Needle Felt an Autumn Wreath (Even if You're a Beginner), by The Felt Hub on YouTube. 13 min 51 s.
- Video length
- 13 min 51 s
- Time to do it
- 90 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Lay out your wool, felting mat, topper, needle, 20 cm vine wreath, skewer, acorn caps and glue. Keep a fine needle nearby if you want a smoother finish.
Pick carded wool or batting in two or more autumn colours for the pumpkin bodies. Save wool tops for the ridges and the acorns, since they hold a sharper shape.
Set the felting mat on a firm table and put the felt topper over it. Use a 38 star or medium needle, and put on finger guards if you are new to felting.
Roll a loose ball of core wool for the pumpkin. Felt it lightly from all sides until it holds together but stays soft and slightly squishy.
Pull thin, semi-transparent layers of your autumn colours and blend them together. Keep the layers thin so the pumpkin does not turn bulky.
Wrap the blended layers around the core, working the wool in gently with the needle. Add more thin layers until the core is fully covered in colour.
Take a thin strand of wool tops and felt it from the top of the pumpkin down to the base to make a ridge. Repeat evenly around the shape.
Fix flat or uneven patches by adding a small wisp of wool and needling it in. Roll the pumpkin between your palms to round it out again.
For each acorn, wrap a thin strip of wool around the end of a wooden skewer and felt it firmly. Shape the top into a rounded acorn body while it stays on the skewer.
Glue a natural acorn cap onto each felted body. Then arrange the pumpkins and acorns on the wreath and fix them with hot glue or strong thread, finishing with a jute bow.
Tips and common mistakes
Work in thin layers rather than one thick wrap, or the pumpkin turns lumpy and loses its round shape.
Keep turning the piece and needling from all sides, otherwise one side flattens against the mat.
Felt the acorn while it is still on the skewer, then slide it off, so your fingers stay clear of the needle.
Use five pumpkins and around eleven acorns for a 20 cm wreath, or fewer if your wreath is smaller.
Questions
Can I make this wreath if I have never needle felted before?
Yes. The pumpkins are just felted balls with lines added, and the acorns are small ovals, so no shaping experience is needed. Expect the first pumpkin to look rougher than the last.
Do I have to use a vine wreath?
No. Any wreath base works, including a wire or grapevine ring you already own. Just keep the decorations light so they do not pull the wreath out of shape.
How do I attach the pumpkins and acorns so they stay on?
Hot glue gives the quickest hold, but fabric glue or strong thread and a needle also work. Press each piece down for a few seconds before letting go.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
