Needle Felted Dragonflies
You will need (makes three dragonflies):
- 1x 30cm Extra Strong Pipe Cleaner- 1g of Flower Garden Space Dyed Australian Merino tops
- 1g of Heat Bondable Angelina Fibre (Deep Sea Rainbow or Mermaid Blue would work well for wings)
- fine felting needle & mat (optional)
- thread to hang them (optional)
You will also need: PVA glue, an electric household iron, greaseproof or parchment paper.
You can find a free downloadable PDF template for the wings HERE.
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Cut your 30cm Extra Strong Pipe Cleaner into 3 equal lengths. Take your first length and a thin strand of the wool top. |
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Wind the strand like a ribbon round the pipe cleaner end, keeping the wool flat and not twisted. As you wrap, always make sure it is so tight that it stays on the pipe cleaner without unwinding itself. Cover the first 1cm of the wire... |
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...then bend the pipe cleaner in on itself. Then carry on wrapping the wool, also going over the bent end to cover it. When you run out of wool, secure the wispy ends.
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If your wool runs out or breaks, just start with a new strand but always make sure you wind it in the same direction as before, otherwise you will unwind the layers underneath. Keep it tight! |
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Then use another strand and start at the other end, also bending the end in on itself. Remember to always wrap in the same direction. |
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Cover all the pipe cleaner evenly in wool...
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...then build up bulk towards one end, about one third in. This is to make a body. The shape should slightly resemble a helicopter with a narrow tail and a bulkier front. You can secure any loose fibres with your felting needle if necessary - mind the wire inside! |
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Make a film from Angelina Fibre (see how HERE). Draw on the film using the wing template HERE (or design your own). |
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Cut out the wings, then lay them on top of the dragonfly where the larger body is. |
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Attach them by laying a tiny strand of wool over where the wings meet in the middle. Felt it down with a fine needle, firstly on each side of the Angelina film straight into the wool body... |
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...then give it a few stabs on top of the wool and film. Alternatively, you can glue the wings into place. Why not make lots of these and hang them together on a mobile? |
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