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45 mins

Penguin Charm - Needle Felting Basics
In this tutorial you can learn and apply the basic techniques of needle felting. You can basically 'build' and 'stick' all the pieces of your sculpture just with a felting needle. After going through this tutorial once, you will be able to easily make other little sculptures.
Roving wool it's such a flexible and interesting material. You can use it to make simple decorations or hiper-realistic sculptures. The working process itself is kind of meditative and relaxing. Enjoy!

Posted by Made by Me! Arts&Crafts Published
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  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 1
    Step 1

    Gather the tools and materials: Felting needles, felting mat (or a cleaning sponge), charm loop and the roving wool (possibly Corriedale, this carded wool roving it's easier to felt because of their texture). To split the wool in parts, don't pull it from close the splitting point, but place your hands bit further apart and gently pull.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 2
    Step 2

    Roll the white wool following the direction of the fibers. Now that you have it rolled up in an egg-ish shape, place it on the mat and start poking it. (The tiny hooks on the needle will tangle the wool more and more with each 'in & out' movement.)
    Hold the wool on one side, and focus poking on the other side, to keep your fingers safe. Keep poking evenly up&down, right&left and front&back switching often side for an homogenous shape. Poking deep in the beginning will entangle the fibers faster. Poking lightly at the end will result in a smoother look.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 3
    Step 3

    Split and tears the fibers up, to have 5 parts, about the size shown in the picture. The smaller orange part will be used for the beak, the other 2 bigger parts for the feet. The big black stripe will be rolled around the body, and the last little stripe will be placed above the eyes.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 4
    Step 4

    Roll the orange parts, and fold the little black stripe in a 'V' shape.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 5
    Step 5

    Holding the wool with the tip of your fingers, poke for few minutes all the orange pieces, just enough they hold a round shape. Define the edges by poking diagonally.
    The process of needle felting is not about speed, especially for beginners, always watch what you are doing!

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 6
    Step 6

    Now, leaving only the front white, cover the rest of the body with the big black stripe, and holding it as in the picture, poke all around till it's all attached. If you still see some white under the black, just use a little more black wool and patch it up.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 7
    Step 7

    To make the heart shape lines around the eyes area, start by 'blocking' the 'V' shaped black stripe, in the center of the upper part of the body.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 8
    Step 8

    Then poke it, little by little, following a curved imaginary line.
    Felting needles are very sharp but very delicate too. To avoid breaking it, always come back from the same direction as you poke.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 9
    Step 9

    Do the same on the other side and, if necessary, patch up the white spot left on the top of the head.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 10
    Step 10

    Time to place the beak. Poke all around the little orange ball till it's firmly attached. Do not poke too much on top of it or it will become flat.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 11
    Step 11

    For the tiny eye just tear up few black fibers.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 12
    Step 12

    Roll them in between your fingers.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 13
    Step 13

    Fix the eyes in place with few pokings.
    Attach the feet as you did with the beak.
    And now you can decide to leave the little penguin with his flippers in 'his pockets' and jump to step 17...

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 14
    Step 14

    ...or you can proceed and add the 2 flippers.
    Tear up 2 small stripes of black wool, the same amount you did for the feet.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 15
    Step 15

    Roll and poke them on the mat for few minutes each. Then stick it to the side of the body.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 16
    Step 16

    Last, we pass through the charm loop some black wool. As in the picture.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 17
    Step 17

    Hold it in place on the top of the head.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 18
    Step 18

    And poke it there and along the back till it feels strong enough.

  • How to make a stitched charm. Needle Felted Penguin Charm - Step 19
    Step 19

    Congratulations! You made It. Here you have your first little needle felted sculpture.

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