Needle felting tutorial, on how to make needle felted grapes. For a kit with all you need to make grapes and other some other yummy fruit see felted fruit kit . For other starter felting kits both needle felt and wet felting see my shop.

To make the grapes you will need

8g white wool (core)

10g burgundy (grapes)

10g Purple (grapes)

A piece of brown (stalk)

A green and red needle and foam mat.

   

1. To make the inner core take a length of white wool weighing approx 8g. Fold a third in half from one end, the remaining two thirds fold from the other end twice. The end with one fold (two layers of wool) is the thin end of the cone. The end folded twice (with three layers of wool) is the thick top end of the cone.
2. Roll from one side (length ways) and stab with the green needle to hold together. If there are any gaps or lumps you can pull the wool next to it with your fingers to cover it and stab into place.
3. Continue to shape the core into a cone shape by stabbing with the green needle until the top is flat and bottom slightly rounded. Continue with the red needle until the cone is getting firm and well shaped. The cone will be approx 3” long.

    

1. Mix the two purple colours by mixing small amounts at a time, either using your fingers by simply taking equal amounts of each colour and pulling apart and mixing until you are happy with the mix (it does not have to be completely blended)
2. Take a small piece of the mixed wool and fold up the edges into a firm ball shape, hold against the pad and stab with the green needle (careful not to stab fingers). Turn while holding and continue to stab until it keeps its shape when let go. The shape should be more tear drop than round where you have been keeping hold of it.
3. Take the grape and stab the loose ends you were holding into the core, then stab around the edge of the grape to keep it in place. You can give it a few stabs in the middle if you think it needs it.
4. Put each grape close in to the last, leaving no gaps or white showing. Grapes can be different sizes, the more wool you use the larger the grape.
5. When rolling the grape the tighter you hold it together the less stabbing it needs, if a grape is a bit lumpy before or after adding it to the core stab it with the red needle to shape it and remove the lumps.

1. Take a strip of brown wool and roll in fingers and palms into a 2” long stalk. Lay onto the pad and stab with the red needle all over turning as you go to shape and firm up the stalk.
2. Stab the stalk firmly into the middle of the top of the bunch of grapes with the green needle; keep stabbing in the stalk until about 1” is showing. Done!

For more tutorial click here