Needle Felting Lesson: Drum Set

Welcome to the needle felting lesson: Drum Set. Together we’ll work throughout the process of developing the musical instrument introduced to the story in the sixth illustration of my picture book, Flock of Rock! Thank you for sharing this journey with me. This lesson was originally recorded in May 2024.

Composition and Scale

Before we dive into felting the details of Leona’s drum set, let’s be sure we have the drums in the right place, to scale in conjunction with the sheep in the foreground. You may be thinking that the sheep is missing his ears… those will be added toward the end of developing this piece. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget!

Forming and Coloring Drums

In this video lesson, we define the forms of each drum and add the blue wool.

Felting Cymbals and Stand

In this video lesson, I form two small discs for the cymbals, as well as the grey posts for the cymbal stand.

Felting Black Trim on the Drums

In this video lesson, we add black trim to the seams of each drum.

Time Lapse Video

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Felting Drum Legs and Instrument Stands

Here is a short time lapse video showing you the process of forming the short legs for the drums and the framework stands for the drum set and cymbals. All of these pieces are made with the grey blend of the large bump I purchased from A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm. I LOVE this grey! Plus, I think I’m finally getting the hang of editing these time lapse videos in my software! Hurray!

Image Gallery: Forming Clothes with Wet Felt Pieces

Before I started in on the drums I wanted to set the placement and scale of the sheep in the foreground. This gallery contains a series of still images throughout the process of forming the body of the sheep and snipping a small piece of wet felt to form an orange vest to set him apart from his band members. I figured orange would go well with blue since he will ultimately be our drummer.

Viewing Tip: Click on the first image and then scroll through the enlarged format, you’re able to see everything much better.

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 about five years ago 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!

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