Needle Felting with Armature: Tips for FIRM Sculptures

Some people find needle felting with armature a bit intimidating. This little HOW TO will show you how to EASILY twist the wire to form your armature for 3D needle felted sculptures, and HOW TO wrap the core wool to create a firm base layer for needle felting.
These tips help minimize needle breakage caused by hitting the armature wire with your felting needle.
All supplies and tools used in this video are available on our website: feltingsupplies.livingfelt.com
This short video tutorial was excerpted from our WEEKLY LIVE Broadcast called WOOLY WEDNESDAY. Catch live each Wednesday on facebook in our group LIVING FELT FRIENDS.
On our website, you can also find more FREE FELTING TUTORIALS (in video and PDF form) for needle felting and wet felting under the tab LEARN.

[@Vickie910]

YES!! Wrapping by turning the armature, not the wool!! KInd of like when you wrap floral wire with floral tape!! Also, thank you for the batting vs. roving tip!!!

[@dizzzawn]

Thanks for posting this video. I just went to a local fall Fiber Festival and have always wanted to learn how to needle felt. I picked up some starter supplies there and now I'm playing around. I've been wondering if armature wire could be incorporated into the creations. Now I know! The needle felter who created the winning design for the show this year actually recommended Living Felt as a good source for future supplies. I'm sure I'll be ordering from you eventually. Lol.

[@twosiciliansisters5747]

Core wool is the caviar of wool. Felts together like magic

[@ILoveMyLittleBoyDog]

This is such a great video as this is an area I am having a real struggle with. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@terrsham5607]

Just what I've been looking for! 😁

[@summer43211]

Well, I've learned a different and possibly better way to make my armature and since I have a problem wrapping the wool also, a better way to wrap. Thanks for the great tips!!

[@susanburns4630]

Hi I love your tutorials I have learnt so much very clear and informative. I would love you to do a tutorial on the different needles as I am totally confused as there are so many different sizes and types and as I am just starting out with felting it is very daunting on which to purchase. A print out of your advice for reference would be fantastic. Please keep up the excellent work you are very talented.

[@LivingFelt]

You are very kind, Susan, Thank you. We do visit this topic a few times a year in our live show and we will make sure to do it again this year. And when we ship needles, they come with a reference card, however we also have a little write up saved in our facebook group: www.fb.com/groups/livingfeltfriends See the files there for now :)

[@londzodrury2697]

I learned so much from this video

[@VFKAdventureRabbit]

Does the stiff wool/felting make the wire too stiff to move, or is it still flexible(with effort) in such a way that it can still be posed? Will the felting break off if the wire is moved too much?

[@bellw5834]

You can also make it firm with out the wire... but it takes a butt ton of shtabbin and wool and you can’t really move the legs like if it were wire

[@LivingFelt]

Yes, you are right. Parrhaps3we could have worded the title differently...as rhis segment was on getting firm sculptures WHEN you use a wire armature :)

[@dizzydevi8019]

By twisting the wool are you inturn twist the wire as well ? I mean theres only so much you can twist the armature??? Can anyone help with that ? Cause i just started working with the armature

[@carmenlaferriere7568]

Is CW1 wool same as C1?

[@LivingFelt]

Hi Carmen and thank you for asking. No, they are not the same. C1 is from Norway, and is more coarse and slick than CW-1. CW-1 is Living Felt Brand Core Wool, it is from USA Farms and is approximately 26 microns. You can find it here: feltingsupplies.livingfelt.com/Core-Wool-26--29-microns_c_60.html Our MC-1 is also exclusive to Living Felt, it is slightly more fine at 25 microns, also from USA farms, and comes in over 90 colors. We use MC-1 Wool in a lot of our videos. You can see more here: feltingsupplies.livingfelt.com/MC-1-Felting-Batts-25-microns_c_4.html

[@Andy-pv3zy]

How large is the foam pad?

[@LivingFelt]

10x15

[@peanutbuttertoast7742]

I still can't do the cotton ball swab thing. I've watched it over and over. What am I doing wrong??

[@LivingFelt]

If you post what is happening in our group www.fb.com/groups/livingfeltfriends we can help :)

[@peanutbuttertoast7742]

@@LivingFelt I don't use Facebook, unfortunately

[@marygilbert6951]

Xxx