How to Needle Felt Doll Hands with Armature

[@angelaculley5045]

I loved your sense of humor upon noticing the “backward hand’ placement! I am at ground zero learning this art and was about to chalk it up to my own dyslexic visual interpretation and assume that I was seeing something “wrong”. Your talent is deeply inspiring as is your ability to teach and guide.

[@Amy-ov3mz]

Agree 100%... I am at ground zero learning this art too. I got a needle felting kit for Christmas last week and I've been hooked ever since.

[@mariespaulding-XO]

Thank you so kindly :)

[@lathachannapatnavasudevash304]

Very nice tutorial I like it very much 🎉

[@ThatGuyZeb]

Thank you. I've been following your tips for making stop motion figures. They've greatly helped my success. Thanks again.

[@lathachannapatnavasudevash304]

Very much useful in making handmade dolls

[@moniquebosmanjansen3115]

Marie this is my dolls hand. I love your video's.❤ Greetings from Holland the Netherland.

[@paulalotte1146]

I'm so glad you gave a tutorial for this! If there's one thing I hate, it's felting fingers and little hands. You just made it much easier! Thanks so much, Marie!

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you, Paula! I am so glad if you find it helpful! I love fingers, but my old way of making the full hand armature was a challenge....this gives full control around each finger...hope it helps :)

[@louiseryder5035]

Just love this ... felting keeping 😊 happy. Thankyou for woolie Wednesday xx

[@karencarlew7836]

I enjoy your tutorials so much as you explain everything so simply. Thank you .

[@tiamaria131]

Thank you very much. I'm now trying this to make fingers and hands.

[@CalitheQuakerandfriends]

Marie you have the most calm soothing instructional voice. It gives me the courage to do any project with confidence. I have not started my doll yet. I have done dolls but want to watch all the videos then start ,So I am following your style of felted dolls. As once I get started on a project I get obsessed with finishing it. SO WATCHING along will felt it when the videos are completed. Thank you for your time, knowledge and most of all your video.

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you so much for your kind words, Pam ❤️ I am so happy if you found them helpful and encouraging :) I really look forward to seeing what you make!

[@lisaengel880]

thank you so much! I was sooo afraid starting realistic hans and fingers... and now it's this this easy! my first hand is a little too big for the doll, but it worked! greetings!

[@LivingFelt]

How lovely to hear!! Thank you for the message! Yes, with a little practice, you can pull off the wool to very thin, narrow strips and build up to just the right size :)

[@joantully5025]

Marie, Thank you for providing this excellent tutorial from Part 1-4 and the hands. Now I am ready and anxious to begin. Thank you again.

[@LivingFelt]

so fun! Thank you for your nice note :)

[@clarebrophy8474]

Brilliant, Marie, thank you!

[@maryjanelauer3444]

I'm very impressed with the detail so clearly explained. I love your channel and FB page. Can't thank you enough!

[@RoeRoe123]

Thank you Marie you made that look so simple! A lot of work, but not as scary as I thought it would be. I'll start my armature tomorrow hopefully and I just put in my first order with you today! 🙌👐👋🙌👐👋🙌👐👋 HANDS UP!

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you so much, Ronnie! We wish you loads of fun!!

[@lynmason7874]

I really appreciate all your tutorials Marie. Its more than a year ago that you posted this one but im up to doll making no. 4 in this time of isolation and just want to send my love and thanks from Tasmania Australia. Im waiting excitedly for an order from Living Felt 🤗

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you for this lovely note to brighten my morning, Lyn! Thank you also for felting along with me and for ordering all the way across the pond! 😍

[@suedoriasue3400]

Very useful skills. I'm trying to make a needle felted deer, and the horns are really pain in the neck. But with your help, I think I can handle the situation now. Thank you so much.

[@LivingFelt]

That is so nice to hear...we hope to see a picture of your deer when you finish :)

[@sseaturtle]

Excellent video and very helpful!

[@GPoole05]

This technique has me excited! Thank you.

[@kb9847]

I love the way you teach. I appreciate how well you explain and that you really give us a good close up look at what you are doing. I'm fairly new to felting, under a year, so it's great having these online to watch back. Love Wolly Wednesdays!! :)

[@Indigo6g]

Marie this tutorial was wonderful! Your pacing was just right for learning. Thank you. ❤️

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you so kindly Indigo6g! I really appreciate your feedback 💕

[@leontineillustrator5252]

Thank you for the Paverpol tip! gonna try that! superrrrB!

[@connieebinger6343]

Great video Marie! Very detailed and some great tips!

