Needle Felted Owl

Instructions

Reference tutorials with video:

1. Easter Carrot
2. Little Birds
3. Basic Needle Felting in shape with cookie cutter (external Youtube video)

MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO NEEDLE-FELT MR. WOOLLY MURASAKI

1. Get ready with all the materials and tools listed above.
   
   
   
2. (1) - (3) Roll the yarn into a ball then slowly roll it into an oblique shape. Lastly, add more rounds on the bottom half to make it into the shape of an egg.
   (4) Pull about 3″ wool from the roving (always pull your wool, don’t cut unless instructed), spread out the fibers, and split them into a few groups.
   
   
   
3. (1) Wrap the wool around the egg-shaped yarn ball, vertically and horizontally, and cover it up evenly. Add more wool if needed.
   (2) Pierce the wool with a multi-needle pen (with heavyweight needles) onto the yarn ball.
   (3) Check if you need more wool to cover up and refine the shaping during the felting.
   (4) The wool fibers are all intact and the body of the owl is formed.
   
   
   
4. (1) Mark the eyes position somewhere in the middle span of the body. I used a thread spool to draw the circles.
   (2) Loosen up some off-white wool and roll into a circle. Make 2 with an approximately equal amount of wool.
   (3) Needle felt the wool roving onto the circle marking with multi-needle.
   (4) Change to the fine needle to finish the felting. Add wool if needed until the eyes are firmly intact on the owl.
   
   Another option: Needle felt the off-white wool roving in a round-shaped cookie cutter until it is medium-firm, take out from the cutter and place it on the owl, and continue to felt until it is firmly intact. Please reference the video in the paper note above.
   
   
   
5. Draw and stitch some feathery outlines on the tummy of the owl.
   (1) Insert the tapestry needle at the bottom of the owl, with light blue embroidery floss, and knot the floss end. The needle comes out at one of the feathery outlines.
   (2) Pull the floss to hide the knot inside the owl’s body. Continue to sew up all the feathery outlines.
   (3) After finished with all the stitching, bring the needle out at the bottom, and knot it. Insert the needle back to the owl body, next to the thread exit point.
   (4) Pull the floss to hide the knot. Pull floss and cut floss near the body.
   
   
   
6. Do the same to the 2 slanted black slashes on the eyes… oh this owl really needs a good sleepy, he can’t even open up his eyes.
   
   
   
7. Important Tip: In order to make a clean and neat outline of the features, pierce along the outline about 45 to 60 degrees.
   
   
   
8. (1) Roll a bit of yellow wool roving onto a toothpick.
   (2) Slide it out from the toothpick.
   (3) Bend it and place it between the eyes of the owl. Pierce a little to keep it in place.
   (4) Pierce around lightly to make a little beak on the owl.
   
   
   
9. Add another small bit of yellow wool to the bottom to complete the beak.
   
   
   
10. Repeat the same method to make the ears, make 2. Ears required a little more wool than the beak.
    
    
    
11. (1) Loosen up some light blue and roll into a circle. Make 2 with an approximately equal amount of wool.
    (2) Pierce with multi-needle to make 2 circles as the wings.
    (3) Change to the fine needle to finish up the felting.
    (4) Pierce the wings on the owl, and slightly press the wing to make it bend out. Pierce the top and along the outline of the sides, don’t pierce the bottom.
    
    Again, you may use the cookie-cutter method as mentioned above as another option for making the eyes.
    
    
    
12. Here it is, a completed needle felted owl, Mr. Woolly Murasaki.
    You may use a pair of small sharp point scissors to trim off any mischievous fibers that keep sticking out from Mr. Woolly Murasaki.
    It is light and firm, you can make it into a key-chain charm or simply a decoration charm by sewing a strap onto it. Or, simply as a decoration on its own.