Introduction: Felt Bumble Bee

About: Artist working in felt

This is a great beginner project.

Bees are very versatile; I add the small ones to other sculptures, I add a pin to make them into cute brooches, add a wire and they fly over your plants, add a magnet and they decorate your fridge.

It's very important to buy proper felting wool of the exact type listed as well as proper needles. Neither are expensive, but if you buy poor quality cheaper alternatives they may well be useless to felt with.

There are loads of good vendors that sell wool and needles, I have included links to the ones I buy from, but there are plenty more, just buy from a shop specifically for needle felting. A lot of kits sold by art shops that are supposed to be for needle felting really are not fit for purpose.

I hope you enjoy making some bees as much as I do.



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Supplies


A felting needle - I use a light blue spiral needle from Heidi feathers, 40 gauge.

https://www.heidifeathers.com/

black wool - https://www.worldofwool.co.uk/products/carded-wool-badger

orange wool - https://www.themakerss.co.uk/products/new-zealand-merino-golden-yellow-wool-batts-needle-felting-short-fibres-100g-50g?_pos=1&_sid=a98397bd7&_ss=r

white wool - https://www.worldofwool.co.uk/products/carded-white-corriedale?_pos=2&_sid=fc036462d&_ss=r


Optional kit:

straighteners (an iron may also suffice if used carefully)

hairspray

stiff wire (for flying bees) I buy wire from my local DIY store, 1mm wire is best, anything less and it won't be strong enough.

Pin (for brooches)

magnets (for fridge magnets)


Sharp scissors or shears

Pliers for wire bending.

Step 1: Making the Body

Pull off a lump of black wool and shape it into a rounded bee body with your hands, rolling it like you would a lump of playdough.


Now get out your needle. Felting needles are specially notched to catch the notches on the sheeps wool and felt them together. Don't stab crazily like you're stabbing a house guest that stayed too long, Just stab gently, like a bird pecking at the wool, straight in and out of the piece. Remember to avoid your fingers on the other side!

Stab the wool to make it hold that oval shape. Stabbing with the needle more deeply will make more of a dent in the wool, while stabbing lightly will just affect the surface. The more you stab, the firmer and smaller your bee will be. To tidy any straggling loose threads of wool and smooth up the surface stab at an angle along the body so the needle just pierces along the surface. This will smooth the surface without shrinking the overall shape as much.

Once your bee body is formed to your satisfaction pull off a fine length of orange wool and roll it slightly between your hands into a long thin sausage shape.

Felt it around the body in two circles to make two stripes. Use an angled stab with your felting needle to avoid making dents in the bee.

Step 2: Wings

Pull off a fine piece of white wool and pinch it between your thumb and finger.

Stab around the wool tucking the wool in with the needle and letting the pinched fingers guide it. Be careful!

Do not stab straight through the flat wing as then the white wool will be pushed out of the other side in tufts.

Once you have a flat circle with three smooth sides attach the remaining loose side to the side of the bee body about half way up.

Stab firmly to attach the loose wool onto the body, making sure all the stray white wool is hidden inside the black body.

Repeat for second wing.


In the photos mine look quite fuzzy, camera pictures often pick up fine hairs, but do not worry too much about a little fluff, we will tidy that up at the end.

Step 3: Eyes

Pull off a very small piece of white wool. Roll it round between your hands to form a round ball and then stab/place it on the end of the needle.

Now stab the needle into the bee body at one end, towards the top of the dark area which will become it's face. Stab a few times gently to attach it, but be careful, if you stab too much the white will disappear.

Repeat for other eye.

Step 4: Tidy Up

If you have hair straighteners now is the time to use them. Heat them up and close them on the wings briefly, then carefully use them to smooth the body too. This does result in quite a cuboid bee but dont worry they soon plump up again.

The same effect can be achieved with an iron I imagine, just more carefully!

After straighteners I use shears to cut any last straggly pieces of wool and then hair spray the bee all over to keep the wool really secure.

Step 5: To Create a Bee Brooch

I use these lovely no sew brooch backs from The Makerss. All you do is pin them on securely and voila, a brooch.

https://www.themakerss.co.uk/products/no-sew-brooch-backs-x-20?_pos=1&_sid=5bfd06933&_ss=r

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Step 6: To Create a Bee Fridge Magnet

Use a pair of sharp shears to cut a hole in the underneath of your bee.

Push in a magnet and glue it in place securely. I use proper glue for this, not just PVA, as magnets tend to go wandering out through the wool if they're not really secure.

Felt the wool back together over the top.

Step 7: To Make a Flying Bee on a Wire.

Cut the underneath of your bee with shears to make hole along the bottom. Make it fairly deep.

Cut a length of wire a little bit longer than the height you want your bee to be from the plant or vase you plan to display it on.

Coat the end of the wire in pva and wrap it with a thin strip of wool. Bend the wool wrapped end onto it's self, then bend the wool end so it's at a 90 degree angle to the wire length.

Place the wool wrapped end of the wire inside the cut hole. Carefully felt the wool on the wire to the bee and then felt the hole closed so the bee is firmly attached.

Step 8: