Needle Felting Lesson: 3D Tree

Welcome to my needle felting lesson: 3D Trees. Watch as I work through the process of needle felting a 3D tree, with branches that pop off the wall when your finished piece is on display. This lesson was originally recorded in May 2025.

Creating Tree Branches

With a small portion of brown unspun wool roll the portion between your palms to begin forming a rolled column into a branch shape. When you felt a small, thin piece with your needle it will poke fibers through to the other side. When this occurs (especially on cylindrical components) I simply roll the piece between my palms to smooth out the surface.

to smooth out the surface.

Creating & Attaching Leafy Loops

With your green wool, portion out several pinches to twist into loopy leaves. Why make a group of small portioned pinches? When you see that each leaf is made of the same amount of wool fibers your leafy loops will be relatively uniform. Take a portion and begin by rolling the wool between your palms and fingers then wrap the wool around your index finger, leaving loose fibers at the end so that you have material to attach more easily to the branch. Place the loop on the branch and felt the loose fibers into the branch.

Photo Gallery Viewing Tip: Throughout the lesson are several still image photo galleries. For optimal viewing, click on the first image and then scroll through the enlarged format. With this click, you’re able to see everything more clearly.

Attaching Branches to the Trunk

Once all of your branches have been assembled it is then time to attach them to the tree trunk. Why wait? I like to batch various steps of my process which helps increase my speed and also allows me to mix and match pieces as I move around the visual placement of several components (in this case tree branches) before I begin felting the components together.

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Meet Your Instructor

Hi, my name is Hillary Dow. A few of my many hats include mother, wife, traveler, outdoor adventurer, author, family chef, marketing professional, felting artist in Maine, and oh so many more. I write children’s books illustrated with my wool creations. I picked up my first felting needle in 2019 and it wasn’t long before I realized I had finally found MY medium! Like any labor of love, I simply keep going to learn more while honing my skills. It is such a thrill to be a part of helping someone develop their skills and CREATE artwork. Thank you for joining me! I would love for you to add one of my books to your library! Shop Now

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