Here are my favorite needle felting or wool related books. There are a lot of needle felting books “out there”, but they are not all worth your time or the price. I believe these books are.
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Make Animals: Felt Arts from Japan – Yoshinobu, 2018
This is hands down my favorite needle felting book but it is not a how-to book. It will not show you how to make the animals in it! For me, it is a source of inspiration and a place to reignite my flame for felting animals. The sculptures in it are mysterious, peaceful, dignified, and amusing. Each one makes me pause and appreciate both the work and the animal. I treasure this book and can’t imagine not having it in my home.
(from Amazon listing) “Breathtaking. Beautiful animals that seem to breathe. Their eyes are majestic and wild, yet they possess an aura of gentleness. This is the amazing world of YOSHiNOBU and the creative process he uses to give life to his animal friends. A gallery of the astonishing work of Japan’s top felting artist and step-by-step instructions on how to make these stunning creations.”
A Masterclass in Needle Felting Wildlife: Methods and Techniques to Take Your Needle Felting to the Next Level – Cindy-Lou Thompson, 2022
This book contains four advanced animal projects: a hare, red fox, badger and otter. Each animal builds on the previous lessons learned to help you develop a wide range of skills. There is a previous book on making dogs. I prefer the wildlife book as the projects appeal more to my interests. Both are great and worth reading (even if you don’t actually make all four projects). To be honest, I’m not sure that you need to purchase both. There is a degree of repetition between them. Chose the book that has animals nearer and dearer to your heart.
(from Amazon listing) “Take your needle felting to a whole new level to create a range of lifelike British wildlife. World class felting master Cindy-Lou Thompson of Chicktin Creations will take you through the steps. Covering four different British wild animals, with illustrated step-by-step instructions, Cindy guides you through the process of creating different body shapes, proportions, armatures, coats, and blending, as well as realistic finishing touches such as eyes, nails, ears and detailing. Learn how to achieve a professional finish you will be proud of with different textured coats, blending, clipping, and adding shape and giving a realistic finishing touch with a variety of mediums and methods, some of which Cindy has designed and developed herself.”
Needle-Felted Character Dolls: Step-by-step instructions for Fairy, Mermaid, Rabbit, and more – Mihoko Ueno, 2021
This book is a recent purchase for me. It is beautifully designed and so engaging! It shows you how to make a few specific characters and then design your own. It is unique in that it goes fairly deep into making detailed needle felted accessories and clothing for each creation.
(from Amazon listing) “Create whimsical fairies, mermaids, and other enchanting storybook characters with wool and needle-felting tools. Step-by-step photos illustrate the felting basics for both human and animal characters and how to add features such as eyes, noses, and hair. Then learn how to make the special details that set these dolls apart: unique hairstyles, clothing and accessories; tiny leather boots; knit scarves; metal spectacles; woolen clothes; and more.”
Painting With Wool
– Dani Ives, 2019
If you’re interested in learning 2D needle felting, this book offers 16 projects divided into 3 skill levels. Many of them would make beautiful gifts. As far as I’m concerned, Dani is the best 2D teacher around. While she is famous for her realistic pet portraits, this book isn’t focused on those. That said, if you are serious about pet portraits, take a look at her Best Portraits Course.
(from Dani’s website) “Increasingly popular, Dani Ives’s style of needle felting uses wool fibers and a felting needle to layer and “paint” embellishments for pieces that are bursting with texture and depth. Whether you want to decorate a tote or garment, or create frameable artwork, Painting with Wool is the guide to everything you need to know—including the tools required, the basic techniques, and how to get started…Ives is a pioneer in this art form and a skilled instructor who makes learning this craft fun and approachable for all.”
Needle Felting Winter – Rachel Austin, 2018
I’ve made several of Rachel’s animals over the years as I was learning to needle felt. I love the storybook style of them, reading their backstories, and the level of fantasy in her work. Her pieces are charming and she’s an excellent teacher. On a personal note, I was a pattern tester for the Ice Bear in this book!
(from Amazon listing) “The book contains over 20 beautiful winter themed projects to make, with projects ranging from easy to more challenging. Each design has step by step photos and instructions. Stencil sheets help you to create the more challenging projects, so whether you are a beginner in needle felting, or a more advanced needle felter this book is perfect for you! Although the animals and projects have a ‘Winter theme’ the techniques and styles could easily be applied to other felted works.”
Happy Wool Felt Animals: Needle Felt 30 Furry & Feathered Friends – Makiko Arai, 2020
If you prefer more of a kawaii style animal, this book will help you make it. It included instructions and patterns to make a variety of delightful animals, birds, and an assortment of brooch designs. I have the Japanese version because I purchased it before the English translation was released.
(from Amazon listing) “Craft a menagerie of miniature animals from simple materials! Author Makiko Arai’s easy felting techniques are perfect for beginners or anyone who enjoys a relaxing handcraft. With a little wool roving and a felting needle in hand, you’ll get step-by-step instructions to make 30 fuzzy friends, with a focus on shaping, color, and texture.”
The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook – Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius, 2011
I love this book and refer to it often. It’s also just plain fun to read if you are interested in learning about different breeds of sheep or types of wool. I always learn something when I pick it up.
(from the publisher) “This one-of-a-kind encyclopedia shines a spotlight on more than 200 animals and their wondrous fleece. Profiling a worldwide array of fiber-producers that includes northern Africa’s dromedary camel, the Navajo churro, and the Tasmanian merino, Carol Ekarius and Deborah Robson include photographs of each animal’s fleece at every stage of the handcrafting process, from raw to cleaned, spun, and woven.”
Camaj Fiber Art’s Scouring and Fiber Prep Guide – Mary Egbert, 2021
I’m so happy that I did not try to wash raw fleece prior to reading this book. There is so much conflicting information online. Mary tells you the truth based on her own experiments and years of preparing fiber. I trust what she says.
(from Amazon listing) “Are you new to scouring wool, Mohair or Alpaca or are you having issues with poor results? Is your prep just not up to par? Look no further! I am here to the rescue. My extensive research and sampling have proved some pretty amazing results. I go into detail regarding soap choices, water temps and more to make you look like a scouring boss. Wool is expensive and the sheep, goat or alpaca grew it all year just for you. Show it respect and make it shine!
Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece – Gail Callahan, 2010
As someone who is learning to dye wool, I’ve found this book very helpful. The instructions are clear and easy to understand. It has lots of step by step photos, a wide variety of methods for dyeing wool, and provides useful advice. The spiral binding also makes it easy to have open next to you as your prepare and dye your wool.
(From Amazon listing) “Discover the colorful joys of hand dyeing your own yarn and fleece. It’s easy, fun, and can be done right in your own kitchen! Self-taught dyer Gail Callahan shows you a variety of simple techniques to turn plain, outdated, or leftover yarn into vibrant “new” fibers using ovens, crockpots, frying pans, and other standard kitchen equipment. Detailed advice on color theory, self-striping, ‘grocery store’ dyes, and handmade multicolor skeins make successful dyeing a cinch, even for complete beginners.
Would you like to see more? Check out my list of needle felting tools, learn which supplies I use, and where I purchase wool and fiber.