Needle Felted Pumpkin Bowl – Tutorial

September 13, 2014

Needle Felting a Pumpkin Bowl Tutorial

Supplies Used:

• Living Felt MC-1 Felting Batts 6.5 oz
• Earth Harmony Needle Felting Hat Form (we chose size Child/Infant)
• 4-needle Metal Felting Tool
• Clover Pen Tool with two 38-Spiral Felting Needles, Clover Pen Tool with two 42 Triangle Felting Needles
• Dyed Locks
• Chenille stem

Follow the normal  steps for wet felting a hat or a vessel without the “extension” (shown on the left) Cover the hat form completely with wool, we used 2oz and recommend an extra layer on the bottom so your finished bowl is sturdy and well supported on the bottom.

The basic steps to achieve the above picture:

1. Cover the base in wool with fibers running up and down the form. Use the 4-Needle Metal too or other multi-needle felting tool to felt the wool flat. Do not plunge your needles too deeply (see our needle felting a purse video if needed)
2. Cover with a 2nd layer of wool running the fibers around the circumference. Add extra wool to the bottom (3-4 layer). Needle felt this layer flat.
3. Gently peel the wool off the form and look for any bare spots. (this will stretch out your project).
4. Turn in inside out and put it back on the form. Fill in any bare spots with more wool, and needle felt from this side. You may have to guide the wool as you go because it is now stretched out some. Make sure not to create any “folds” or creases.
5. Use the small round extension to needle felt a small, flat circle the same thickness as on the hat form. Peel it off and tidy up the outside by folding the loose fibers towards the center of the circle and needle felting them in place.
6. Keep the wool on the hat form. Place the small felted circle on top of the felted hat form.
   Set the “extension” foam off to the side, it is no longer needed. (The small felted circle will give the top of our pumpkin integrity while also making it easy to remove
   when we are finished because it will be less adhered to the foam than if we covered it 100% to start.)

Divide 4oz of wool into equal parts. The length should reach from the top of your bowl to the base, roughly at the center of each.

Roll one piece firmly.

Place on end of the roll on the top of your pumpkin and one end on the base, Needle felt each end of the roll firmly in place.

Your project will look kind of funny and even messy to start. Keep adding the felted pumpkin “meat’ 🙂 and filling in the
circumference completely. The pieces to do not need to be perfect … unless you like it that way!

Use the Clover Pen Tool with 38 Spiral needles to needle felt the edges of the rolled wool where they meet the hat form;
attaching the length of the roll on both sides. Also begin needle felting and firming the roll – but you can come back and felt more after all of the  areas are filled in.

This is what our project looks like … “almost” all of the pieces are in place. We filled in all the gaps. Then go back and continue
needle felting the exterior of your pumpkin until it is nice and firm. We used our Clover Pen Tool with two  42 Triangle Felting Needles to
then smooth out all of the needle marks.

Too soft…keep needle felting

firm! good :O)

This step takes some time, but it is well worth it. If the outside of your pumpkin is firmly needle felted, it will hold up nicely and you can use it year after year for decoration 🙂

Add any contrasting or complementary colors as desired during this final firming up of the outer layer.  It seemed like we could
needle felt this exterior forever — I began to think of it as a “meditative pumpkin” that I could return to and needle felt any time I want a soothing activity 🙂

Make a paper template the size of your desired hole. **We encourage this is smaller than the diameter of the hat form.
Cutting it too wide may cause it not to hold its shape as well as you want because it will stretch a bit once you remove it from the form. NOTE – it is not likely that the piece you cut out will fit perfectly back in like a “lid”, so it may just be a decoration on the side.

Use an awl or other tool to mark around the perimeter of the template.

Make a small snip with pointy scissors, we are trying to cut through the wool and not cut the foam.

Before cutting out your top, use your fingers to find the foam, so you know how deeply to cut.

 

Carefully trim out the top of your pumpkin.

Use your hand to separate the wool from the foam firm before removing it.

Voila! Our felted Pumpkin Bowl is Born!! Add a Stem using the same steps as shown in our tutorial for needle felting a fairy tale pumpkin.

 
Wrap a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) with wool in your desired color. Cover one end completely and leave the other end exposed.
Needle Felt it into shape. If you needle felt  it have 4 or 5 sided (with flat sides) , you can create a realistic look.  Attach it to your pumpkin top and give it a little “twist” so it looks more natural.