Needle Felting a Sleeping Child

step by step tutorial

Materials List

Felting needles
Sturdy foam or wool pad
Prepared base panel of felted wool
Background color already felted
Thumbnail sketch of the sleeping child
Core wool to place shapes of your composition
Wool: flesh tone and hair colors

Each of the proceeding videos includes step by step instructions that walk you through selecting and using wool to needle felt the head and face of a sleeping child. This finished illustration will be the cover illustration for the children’s book currently underway. Thanks to our community of needle felting artists, the lessons include just a bit of light banter that captures a snapshot of life in the Dow household at this point in time. This lesson was recorded on January 18, 2022.

Thank YOU for being part of our community. Enjoy the lesson? Please write a review on Google!

Felting Master Tip:
Spending time preparing your wool fiber base upon which you’ll build your felted illustration is an important step that is so worth the time. With a thick sturdy wool base, and a wool loop attached to the back, your illustration will be ready to hang and the thickness will keep it from curling at the corners as it hangs on the wall.

Part 1 placing the nose, flesh color, eye sockets, eyeballs

Part 2 Evening out the skin, defining facial features, eyebrows, lid line and lashes

Part 3 Hair, lips, ear, shadows

Still Image Gallery

Here is a still image gallery of steps taken to create the shapes of the pillows, blanket, and bedstand, an example of additional content I include in my paid felting lessons and felting master class.

Needle Felting bedcovers, pillows, background

Hillary Dow Felting Master Class Instructor fiber artist

Meet Your Instructor

Hi, my name is Hillary Dow. A few of my many hats include mother, wife, 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. It is such a thrill to be a part of helping someone develop their skills and CREATE artwork. Thank you for joining me!

Have a free monthly felting lesson delivered right to your inbox on the fourth Tuesday of every month.! Each session includes a core lesson, or simply work on your current project while picking up new techniques and tips!

Want even more?
Take your felting to a whole new level! Join the Felting Master Class today! Membership is $200 annually or monthly payments of $16.50.

Check out the Felting Master Class!