Needle felting step by step: this is how I discovered the magic of this technique

When I first started needle felting wool, I was barely able to make a ball that I was proud of, and just like with illustration, it was frustrating not being able to create what I imagined.
With practice, perseverance (seriously... hours and hours) and a few tutorials, I managed to make my first adorable little animals.

This little snowy owl was one of my first creations, one I'm still proud of to this day. It was a hit in my Etsy shop and garnered a lot of attention at conventions.
Although it's true that, despite my love for it, it looked pretty simple and basic. It was clear I didn't have the experience I have now.

With a little more practice and a better eye for selecting quantities and sizes of things, I ventured into making figures based on images I found on the internet, whether of a character or an animal.
I get really overwhelmed by over-planning (my head goes wild when I try to be too perfectionist), so I decided to go with the flow and not make sketches, maps, templates, or anything like that. I just chose an image and made the shape by eye.
To my surprise, it worked quite well (at that time I didn't have much faith in myself hehe).

The result was an army of Porgs for a Star Wars convention, and while it's true that they took a little longer to sell, they all found homes in the end.
After that experience, I was encouraged to try it with more characters. I loved the technique much more than sculpting with polymer clay, and combined with my personal touch, the result was unique.

Later, and not feeling very sure of what would come out, I tried more complicated things and, again, I was amazed with the result:

I achieved what I had in mind and received many compliments at conventions. Then I realized that these wool figurines were here to stay in my shop, so I continued testing my skills until I ventured into creating figurines of my own characters.

The feeling of being able to touch and embrace something I'd so lovingly drawn myself was incredible. I won't lie: I struggled a lot to get some figures right, and I even thought I wouldn't make it. But I finally did it, failing, trying again, and learning from every step. That's art: a path full of setbacks and magic. Because if magic were easy, everyone would be able to do it.

✨ So if you're at that point where things aren't going as expected, don't give up. Believe me, we all start out clueless and with more questions than answers. But with patience, love, and a little creative madness, you can create wonderful things.

🧵 And you? Have you ever felt that spark when creating something with your hands? I'd love to hear from you 💜