Middle School Art
Theme: Native American
Technique: Needle Felting
Resource: wildriverworkshop.com
Felting is a method of matting or condensing wool fibers to create fabric. This method is one of the earliest forms of textile creation and has its roots in ancient Central Asia. Nomadic peoples in Mongolia used felt to cover their lightweight tents, and felt has been valued for its strength, warmth, and lightness ever since. Modern needle felting, as a craft activity rather than a process of making cloth, dates back to the 1850s.
Needle felting is a process by which felt is made- literally stabbing wool with a needle to condense and tangle the fibers into a tight, matted fabric. This requires a special needle with little divots on the sides to catch the wool. Stabbing the wool repeatedly, in strategic points, allows you to shape the wool to create amazing felted sculptures! Needle felting isn’t hard, but it can take a long time.