I decided to try my hand at felting hearts. With Valentine close by and hearts everywhere, I wanted to try and make some hearts myself. I’m getting more comfortable with this newest hobby of mine. It takes time to get the feel of it, just the differences in needles and wool textures can be intimidating at first.

I started going to fiber festivals, meeting other felters and artists. That’s fun. You can always get good tips from people who have been felting for years.

I love going straight to the sheep farmers, they have the best wool selections.

When I first started this hobby, I was purchasing online or at mass corporate hobby stores but the selection of wool is not the same as going to the sheep farmers. Most of the farmers tend to be a lot cheaper to purchase from than the big chain brands and you have more choices.

One week we got a Winter storm and everyone was told to stay indoors until the roads were cleared. It snowed for hours and the next morning I got up and opened the curtains and saw white everywhere, it was a Winter Wonderland.

I knew I was stuck inside for awhile, at least until the roads were cleared and safe. I got out all my felting supplies and felted all kinds of hearts, all shapes and different sizes. Watching the snow flakes fall from all the windows around our house while felting was very relaxing.

Hearts are pretty simple. You can free hand the shape of the heart when you first start forming it, or you can use a heart shaped cookie cutter to get you started. After you have the basic shape, then layer a little felt at a time, needle felting one layer on top of another until you get your desired thickness.

I ran out of red wool, then I ran out of pink and that is when I started felting tiny teddies. It just kept going from there. Since I was watching a snow storm from the window I also started felting snowballs for little miniature snowmen I will be making.

Once you get into a rhythm this is actually pretty relaxing to do, a really fun hobby. You just have to remember to pay attention to what you are sculpting. I thought I could watch an old classic movie while doing this…nope, too dangerous, best to listen to a podcast while practicing this hobby craft.

ASD tips- This is not a hobby for anyone who may be struggling with fine motor skills, the needle is pretty scary and sharp. I always say don’t stab, just gently poke the felt to lock it in as you sculpt.

Beginners can hurt themselves when starting this hobby, just be careful. I had to wear finger protectors for the felting of the edges of the heart. I don’t like wearing finger covers because you can’t control the sculpt as much like when you can form and sculpt while holding the wool and shaping it as you felt.

The wool has a nice texture, which makes it a nice sensory project for children on the Autism spectrum. You can have your children help with picking out the different colors of wool when shopping, or you can make it into a game of having them hand you different colors of wool from the bag as they watch you felt shapes for them. That would be a fun lesson on colors and one and two step directions, receptively or expressively.

You can also add different colors of wool or felted shapes to small containers to open from sensory tables, like Easter egg containers filled with felted balls or wool to pull from it. Simple round shapes can be made into dryer balls or strung up to hang from rooms. Your children can see the process of making small toys to be used in speech lessons or pretend play.

Happy felting everyone. Stay safe out there and God Bless you all.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Copyright Our Little Red house 2025