Aim to poke about 600 times to achieve a desirable hardness. As a final step, if you use the 3-needle finishing puncher to poke lightly on the surface, it will have a smoother texture.
• Add color with wool roving
Take a thin piece of wool roving and spread out evenly.
Wrap around the base.
With the finishing puncher (3-needle), lightly poke. Needle felt the colored roving uniformly.
When all the loose fibers of the wool roving have been felted, it is complete.
• Adding small colored details
Take a small amount of wool roving and roll into a cord. Further rolling the cord between your fingers will make it even easier to handle.
Felt with a regular needle puncher (single-needle). For even smaller parts, consider using the thinner finishing needle puncher.
The color has been successfully felted and incorporated into the larger piece. There is no need to force the entire cord into the larger piece; you can simply trim off the excess roving with scissors.
This is how it looks once the excess roving has been trimmed off. Use this method to create facial parts and other details.
• Blending different wool roving colors
Align two roving colors.
Pull them apart simultaneously with your fingers.
Layer the roving pieces and pull apart again.
Repeat previous steps several times until the two colors are blended.
ALPACA
MATERIALS
Base—Batting
Wool roving—White, black, dark gray Organic batting
Other materials—Plastic safety eyes (3 mm)
TOOLS
Felt puncher—Single-needle, 2-needle and 3-needle
Felt puncher needles—Regular needle, finishing needle
Sponge felting mat
Oil-based pen (black, extra-fine point)
Awl
Craft glue
Craft scissors
• Make the face
Using the template, felt the batting (1 g) with the regular needle puncher (2-needle).
Shape batting (0.2 g) into the nose (refer to the template).
Attach nose to face.
• Insert the eyes
With oil-based pen, mark eye positions.
Punch holes at the markings with an awl.
Dab craft glue on the tip of the eye stem.
Insert stem into eye hole.
• Make the eyelids
Lightly roll 4 pieces of batting into balls.
Repeat the same steps for the lower left eyelid. Do the same for the upper and lower lids of the right eye.
• How to make the eyelid (above left eye)
① Place the lightly rolled batting on top of the eye piece.
② Poke the upper portion of the eyelid (the shaded area) with the single-needle felt puncher (regular needle).
③ Poke from below as well, as if you are flipping the eyelid up.
④ Secure the entire piece above the eye by firmly poking into place.
ACTUAL SIZE PATTERN PIECES
• Add color to the face
Use the 3-needle felt puncher (finishing needles) and felt the entire surface of the white wool roving.
Switch to the 2-needle felt puncher (regular needles), then shape a piece of white wool roving into the lower jaw (refer to the pattern piece) and attach beneath the nose.