This project is great even if it's your first time needle felting (which I know firsthand because this was my first time needle felting!). Beware though -- it's kind of addictive, and surprisingly affordable. I got all of my supplies here, which just so happens to be in the next town over. You can also shop online. I want to felt all kinds of things now!
To make these pumpkins, you will need:
- A few small bowls in different sizes (I used ceramic measuring cups)
- 1 oz core wool
- 1.5 oz Norwegian C-1 wool (I chose some orange and some off-white for the different colors)
- Embroidery thread
- Sewing needle
- Two sculpting needles: Green 38 (for all-purpose work) and Purple 38 (for surface work)
- Cork or foam (something to protect your surface from the needles)
- Stems broken off of real pumpkins and dried in the oven at a low temperature
- Hot glue gun
- Band Aids (Just kidding. Except not really. These needles are sharp!)
- Sculpt the core wool in a bowl, carefully punching the green needle through the wool and shaping with your fingers until the wool is dense and firm. Work a little extra at the top to create an indentation where the stem will reside.
- Wrap the core wool in a cloud of C-1 color of your choice (pictured here with orange). Use the purple needle to felt the orange wool to the core wool. Wrap it in a second cloud of orange and repeat, making sure to preserve the indentation at the top of the pumpkin.
- Thread your needle with embroidery thread and triple knot the other end. Pass the needle from the bottom to the top of the pumpkin, repeating as you guide the thread to create those very pumpkin-y ridges. Knot securely.
- Using the hot glue gun, attach a stem to the top of the pumpkin.
I love these little guys. And seriously, if you buy your supplies in person (or in other words, avoid paying for shipping), the cost of this project should be about $5.
Felting these three took me about an hour and a half. Needle felting is a nice craft to do while watching TV, but please be careful -- these needles are no joke. I had three new Band-Aids on the tips of my fingers before I was done!