Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to make felt by hand
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Felt is made by persuading loose wool fibres to lock together, and different sheep breeds do it in different ways and at different speeds. A beginners' class can take you from a tray of fleece to a finished landscape picture, bowl or brooch in a few sessions.
GentleUnder £100 / $130A few weeksIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
Someone who has done it
These are real people who did this, as reported by the outlets named. We opened each one before linking it. None of them is connected with this site.
What it's really like
Most first courses start with wet felting and add needle felting for detail. Cumbria Adult Learning's three-week class in Kendal Library teaches learners to wet felt, lay out a landscape image, then add needle felting and embroidery. No experience is needed and the materials are provided.
Capel Manor College's beginners' course covers equipment, natural and man-made wools, preparing and carding wool, then a run of small projects, from a colour sample and a wet-felted soap to needle-felted shapes, a brooch, a wet-felted landscape and wall-hanging methods.
The wool matters. The International Feltmakers Association's online Basics course has you make samples from different breeds, because they do not felt in the same way or in the same time.
What beginners pay
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Cumbria Adult Learning, Kendal Library | Three weeks, 4.30pm to 6.30pm, from 11 May 2027; wet felting, needle felting and embroidery; materials provided | £50, or £27.50 concession |
| Wisconsin Union, Madison | Felted Vessels: one four-hour class on wool, layout and shaping a vessel over a resist; no experience necessary | $100 |
| International Feltmakers Association, online | DF1 Basics: self-paced, about 18 hours, with a forum for questions to a mentor; sessions in January/February, May/June and October/November | $60 (about £46), plus £14.50 for an optional fibre pack |
The Wisconsin class asks students to bring four old towels (two bath towels and two hand towels) and a kitchen-size plastic bag. The IFA's tutor list is a yearly list of members who teach; the IFA says inclusion is not an endorsement.
How to start
- Book a short beginners' class: adult learning services and colleges run them, often with all materials provided.
- Check whether the course teaches wet felting, needle felting or both, and what you need to bring; one US class asks for old towels and a plastic bag.
- To carry on at home, try the International Feltmakers Association's self-paced online course, which has its own fibre pack.
Where to go
- Cumbria Adult Learning: Introduction to Felt Making, wet-felted and embroidered landscape (Kendal) UK
- Capel Manor College: Introduction to the Art of Wet and Needle Felting for Beginners UK
- Wisconsin Union: Felted Vessels, a beginners' wet felting class (Madison) US
- International Feltmakers Association: Discovering Feltmaking 1, online course
- International Feltmakers Association: tutor list
We opened these links on 8 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need any experience to take a felting class?
No. Cumbria Adult Learning says no prior experience is required, and the Wisconsin Union's Felted Vessels class says no experience is necessary.
What is the difference between wet felting and needle felting?
They are two techniques, and many beginners' courses teach both. Capel Manor College's course mixes wet-felted pieces such as a soap and a landscape with needle-felted shapes and a brooch.
What should I bring to a felting class?
Check the listing. Cumbria Adult Learning provides everything, while the Wisconsin Union class asks for four old towels and a kitchen-size plastic bag, plus an apron if you like.
Can I learn felt making online?
Yes. The International Feltmakers Association's DF1 Basics course is self-paced through an online platform, costs $60 and takes about 18 hours for the first exploration.
Where this comes from: Cumbria Adult Learning, Beginners Textiles, Introduction to Felt Making (KEN26T096); Capel Manor College, Introduction to the Art of Wet and Needle Felting for Beginners; Wisconsin Union, Felted Vessels (UW-Madison events); International Feltmakers Association, DF1 Basics; International Feltmakers Association, IFA Tutor List; International Feltmakers Association, workshops; Boothbay Register, Laura McNelly fiber art show at River Arts (23 October 2023). Opened 8 November 2026.
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