CCC - March Felt Needled Pet Keychain

This month, we are all stepping outside of our comfort zones a bit. Instead of creating a pattern for you, this month's craft will be completely customizable. Why? Because this month, we are felt needling. Y'all voted and it was overwhelmingly decided that you wanted to felt your very own pets! So this month we will be making customized felted pet keychains!! Can you do it? Can you do the art-ing? Yes, totally. I promise I will be here for you. And once you're finished, you'll have an adorable mini replica of your pet to take with you everywhere! Notice I said pet - this can really be any animal (I'm doing a dog, my sweet lil Winston) but the same rules apply to all creatures great and small). See below for the breakdown. It’s gonna be super simple.

Here's an example of a finished craft I made based on my live-in Goddess Queen, Goo:

Photo Feb 22, 5 00 39 PM.jpg

So cute, right? Yes, I realize she looks a little like she wants to murder me, but that is true to life. If you follow my Insta Stories, you know this. It was super easy to make. Seriously, not that hard. Basically, just a bunch of stabbing. And I really like stabbing things. :D

But I digress. Read on if you are interested in joining our craft-along this month! As always, DM me on IG if you have any question. Let's DO THIS!

Tools & Materials

  • Roving (this is basically dyed, unspun wool)

    • Depending on your pet's coloring, you'll need varying roving colors. Here are a couple of cheap AF packs I have been using. One of these should be enough for this project!

    • This one!

    • Or this one!

  • Needles

    • Technically, you could do this entire project with a single needle… but it will take you like five years and your hands will be killing you when you're done. Trust me, grab this kit instead, it has a couple different options for needles that cover large/small areas and some grips to save your poor fingers.

    • Le needle kit

  • Felting Mat

    • This helps give you a backing to work on, sort of like a mini felting table that is okay to destroy with that badass needle. Wool is a better option here, trust me. I had the foam one and it fell apart so quick and was honestly a little gross.

    • Get this mat!

  • Keychain

    • Amazon is exhaustingly enthusiastic about their keychain options (why order 1 keychain when you could order NINE THOUSAND????). It was nearly impossible to find a keychain set that had less than 100 pieces (you will need ONE for this project). Eye roll.

    • This is the one I buy. I use them for all my pom pom keychains & these fuzzy lil critters too:

    • Here's a good single keychain option if you don't think you'll use the other 19 in that pack and don't want the extra clutter around your house:

  • Other tools (you should have around your house, or you can grab them at any store):

    • Needle + Thread



Tips & Tricks

  • I made myself bleed SO much while learning to felt. My poor sad fingers. :( You don't have to though, cause you can learn from my mistakes!

    • Always angle your needle away from your fingers slightly. Your needle is straight and will follow whatever trajectory you aim it towards.

    • Hold your project like you would hold a carrot you're chopping up for dinner. You know, that lil claw-like setup. Rawr.

    • You don't actually have to punch your needle all the way through your wool. The barbs on the end of your needle that are grabbing the wool and felting it don't need you to try that hard. Push it in a little, pull it out. Repeat forever.

    • Felting can get monotonous. Don't let that lull you into not paying attention, your fingers will pay the price.

  • Always start with the largest, base element and work your way out!

  • Remember, you can always add more wool to make things bigger, but it is a pain in the ass to pull wool out, so be conservative (literally the only time you'll catch me saying that, lol) and start small.

  • Never never never cut your wool! Always rip it gently. If I catch you using scissors I will smack them out your hands.

Getting Started

  • We are going to be drawing out our pets first. To do that, follow the steps I outlined below! I used my iPad to create this but YOU can use paper and pen, or whatever. This is really just a guide to keep you on track when building out the elements of your piece.

Photo Feb 29, 10 37 04 AM.jpg

  • It does NOT have to look perfect. You are NOT expected to trace anything. Think of it more as IKEA setup instructions, without all the Swedish and weirdly amorphous people. If you have trouble, drop me a note on IG. Just remember, we are making a really simplistic, adorable version of your pet. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be cute!

  • The first step in the felting process is going to be making a big ole' ball. Grab about 3/4ths of the roving you have available in the base color of your pet (mine is that foxy red for Winston). Roll it up as best you can, and start stabbing it with your big, multi-needled tool. It will slowly, very slowly, start to form a tight ball that isn't really soft or squishy at all, and looks like felt. This process of ball-making can take anywhere from 15 min to 45 min, depending on your crafting speed, needle, and the wool you're using.

  • That's literally the entire secret to felting… stabbing something over and over and over. Swear to god. A lot of my crafts involve stabbing, actually. I should probably address this in therapy, huh?

Schedule

  • March 1-5 - Order your stuff!!

  • March 6th, 6pm PST: IG Live Sesh - Felting basic training! Making your pet's pattern. Working on your big-ass ball.

  • March 13th, 6pm PST: IG Live Sesh - Creating 3D elements (ears, nose, tail).

  • March 20th, 6pm PST: IG Live Sesh - Adding in details (eyes, fur patterns).

  • March 27th, 6pm PST: IG Live Sesh - Finishing up and attaching your keyring!

Resources






Helena Stark