[@rosemaryrolfe5050]

Marie thank you your tutorials are very easy to follow, i look forward to watching many more . i am going to practice hands now

[@RianShafer]

Loved these! Edit: 4 months later, I'm back again to refresh myself on making these little hands. Technically, needing to do small armatures for clay hands started my felting journey! The clay has gone to the wayside. I've been at it almost daily for 4 months (3/24/22) now and often go to older LF tutorials & keep up with the new! Pretty sure I've seen every one ever made now. lol

[@jennifermauter5643]

Love your videos! Thank you for sharing your invaluable techniques. You inspire me!

[@bernicebernstein8477]

This is one of the Best! Tutorials, you are a Great Teacher by the way🤗 Your tutorial has REALLY!!! helped me out, I can't Thank You enough 😘

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you for your kind and generous feedback, Bernice :) I am so glad you have found it helpful. We would love to see what you make. LOTS of dolls have been shared in our group www.fb.com/groups/livingfeltfriends

[@lindahumphries6309]

Great demo! You do such a great job of explaining!

[@lucillebailles5634]

Wow, that was terrific. I really enjoyed watching your detailed video on how to do hands. Spectacular!

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you so much, Lucille! :) Very kind of you.

[@ivadeane]

Great tutorial, finally getting my hands put on my 1st doll. Thank you, Marie.

[@LivingFelt]

That is awesome, Iva!!! I look forward to seeing them :)

[@philhassett2756]

Great tutorial thank you ❤🍀

[@Myserabella]

Wow, thanks so much for this video, all this time , whenever i tried to make hands I was doing it in an awkward way that just doesn't work, so i gave up trying to make fingered hands until a fellow needle felter sent me to your channel. this is so easy compared to my failures :)

[@chrissmith2947]

Thank you for the video. I was really struggling with fine hands. I am also going to use this technique for bird feet. - Chris from England

[@Amy-ov3mz]

OMG... Fingers and hands are soooo hard and tedious, I'll have to practice this 100x to get them to look even remotely close to yours ugh. Mine look huge and bulky like Wallace and Gromit. You should just sell bags of hands in diff sizes and colors. That'd be a money maker in itself!!

[@mariespaulding-XO]

lol... I can see the bags of hands shipping out now :)

[@leanneloughran-gj4dt]

You are amazing at your work can you tell me what the 50-50 stuff you use for the fingers please

[@landcstudio]

Super helpful - thank you!

[@judychapman4965]

Very helpful and clear!!! Thank you Marie!

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you, Judy! :)

[@wendyhorvath2155]

This was so informative thank you,!

[@mariarogers7988]

VSuch a great method. Thank you.

[@emilflognoid1532]

I bet you could coat those with liquid latex for a smooth skin texture! I'm gonna try this!!

[@aryadnaa]

Your channel is amazing! Thank you for share with us this wonderful knowlegde. 😘🇧🇷

[@LivingFelt]

You are very kind, Amy. Thank you for your lovely comment ♡ We hope you will share what you make in our group. Www.fb.com/groups/livingfeltfriends

[@karenvaage6040]

Love this technique

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you!

[@Inne_Haine]

Very helpful!

[@KyLinda]

I love your tutorials! Thank you!

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you so much for watching and thank you for your kind feedback!

[@wendyarneson939]

This was a wonderful tutorial! Can’t wait to try! Do you have a video on dying or coloring wool maybe with alcohol ink or hair dye?

[@lisaengel880]

thank you again! my human fingers are completely different, should study hands in the next weeks :D

[@LivingFelt]

it can be very helpful... Wishing you lots of fun!

[@lisaengel880]

@@LivingFelt thank you Marie! my green haired girl turns out to be pregnant, will show you in the next days

[@iluv9508]

hi Marie, thank you for the fantastic workshop. May I know what to do when our long wool break when we pull it tight around the wire?

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you for your nice comment. My first suggestion is to do your best to not break the fiber :) Then, when the wool does break off and you need to start again, needle felt the wool where you start and stop each length :) Use a fine needle if you have one, like a 42 Triangle, and go at angle to not break the needle on the wire.

[@lilyb4166]

Awesome information 💖😁💕

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you, Lily! Thank you for all of your cheering on throughout the series ❤️ :)

[@B.L.DStudioTV]

Wow nice darling! Thank you so much!

[@LivingFelt]

Our pleasure! :) Thank you for watching!

[@juliejelaco5208]

Very helpful, thank you

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you, Julie!!

[@DarkSister69]

this helped me very much, thank you :)

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you for saying so, Sissy! ... and thanks for watching :)

[@DarkSister69]

@@LivingFelt so, i try to make feet now. i think, its the same way to make them :)

[@sherrymurtle9612]

Awesome- Thank You!!!

