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Nov 21

How to add fur to your needle felt creation.

Are you ready to start creating fur for your needle felt creations?

The task of adding fur can seem daunting but it doesn't have to be. 

In this article I'll be sharing with you a few ways to easily add fur.

Adding fur to a needle-felted creation can give it a lifelike texture and a greater sense of realism, especially for animals, creatures, or characters that need that extra touch of softness and detail. The process of adding fur to a needle-felted sculpture can be done in a few different ways, depending on the effect you're going for. 

The first thing to consider is what kind of texture you want.

Depending on the animal or creature you are creating helps determine the best fiber for the job:

- Long Wool Fibers (like Wensleydale or Teeswater): These work great for adding longer fur or a soft, flowing mane, like on a lion or horse.
- Shorter Wool Fibers (like Merino): These are good for adding more fine, dense fur.
- Alpaca or Angora: These fibers create a soft, silky fur effect, perfect for fluffy animals like rabbits or cats. 

That being said in general for most of my makes I use merino top coat but it really does depend on the texture I want to achieve. 

The next thing to consider is the length of the fur and the size of the animal you are creating. 

For a smaller animal with longer fur my go to process is doing what I call fur plugs. 

Cut your top coat into 2 inch sections then pull off a small amount and fold it in half. Twist the fold with your fingers slightly. Where the twist is made is where you will felt the wool into your piece. Felt the fur plugs into your piece following the natural way the fur would lay on the animal. Scroll below for a diagram that shows how fur lays on most mammals. 

Follow the video for a clearer understanding of how to create fur plugs. 
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For adding fur to large animals the process is slightly different.

I use longer sections of wool, cut to approximately 2 1/2 to 3 inches. I do not twist the ends. Follow along in the video to get an idea of the entire process. 

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Quick note - In tight sections of larger creations I use the fur plug technique

One of my favorite ways to add fur is perfect for animals with shorter fur.

For this you utilize a reverse needle. This is also a fantastic way to blend colors and add color variations on your felted creations. 

Here are the steps to the process of when I use the reverse needle to blend colors and make fur:

- felt your animal completely without fur.
- Big tip! Use a base core wool that is the main color of the animal you are making. For example, this black bear, my base core wool, is black.
- add color variations by felting the color changes where they would be on the animal. You'll see on the black bear I added a brownish red on top and grays on the side. These are just flat felted into the bear.
- make sure everything is well felted. Otherwise, it won't reverse well.
- use the reverse needle all over where you want fur.
- for shorter fur areas, you can blend and use the reverse needle as well but then go back over it with a regular needle.
- once everything is reversed, you can comb it out and trim.

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Additional Tips for Adding Fur to Needle-Felted Creations:

- Layering is Key: Start with smaller amounts of fiber and gradually build up layers. Adding too much at once can make the fur clumpy and difficult to manage.

- Don’t Over-Felt: For realistic fur, avoid over-felting the tufts you add. The goal is for the fibers to stay somewhat loose on the surface so they mimic real fur, which moves and flows naturally.

- Different Directions for Realism: Pay attention to the natural growth pattern of the fur you’re replicating. For example, a lion’s mane flows in a specific direction, while a fox’s fur around the tail is softer and more wispy.

Here's a diagram that may help you see the direction the fur should go. 
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