The Woolly Bears
Free instructions · Needle felting

Needle felting for your seasonal table

Needle felting turns loose wool into firm little shapes by poking it again and again with a barbed needle. This pumpkin is what we made together on our second Monday, photographed step by step so you can make one at home.

Felt a pumpkin Printable PDF
Needle-felted autumn leaves, mushrooms and pumpkins laid out on a wooden table
From our felting table
14 steps

Felt a pumpkin

You wrap a ball of core wool, tie it with yarn to make the segments, cover it in orange roving and finish with a green stem.

You'll need

  • Orange roving
  • Yellow and green core wool
  • Yarn and scissors
  • A felting needle and a felting pad

A note on needles

Felting needles are very sharp. Poke straight up and down, watch the needle and keep your fingers clear. In our classes grown-ups hold the needle for younger children, and finger guards help.

Print the instructions

Two pages, US Letter. Handy to keep on the table while you felt.

Part 1 The pumpkin

  1. Step 1: Lay out your roving, core wool, yarn and felting pad.
    Step 1

    Lay out your roving, core wool, yarn and felting pad.

  2. Step 2: Tie a knot in the middle of a long strip of yellow core wool.
    Step 2

    Tie a knot in the middle of a long strip of yellow core wool.

  3. Step 3: Wrap the ends tightly round the knot to make a ball.
    Step 3

    Wrap the ends tightly round the knot to make a ball.

  4. Step 4: Needle felt it into a rounder ball. Don't make it too firm.
    Step 4

    Needle felt it into a rounder ball. Don't make it too firm.

  5. Step 5: Sit the ball on the yarn, wrap it round and tie a tight knot.
    Step 5

    Sit the ball on the yarn, wrap it round and tie a tight knot.

  6. Step 6: Wrap the yarn round two or more times, tying a knot each time.
    Step 6

    Wrap the yarn round two or more times, tying a knot each time.

  7. Step 7: Tie off the yarn and trim the ends.
    Step 7

    Tie off the yarn and trim the ends.

  8. Step 8: Break off small, thin wisps of orange roving.
    Step 8

    Break off small, thin wisps of orange roving.

  9. Step 9: Needle thin wisps of orange roving over one section.
    Step 9

    Needle thin wisps of orange roving over one section.

  10. Step 10: Keep going until the whole top is orange.
    Step 10

    Keep going until the whole top is orange.

  11. Step 11: Needle the segments so they stand out. Break off some green core wool and open it up.
    Step 11

    Needle the segments so they stand out. Break off some green core wool and open it up.

Part 2 The stem

  1. Step 12: Fold the green in half lengthways and roll it between your palms. Leave one end wispy.
    Step 12

    Fold the green in half lengthways and roll it between your palms. Leave one end wispy.

Part 3 Put it together

  1. Step 13: Needle felt the wispy end onto the top of the pumpkin.
    Step 13

    Needle felt the wispy end onto the top of the pumpkin.

  2. Step 14: Give the stem a little bend and your pumpkin is done.
    Step 14

    Give the stem a little bend and your pumpkin is done.

Give it a name and find it a cosy spot on the windowsill.

Print the instructions
Kite paper leaves, mushrooms, pumpkins and a rain cloud glowing in a window
Our autumn window
Try this next

Kite paper for your windows

Fold a glowing red and white mushroom from two squares of kite paper. No needles needed, so it's a good one for the youngest makers.

Fold a mushroom
Who we are

Make things with us

The Woolly Bears is a small, Waldorf-inspired homeschool community in Vancouver, WA. Parents and kids spend the day outside together, playing games, walking, sharing soup and making things like this by hand.

More about us

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