and Living Felt. All three sell excellent quality tools but you can find suitable, more budget-friendly tools elsewhere.
There are many places online to buy quality wool, but after getting several batts of stinky, poor quality wool, I now only buy from my three favorites. I recommend buying needles from the same place you buy your wool. That way you know you’re getting quality needles—not rusty, oily, or made of inferior materials—because you’re using the same needles the pros use.
Made in USA, Wool Needle Felting Pad, 8 x 10 x 1 inch
I love this felting pad! You can tell from looking at it that it’s well-used. It’s so firm and dense I can hold it on my lap without worrying about the needle going through. It’s rare to find crafting supplies made in the USA, so when I find a good one, I buy it. This one is a winner!
Here’s a less expensive imported version (unspecified country) similar to ones I’ve used for workshops.
Everyday Toolbox Tools
Aside from tools specific to needle felting, you’ll need a ruler, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, tweezers, an awl or piercing tool, and small sharp scissors. I’ve tried to find a ready-made kit but haven’t found a quality kit that has everything I need. Living Felt has a $$ set that is only missing the awl which they sell separately.
Multi Needle Holders
Multi-needle holders save time and energy. The Clover multi-needle punch tool—you want this in your toolbox! I also have the Clover pen-style holder, and a similar one I got at Hobby Lobby for about a third of the price and works as well. HL has a punch tool, too, but I haven’t tried it.
Wood Needle Holders
If you felt for long periods of time or have hand pain from arthritis or other issues, these wood needle holders are a huge help. The plain wood handle makes it easy to label each holder with the type of needle it contains. This is a set of 5 which works great for me as I typically only use 5 types of needles, but they are not expensive so you can find a larger set or just add more if you need them.
Digital Scale
If you want to accurately replicate a project, order materials for multiple projects of the same kind, or keep track of your exact expenses for a project, you’ll need a digital scale. They are not expensive and are very helpful. This is the one I have.
20 Gauge White Cloth Covered Millinery Wire, 21.8 yards
This wire is 21.87 yards long and is 1mm diameter. I have also used 26 gauge cloth covered floral wire, and these 14″ pre-cut lengths. The difference in gauges can be confusing, but these wires are about the same size. The difference is due to the different materials that make up the wire.
20 Gauge Black Cloth Covered Millinery Wire
This 20 gauge black millinery wire is 21.87 yards long and is 1mm diameter. I don’t use this wire as often as my other wires, but I like having it for tiny dark paws and hooves for this little fawn.
16 Gauge Cloth Covered Millinery Wire
This 16 gauge millinery wire is 21.87 yards long, is 1mm diameter, and is available in black and white. I use this for armature of smaller mid-size animals and for the paws of larger mid-size animals. It gives strong toes for support and with the white, I can custom color the claws with skin tone pencils or markers. I also use the black wire for small to mid-size birds.
Armature Wire Assortment
Clockwise, starting at the upper left: Benecreate black 9 gauge aluminum wire, Anezus 12 gauge aluminum wire, Wire Elements silver colored copper 18 gauge wire, Anezus silver 9 gauge aluminum wire.
Glass Eyes
You can needle felt wool eyes on your animals, which I do on 2D projects. But for 3D creatures, I prefer glass eyes on wire stems. For mice and small birds, I use black 5mm. I sometimes use brown or amber for other animals, but mostly I use clear glass eyes and felt color beneath them.
2″ Hair Straightening Flat Iron
I use my flat iron on almost every project to flatten and sometimes wax ears, leaves, feathers, and flower petals to get them super thin. A 2″ wide iron is preferred so larger pieces can be flattened without creasing. You won’t be using this on your own hair, so you can also look for them at thrift stores or yard sales. It’s much handier than using a clothing iron and pressing board!
Mini Craft Iron
Occasionally I need to flatten something that is already felted onto my project, like a leaf, an ear, or face details. When that happens, I use this mini craft iron. I love that it has adjustable temperature so I don’t risk scorching my project. I don’t use it often, but it’s nice to have in my toolbox.
Hand Carders
These nice hand carders from Howard Brush were a splurge, but I really enjoy them. They blend colors faster and more thoroughly than blending by hand. These are “student” size, but they are plenty big enough for me. This is another excellent product made in the USA!