How to Make a Droplet with Needle Felting

Maria Filipe Castro, aka droolwool, shares her tips on how to create a droplet with needle felting

Have you ever thought about creating handmade characters? Imagination is boundless in the art toy universe, where you can creates anything at all using a few basic materials and some simple steps.

Maria Filipe Castro, aka @droolwool, teaches you the basic steps you need to create a droplet, from the base, via the wool cover to finish with the tweaks that make the material look like a living droplet. Here’s what you need:

1. Use padding to create a ball

Poly-fil is the most commonly used synthetic material for stuffing Toy Art. Tease out a small bit of stuffing and roll it between your hands to create a little ball, which will be the base of your droplet. The amount of material you use will determine the size of your creation.

Use a 32 needle to attach the ball onto a base made out of pillow foam. The incision must be perpendicular to the ball.

2. Choose the wool you’re going to use to cover the ball

Select a small amount of wool to cover the ball and work it into the base with the needle, ensuring the wool fibers are fixed firmly in place. Repeat until you have covered all of the filling, forming an even layer of your chosen color. Add more wool if your stuffing is still visible. The more layers of wool you add to your design, the more solid it will become.

3. Shape into a droplet

Now it’s time to shape your ball into a droplet using your hands and the needle to make sure the wool remains compact and you achieve your desired shape. The longer you spend on this stage, the more precise and detailed your droplet will become.

4. Create the finishing touch

Now you have the shape of your droplet, you can either leave it as it is, or spend a little time drawing on eyes, a mouth or any other details to personalize your creation and make it more fun and interesting. It’s time to let your creative juices flow, and to enjoy yourself!

Like this tutorial? Learn to bring woolen characters to life with @droolwool in her online course: Art Toy Creation: Needle Felting Technique.

English version by @studiogaunt

You may be interested in:
- Needle Felting: Creation of Characters with Needle and Thread.
- Amigurumi: Creation of Characters Through Crochet.
- Needle Felting Animal Creation.