General Tips for Needle Felting with Foam

1. I use STYROFOAM Brand Foam Make it: Fun TM
2. Wool Roving from National Nonwovens
3. Needle Felt tool and Molds by Clover (Pen style tool holds one to three needles and has a safety guard.)
4. Beacon Hold the Foam & Fabri-tac glues
5. Round toothpicks and skewers for extra stability between pieces.
6. When cutting foam pieces used waxed knife. (rub with candle)
7. Brush all loose bits of foam from pieces and surface before beginning to needle felt. They will stick to wool.
8. Use an up and down motion to stab needle into loose wool wrapped around foam pieces. Illustrated step by steps follow.

The Basic How-tos to make a Bunny, Snowman or whatever you Imagine!

Alternate Needle Felt & Foam Head Technique

1. Cover egg for head evenly with wool and insert  needle up and down into foam adhering wool to egg. To create eye socket push gently with thumbs and use needle to punch several more times.
2. Place a small amount of black wool in eye socket. Needle felt around edge first then center. For more control use single needle. TIP: Pull two equal amounts of wool at same time to ensure eyes are same size.
3. Repeat for second eye matching size by referring to first eye.
4. Place a small amount of pink in nose area at end of egg. Needle felt in place from outside edges in. Pull a thin line of pink to needle felt mouth. This completes the head.

How to Make a Bird maybe or two or three or even a flock!

Which came first the chicken or the egg? creating birds from foam shapes, the egg definitely comes first! Create a bird from two shapes, a foam egg and a ball.
1. Place wool in a circle on bottom of egg for bird chest. Needle felt. Insert toothpick between ball and egg.
2. Push ball and egg together firmly.
3. Cover rest of the egg body and head ball with loose wool.
4. Add a little loosely triangular shaped piece of wool roving to end of egg. Needle felt around it at egg end to hold in place.
5. Put egg down on a foam surface (I use a covered cushion foam slab) Needle felt wool into tail shape.
6. Repeat needle felting around tail area to make secure.
7. Take a small ball of wool in a yellow, coral shade for beak. Needle felt to face.
8. Continue felting into oval shape.
9. Needle felt across center of beak to create open mouth.
10. Create wing by using bone folder to indent wing. Needle felt along line after for more definition.
For eyes use brads or black head pins. Dip in gliue and push into place. Add feet out of felt or wire if desired. Make birds in different sizes and colors for home and holiday decor.