[@jacquelinebarrazavargas6752]

Hi! This is very useful! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! A question, what is the fifty-fifty solution?

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you, Jacqueline! 50:50 Solution with water, means 50% of the fabric stiffener and 50% water mixed together :)

[@jacquelinebarrazavargas6752]

@@LivingFelt thanks for answering! I can not find the fabric stiffener in my country, if I do a mix of whater and soap.. could be an option?

[@margoadias]

Can we use fabric glue instead of paverpol?

[@juliejelaco5208]

hi and thank you for your video. I make very little dolls they are only about 7 inches tall, do you feel this work work for very tiny hand? I worry about all the wire and looking to thick

[@sharonlombard1796]

Awesome

[@carmenlaferriere7568]

What option do you have for a simple hand without fingers? Sort of a mitten shape?

[@johnsakars4984]

Can you still needle felt in top of fingers made with fabric hardener?

[@susanburns4630]

Hi fantastic tutorials the best I have watched and that is many. Could i ask what the plastic thing is on your right thumb is it to protect you from the needle

[@LivingFelt]

Thank you so much, Susan! Really appreciate your feedback. That was a splint...not sure - seems I saw this question twice. Anyway, it was not related to felting, an unrelated injury :)

[@dragonfly7335]

I looked on your website and was unable to find the product Paversol is it no longer made?

[@karenvaage6040]

Where can I get the paverpol stiffener I cant find it on your website anywhere do you not carry it anymore

[@coralgrave8589]

Hi there, would it be feasible to wet felt the fingers once you’ve rolled them onto the wire?

[@juliejelaco5208]

My dolls are so small like 6 inches any advise?

[@LivingFelt]

For hands? If you want fingers, you might try very thin wire...we have a little PDF for tiny hands and claws...it shows a little mouse-ish critter, but might be helpful. Otherwise, you can skip the fingers. feltingsupplies.livingfelt.com/FREE-Needle-Felting-Tutorial-Claws-for-Realistic-Needle-Felted-Animals_p_966.html

[@pamjoycole]

Great!

[@leanneloughran-gj4dt]

What is the 50 50 solution yu you use

[@queenbee3497]

I'm struggling with how exactly to felt the fingers, I can't get it to look good because I can't felt with wire in the way, and if I can only stab on a limited portion of the sides.

[@LivingFelt]

Hi Bianca, with this method of making them individually -- you can felt all the way around. You will need a needle that is fine with barbs near the tip...Marie uses our 42 Triangle. Also, our MC-1 Batting helps alot because it WILL grab onto itself and can be dry felted to some degree by hand. Many people have made lovely hands for their dolls since this session came out and many of those have been posted in our group www.fb.com/groups/livingfeltfriends You might join and share pics of your challenge so we can be of more help. :)

[@queenbee3497]

​@@LivingFelt First of all, they ended up being way too big for the doll I'm making, which is probably a lot smaller than the one you make in your video. But I don't see how it's possible to felt any smaller. Also, I bought my wool at a fiber festival, sometimes when I've been felting it it ends up looking more like a vacuum cleaner or a cat sucked it up and spit it out, and looks nothing like the flat even piece of felt in your videos. Also this is only my second doll. I'm actually not sure what kind of needle the one I've been using is, I just know it's the thinnest I have that was given to me at a workshop I took to make the first doll. I spent four hours on fingers that ended up being wasted, not very fun x_x Thank you, I requested to join the group.

[@LivingFelt]

Hi Bianca, we have accepted you in the group. Learning something new...with refinements, takes time :) Small dolls with fingers can be achieved, but if very small......the wire should be tiny. Wool types matter...share some pics in the group and lets see what you have going on :)

[@queenbee3497]

@@LivingFelt Thank you for making me feel better about not being good right away. :) I'll post pictures to the group!

[@LivingFelt]

We have a tutorial for making tiny claws...it could be modified for tiny fingers well if you curve the wire back. You can get it in a little pdf here: feltingsupplies.livingfelt.com/FREE-Needle-Felting-Tutorial-Claws-for-Realistic-Needle-Felted-Animals_p_966.html

[@annevans5904]

Thank you, :) :) :)

[@mariabeltranperilla5918]

👍🏼💪🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😍😍👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 not ingles

[@susanburns4630]

Sorry it's your it's your left thumb

[@LivingFelt]

Hi Susan, thank you for your note :) That was a splint to keep from bending my thumb, I had trigger finger for several months. It was not related to felting :)

[@lvbailey1]

❣️

[@estarguarsfilms2843]

those are not needle nose or channel locks, they are diagonal side cutting snips