How to design realistic needle felted animals (FAQ #10)

Do you dream of bringing your own unique animal creations to life? Then you’re in the right place! I’ve just released a brand new video on my YouTube channel that dives deep into the process of designing your own realistic needle felted animals. I used the majestic lion as our example!

In this video, I’m sharing my personal approach to needle felted animal design, breaking down the key steps, and providing practical tips that you can use to start your own sculptures. To demonstrate, I updated the lion pattern from the previous FAQ. Download the updated FREE PDF Lion Pattern now!

Why design your own animals?

While following patterns can be a great way to learn the basics of needle felting, designing your own animals allows you to:

Express your creativity: Bring your unique vision to life!
Develop your skills: Deepen your understanding of animal forms and their unique characteristics.
Create truly original pieces: Stand out from the crowd with sculptures that are 100% your own.
Gain confidence: Build your confidence as a needle felting artist.

What you’ll learn in the video

I’ll walk you through the entire process of designing a realistic lion, covering topics such as:

Initial decisions: Questions to ask yourself before you start designing.
Reference resources: Where to look for royalty free, public domain, and creative commons licensed images and videos.
Gathering references: Why multiple images and views are essential.
Simplifying shapes: Breaking down complex forms into basic shapes for easier sculpting.
Considering fur and texture: Where to add these touches to bring your animal to life.
And a special look at my New Lion Pattern! I’ll explain why I included each view in the pattern. You can use it as a guide for your own designs.

Websites and YouTube channels shared in the video

I promised to give you the links to the sites I showed you in the video. Here are the places I consult or search for references when I’m designing an animal.

The photos and videos of real lions in the video are from the following photographers

The reference images and videos of real lions shared in the video were from Unsplash and Pexels. You might want to bookmark or download some of these to use as we continue sculpting our needle felted lion.

Lion cubs playing: Video by nathalieburblis from Pixabay
Lion and lioness: Photo by A K on Unsplash
Lion growing in mane: Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash
Male lion with scarred nose: Photo by Catherine Merlin on Unsplash
Lion with full belly: Photo by Uzuri Safaris Tanzania on Unsplash
Lion that needs a meal: Photo by David Clode on Unsplash
Tawny male lion: Photo by Marius Leonard on Unsplash
White male lion: Photo by Audric Patrick on Unsplash
Lion with light mane: Photo by Martijn Vermeltfoort on Unsplash
Lion with dark mane: Photo by shraga kopstein on Unsplash
Standing male lion: Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash
Sitting male lion: Photo by CASSIDY WOODS on Unsplash
Sleeping male lion: Photo by Laura Plambeck on Unsplash
Two male lions walking: Video by gammeholton84 from Pixabay
Three male lions on rock ledge: Video by Ahrorjon Yusupov from Pixabay
Collage of four lion faces (left to right): Photo by Maurits Bausenhart on Unsplash, Photo by Bisakha Datta on Unsplash, Photo by Arleen wiese on Unsplash, and Photo by Maurits Bausenhart on Unsplash
Collage of three lions from different locations (left to right): Photo by Esteban Andrés on Unsplash, Photo by Bhaumik Shrivastava on Unsplash, and Photo by Andrew Liu on Unsplash
Collage of different views of four lions (clockwise starting in upper left): Photo by Mika Brandt on Unsplash, Photo by Esteban Andrés on Unsplash, Photo by Mark Attree on Unsplash, and Photo by Luis Mende on Unsplash
Male lion with a black background: Photo by Alihan Caglar on Unsplash

Let me know what you think!

What animals are you dreaming of designing? What aspects of animal design do you find most challenging? Are there any questions I didn’t address? Share your thoughts and questions by leaving a comment at YouTube for me!

I will be planning my future videos based on your questions. Also, please check out the playlist for my FAQ series on needle felting if you missed any of the previous videos.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and bookmark this website so you don’t miss any of my tutorials or other content.

I hope this video and blog post have inspired you to take the leap and start designing your own needle felted animals. Remember, it’s a journey of learning and experimentation, so embrace the process and have fun!

Last Updated on April 23, 2025