· By Allison Dupuis
Needle Felting Books: The Best Books for Needle Felters (From Beginner to Advanced)
What are the best needle felting books for beginners?
One of the questions I get asked the most in my needle felting classes is:
"If I only buy one needle felting book, which one should it be?"
My answer depends on what you're trying to make. If you're learning needle felting for beginners, you need a book that teaches structure and shape building instead of just giving you patterns to copy. Learning why something works is much more valuable than memorizing one project.
Below are the books I recommend over and over.
Needle Felting for Beginners: How to Sculpt with Wool
Roz Dace & Judy Balchin
If someone asks me how to learn needle felting, this is almost always where I tell them to begin.
Roz Dace and Judy Balchin explain the foundations of sculpting with wool better than almost anyone. You'll learn things like:
-
Building clean shapes
-
Working with armatures
-
Creating smooth surfaces
-
Combining embroidery with needle felting
-
Understanding proportions
These skills transfer to literally every sculpture you'll make afterward.
Which needle felting book helped you improve the fastest?
Without question...
Feltlicious: Needle-Felted Treats to Make & Give
Kari Chapin
Yay for tiny felted food! But also, this book completely changed how I think about color. Kari introduces painterly techniques using wool by layering different shades to create shadows, highlights, and depth. If your sculptures have ever looked a little flat, this book helps you understand how tiny color (aka shadows and light) changes create surprisingly realistic results. Also...tiny felted desserts are fucking adorable.
Can needle felting books teach realistic animals?
Yessssss.
Little Felted Dogs
By Saori Yamazaki
This book is ridiculously cute. What makes it so useful is how the author breaks dozens of dog breeds into the same foundational body shape. Instead of treating every breed like a completely different project, you learn how small adjustments completely transform the final sculpture.
I wouldn't recommend this as someone's very first felting book, though. Once you get into fluffy coats, curly fur, and detailed shaping, the projects quickly become more advanced.
Are there needle felting books that aren't about tiny animals?
YES. And honestly, this is the book that blows my mind.
Painting with Wool
Dani Ives
Most people think needle felting means making little 3D animals. Dani Ives shows a completely different side of the craft. Instead of sculpting, she uses wool like paint. The individual wisps become brush strokes, creating beautiful landscapes, portraits, and illustrations with texture instead of pigment. It's one of the most artistic felting books I've ever read and completely changed how I think about composition.
What's the weirdest needle felting book you've ever bought?
Cat-Hair Hats for Cats
By Umatan & rojiman
This book is straight up art. Tiny lion manes. Sherlock Holmes hats. Snail hats. Little mushroom hats. Every page somehow gets more ridiculous than the last.
But underneath the humor is some surprisingly advanced felting instruction. Forming bowls, curved structures, and wearable pieces teaches techniques that carry over into sculpture.
It's fucking great.
What books should every needle felter own?
If I were building a small library, it'd be these five:
-
Needle Felting for Beginners by Roz Dace & Judy Balchin
-
Feltlicious by Kari Chapin
-
Painting with Wool by Dani Ives
-
Little Felted Dogs by Saori Yamazaki
-
Cat-Hair Hats for Cats by Umatan & rojiman
Want even more recommendations?
Browse my complete book collection here:
Where should you buy needle felting books?
You absolutely can buy books from giant online retailers, but I avoid them and here's why:
REMEMBER, every dollar we spend is a vote for the kind of world we want to live in. Independent bookstores create places where people gather, discover new ideas, attend events, meet authors, and build community. Libraries do exactly the same thing. They make learning accessible to everyone, regardless of income.
Learning a craft is an act of creativity. Sharing that knowledge through local bookstores and public libraries strengthens the communities around us.
My go-to: If you're near Chapel Hill, check out Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews. If you're not ready to buy, borrow instead. The Durham County Library has one of the strongest local collections of fiber art books:
-
Support your neighborhood bookstore.
-
Get a library card.
-
Read (or listen) to more books.
-
Learn handy skills.
-
Teach someone else.
Community has always been one of our greatest strengths. Every fiber artist knows this, and we are taught to pass that message along.
FAQs About Needle Felting Books
What is the best book for learning needle felting?
It’s not just me, many experienced felters on Reddit recommend Needle Felting for Beginners by Roz Dace and Judy Balchin because it focuses on core techniques like shaping wool, using armatures, and creating clean sculptures instead of just following patterns.
Is it better to learn needle felting from YouTube or books?
It depends on how you like to learn. Do you need to watch someone felting or are written descriptions enough? I learn from books, reddit, and youtube.
Books are excellent for understanding the "why" behind techniques because you can study diagrams and revisit them while working. Videos help you see hand movements and needle placement in real time.
Some of my students have tried all these methods, and then nothing clicked until they came to my class. Everyone is different, so try all of them!
How do I start needle felting?
If you're wondering how to start needle felting, begin with:
-
A felting pad
-
A few felting needles
-
Core wool + colored wool
-
One beginner-friendly book or kit
-
Patience and maybe a few bandaids
Most beginners improve dramatically after completing just a handful of simple projects. See the full list of my favorite supplies here.
What makes a good gift for someone who loves needle felting?
Some of my favorite gifts for crafters include:
-
A fun needle felting book
-
High-quality wool like merino or coriedale. If you can find local wool on Facebook marketplace, your farmers market, or Etsy, that’s even better.
-
Felting needles: you can never have too many. I love the color coded ones from Living Felt.
-
Handmade needle holders
-
Project organizers: no zippers! The fiber can get caught in there and it’s a pain in the butt to pull it free.
-
A gift card to a local yarn shop. Honestly this is the best option because who knows what tools they have or which colors and type of fiber they are running low on.
Books are especially great because they keep inspiring new projects long after they're bought.
Do libraries carry needle felting books?
Oh hell yeah. Most public library systems have surprisingly large craft collections. If your local library doesn't own a title, ask about interlibrary loan. The library is a magic place, and they might even have a needle felting course. I teach one at my local branch!