Doorstopper

As you can see, here are my latest craftings. The hen is missing the bottom -because the paint on it isn't dry just yet- but otherwise these are complete animals.

You need for this:
Lots of wool and some felt
Wooden stick
Wooden standing system, or you can make it yourself
(Paint for the standing system)
Felting needle
Foam
Time


If you have some felt, please use it for the start. Put it around the stick tightly, and take some wool and stick it onto the felt piece so it will stay at its position. Make some layers from any wool you have, because it doesn't matter at the beginning part.
After you have some layers, you should shut the head-side up by pulling the stick away. Make sure that the felt system is hard enough so it will remain its shape when you remove the stick. Then just stuff wool on the top of the felt piece so that it will become hard and it will look like the head of the animal or item you're about to do.
Make the last layer from the color you want, and make the smaller parts (ears, wings, noses and such) last.

Stuff you should know

1. Felting needle breaks easily if you use it wrongly. Try to poke the felt from up to down, in a straight movement, don't bend the needle.
2. Felting needles are very sharp. Beware your fingers and do NOT leave them around small children or animals
3. Make the base of the felt hard. Otherwise the air inside the felt will make it hard to keep the look of the animal to stay the same. And if you wash it, it won't look the same anymore
4. Needle felting is addictive hobby. Yes i'm myself also addicted to it.
5. Smaller parts like wings and ears for the animals should be made separetly on top of the foam, because its hard to make it hard and not to hurt your hands. Use a different felting needle with bigger notches than the usual needle. If you cant tell the difference by your eye, try to stick the needle on the bigger parts, if it won't stick well you got the right needle for smaller parts.
6. If you make ears, make sure you leave some extra wool un-felted so that it will be easier for you to stick it on to the bigger part of the work.
7. Felting with needle takes time and you need to poke the wool pretty hard, so make sure you rest your arm sometimes.