This video is intended for you to be able follow along making a needle felted Jack Russell Terrier, or similar small breed dog.
None of this video is time-lapse, so although it is sped up, you can slow it back down in the viewing options on KZread.
The supplies you will need are listed below in this description. Please understand that it will take 20+ hours to needle felt this dog. It is not a quick or simple project. However, even if you cannot execute your needle felted dog to exactly the same degree, I think you can still enjoy this craft, and still end up with something nice. Best of luck!
TOOLS:
--Chenille Stems
www.amazon.com/IVYRISE-Chenil...
-- Floral Wire (18 to 22 gauge)
www.amazon.com/Decora-Gauge-W...
--A felting surface
www.etsy.com/listing/18322531... this one is like mine, but there are so many other options www.etsy.com/search?q=needle%...
--Needle Felting Needles: 40T yellow and 36T black and optional green REVERSE needle (www.etsy.com/shop/FeltAlive). My reverse needle is the pink heart needle, but this seller is no longer available and I highly recommend the Felt Alive needles anyway.
** It is important to note that these needles can break, especially the 40 gauge, so you may want a spare needle or two.
--Scissors
--Needle nose pliers
optional Clover Needle Felting Pen www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
optional Finger Guards
www.amazon.com/Dimensions-Nee...
--Plastic Safety Eyes (6mm)
www.etsy.com/listing/62760203...
www.etsy.com/listing/77767361...
**I used clear eyes and painted the back side, but you can purchase pre-colored eyes.
--Paint (acrylic paint in a dark-brown color for the eyes IF you are painting your own)
*optional-- you might want an awl for piercing the wool to insert the eyes, but you might just be able to force the eyes through the wool without an awl.
--Glue (I use Aleene's Tacky Glue)
amazon.com/Aleenes-Original-T...
--Mod Podge Matte
www.amazon.com/Mod-Podge-Wate...
--Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Brush Pen Wallet - Shades of Grey
www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-...
**This is what I used to shade the tops of the ears. It can also be used beneath the nose and on the front part of the dog's lips. For the lips/nose only use the lighter grey colors.
WOOL:
** I get all my wool through various Etsy sellers. You do not have to have the exact colors I used. There are many wonderful sellers you can buy from on Etsy.com
--Core Wool (roving or batt ) Probably 2oz. www.etsy.com/listing/76770610...
--Dyed wools in any shades of white, black, brown, optional dark brown for the outline of the eyes, black can be used instead.
www.etsy.com/listing/77723512...
If you are making a different color dog, there are tons of color options available. To make one like the dog I made, maybe get “marshmallow,” “noir,” “brown” or “suede,” and “espresso” if you want the eye outline to be brown instead of just using black wool.
DOG COLLAR:
I’m sorry I did not film any of the making of the dog’s collar. I used a glitter ribbon which was a fairly stiff canvas-like material (specifically it was “American Crafts Glitter Ribbon” in 3/8 inch wide), which I then cut to be about half as wide. I trimmed one end to look more angled like a real collar.
I used small pieces of 22 gauge florist wire (www.amazon.com/JFFX-Jewelry-F...) and clipped and glued small pieces to the ribbon to give the appearance of a buckle. It was not a functional buckle.
I used shrink paper (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...) to make the tag, and more florist wire to hang the tag from the collar. This takes some experimentation, but it is fairly easy to color on and write the dog’s name using fine tip markers. Then cut out your tag shape and punch a small hole, and then bake in the oven per the package instructions. Try making a few different sizes since it shrinks quite a bit after baking.
To make the rhinestones I added tiny drops of fabric paint in diamond glitter (www.amazon.com/Tulip-Dimensio...) and then carefully traced the edges of the fabric paint with the brush tip Pitt Pens once the paint was dry. The collar was then glued in place around the dog’s neck.