DANI IVES
WOOL FELTED ORNAMENTS
Dani’s kit was designed to bring you the best tools and materials for crafting 3-dimensional ornaments with intricate patterns. The Corriedale wool acts as the sculptural bases, which are then covered and decorated with the carded wool. Because the carded wools are short fiber bats, they are easier to pull apart than roving, making them ideal for blending and detail work. The included 38-star felting needles are an all-purpose size that works well for many different types of felting. Also included is a customizable eight-needle wooden felting tool that allows you to remove or add needles as desired throughout the project, speeding up large sections of felting.
HOW TO MAKE FELTED ORNAMENTS
You’ll begin the workshop with an introduction to barbed needles, different wools, and how to start shaping the Corriedale wool for your ornaments. After covering them with carded wool, Dani shares tips for creating fine details, fixing mistakes, and creating a hanging loop. There are nine beautiful carded wool colors in your kit, but you’ll also learn how to blend the fibers together to create many different hues. Happy felting!
The Curated Kit of Tools & Materials
This workshop includes:
- A detailed digital workshop led by Dani Ives
- A live Maker Chat Q&A where you can join in on creative conversation with the artist and ask questions.
- Tools & materials from artisan suppliers, curated for you by Dani
- PDF download with written instructions to complement the video tutorial
Tools & materials included in your kit:
- Corriedale wool tops in Natural Light, 4oz
- Carded wool in the following colors:
- Ivory, 2oz
- Sky, 0.2oz
- Acorn, 0.2oz
- Rosemary, 0.2oz
- Dusk, 0.2oz
- Pine, 0.2oz
- Punch, 0.2oz
- Ballet, 0.2oz
- Icicle, 0.2oz
- Wood handle felting 8-needle tool
- Five felting 38-star needles
- Felting foam, 6" x 6"
- Cotton embroidery floss in Ecru
- Embroidery/darning needle
Materials to have at home:
- Scissors
- Smooth working surface
Materials for More Exploration
Tool Swap for More Wool
Swap out the duo of felting tools for an additional set of carded wool and Corriedale wool—enough to make one more set of felted holiday ornaments. Must swap by 12/15.
Make More Ornaments
The more, the merrier! Make another set of felted holiday ornaments with this bundle of materials in the same festive carded wool colors from the original kit.
More About our Artist: Dani Ives
Dani Ives is an award-winning artist, educator, and author. She creates images with wool through needle felting techniques in a process she calls Painting with Wool. Though she’s always loved art and creating, becoming a full-time artist was never her plan. She originally pursued education in biology and a job working with animals, which led her into a conservation education career at a zoo. But one day, an urge to nurture her artistic side and a conversation with a coworker sparked an interest in needle felting. Internet searches commenced, supplies were ordered, and the making hasn’t stopped since 2011! Over the following years, she transitioned her fiber arts hobby into a part-time and then full-time art business.
In addition to creating art, one of Dani’s favorite things is teaching others how to express their creativity and discover the joy of using wool as an artistic medium. She’s taught thousands of students how to needle felt in in-person workshops around the world, as well as through her popular online courses. Her book, Painting with Wool: 16 Artful Projects to Needle Felt, is also a great resource for beginners.
Dani lives in Northwest Arkansas with her husband and their adorable dog, June Bug. When she’s not playing with wool, she can be found working in her sketchbook, reading, or hiking the beautiful woodland trails in her corner of Arkansas.
We can’t wait to see how your wool felted projects turn out. Share your creative journey and finished creation with us by tagging @thecraftersbox + @begoodnatured in your social posts. Don’t forget to use #thecraftersbox so our community can also see your workshop come to life. Happy making!
