A guide to Felting Needles

A Guide to Felting Needles

Quick needle guide

Web Needle Info Fixed

Safety

Caution: Needles are sharp and brittle so care needs to be taken when using them, they should only be used by adults. Please store in the plastic case provided, away from small children.

Gauge

The gauge of felting needle refers to the diameter of the needle. The higher the gauge, the finer the needle and the smaller the barbs.

Number of Barbs

The greater the number of barbs, the quicker the felting. The fewer the barbs a needle has, the greater the accuracy of the needle. So to start a project you might want a 36G star needle as this has 8 barbs and to finish adding fine detail you might use a 42G triangular needle as this only has 3 barbs.

Types of needle shape

There are currently three main needle shapes; Triangular, star and forked.

Triangular needles have three edges and a straight shaft with regularly spaced barbs. A (triangular) Crown needle has a straight shaft with 3 barbs at the very tip. The (Triangular)

Twisted needles have a twisted blade with regularly spaced barbs.

Star needles have four edges and a straight shaft with regularly spaced barbs. There is a twist in the blade of Star twisted needle, with regularly spaced barbs.

Forked had a smooth circular shaft with a tiny fork at the tip.

Correct handling

Felting needles are brittle, and are therefore easily broken. To reduce breakages, use the needle in a straight in, straight out motion. The needle is best not bent, wiggled or put under a lot of pressure. As a general rule, if the needle will not enter a surface with ease, do not force it. Possibly change the gauge needle you are using to a finer needle / higher gauge. There are lots of helpful videos online with useful techniques on reborn hair rooting.

Colour key for heidifeathers needles

Needle Gauge	Number of Barbs	Colour	Felting	Rooting
32 Triangular	9 (3 each edge)	Silver	Yes	Yes
36 Triangular	9 (3 each edge)	Green	Yes	Yes
38 Triangular	6 (2 each edge)	Red	Yes	Yes
40 Triangular	6 (2 each edge)	Blue	Yes	Yes
42 Triangular	3 (1 each edge)	Gold	Yes	Yes

Needle Gauge	Number of Barbs	Colour	Felting	Rooting
36 Star	8 (2 each edge)	Cream	Yes	No
38 Star	8 (2 each edge)	Black	Yes	No
38 star Twisted	8 (2 each edge)	Bright Pink	Yes	No
36 Reverse	6 (2 each edge)	Light Green	Yes	No
40 Reverse	6 (2 each edge)	Orange	Yes	No
38 Twisted	6 (2 each edge)	Purple	Yes	Yes
40 Twisted	6 (2 each edge)	Light Blue	Yes	Yes

Needle Gauge	Number of Barbs	Colour	Felting	Rooting
38 Crown	3 (1 each edge)	Pink	Yes	Yes
40 Crown	3 (1 each edge)	Brown	Yes	Yes
42 Crown	3 (1 each edge)	Yellow	Yes	Yes
46 Crown	3 (1 each edge)	White	No	Yes
42 Forked	None	Metal	No	Yes

Triangular Felting Needles

These needles have three sides with regular spaced barbs at different points on the needle blade.

32 Silver – This is a needle to use with coarse fibres. It will define outlines quickly and can be useful for attaching felt to felt such as an arm to a body.

Rooting with this needle would give a thick head of hair.

36 Green – This is a good starter needle. Use it for outlines, heavy shaping, and joining felt to felt.

Rooting with this needle would give a thick head of hair.

38 Red – This needle is good for starting, firming up your felt and shaping.

Rooting with this needle would give medium coverage of hair.

40 Blue – This needle is good for finer, lighter felting. It is good for finishing, removing felting holes made by thicker needles and adding detail.

Rooting with this needle will give a light covering of hair.

42 Gold- This needle is for finishing touches, working with a few wisps of wool, adding eyes, shaping ears etc.

Rooting with this needle will give a sparse coverage of hair.

Star Felting Needles

These needles have 4 sides, with regular spaced barbs 2 a side.

36 Cream – This needle is fast to felt with, a good starter needle, good for firming up felt, easy to work on firmer felt with and joining felt to felt.

38 Black – This needle is fast to felt with, a good follow-on needle from the cream for continued firming and shaping.

Star Twisted Felting Needles

This needle has a twisted star blade (with 4 sides).

38 Bright Pink - This needle is good to use from start to finish, and it's fast to felt too.

Reverse Barb Felting Needles

These needles have the barbs pointed the opposite way as regular felting needles, so pull the fibre outward instead of pushing and felting fibre inwards. These are typically used for making a furry (as opposed to smooth) surface for 3D forms.

36 Light Green - This needle is good to pull a lot of fibres out at a time, good for fur creation.

40 Orange - The needle is fine and good for pulling fine wisps from the felted item, ideal for fluffing or revealing a second colour hidden under the top coat.

Twisted Felting Needles

38 Twisted / Spiral - There is a twist in the blade of the needle to create a firm and smoother piece of felt, use as you would other 38 gauges

40 Twisted / Spiral - There is a twist in the blade of the needle to create a firm and smoother piece of felt, use as you would other 40 gauges

Crown Felting Needles

These needles have three sides, with one barb on each side, all level near the tip.

38 Pink - When rooting this needle will give a fine covering of hair, and when felting will smooth surfaces fast and firm.

40 Brown - When rooting this needle will give a fine / thin head of hair, and when felting stray hairs neatening the surface without creating a dent underneath.

42 Yellow – When rooting this will give sparse coverage, useful for eyelashes, when felting creates a smooth surface.

46 White – When rooting this will give very sparse coverage, working with a hair or two at a time, again useful for eyelashes.