What is a Felting Mat?

by Zee Kesler

A felting mat, (sometimes called a felting block or bag) is the surface placed under your wool during the needle felting process. When you are needle felting, a barbed felting needle  is used. This needle is very sharp and has barbs that get caught on the scales of the wool. The needle is used to sculpt, tangle and matte the wool fibres to form various 2D and 3D shapes.

An individual felting kit shot from above. A re usable jute beige felting pad with 3 needles. Above the pad are 5 colors of wool red, orange, black yellow and white.

In order to prevent the needle from breaking, a felting mat or pad is used in case the needle is pokes through your felted wool project, and out the other side. If you poked through your felted project on a table, the sharp tip of the needle would break off. 

Introducing Our Re-Usable Felting Mat

Foam blocks are the typical solution used as a felting surface, but they definitely have some major negatives. For one, foam is not sustainable in the least! It doesn't breakdown in landfills, and when you poke it repeatedly, bits of foam breakdown and start to get stuck in your needle projects. Yuck!

These foam blocks are affordable, but break down requiring replacement every year or so.

In order to be a more sustainable company, we decided to switch to a more sustainable and long term solution for our felting pads. a zippered re useable bag.

an overhead shot of the Magic Trout Imaginarium's jute, beige felting pad being poked repeatedly with a felting needle to demonstrate the loose weave of the fibres.

Our re-useable jute felting mat includes a loose weave allowing the needle to slide in and out effortlessly. Just pour 4-5 cups of dry rice or lentils in the bag and and you have a felting pad that never breaks down or degrades.

A felting mat made by Magic Trout Imaginarium. Photo take from above of a jute, beige, zippered with dry rice inside

Buy it once, and you never have to buy a felting pad again!

The Needle Felting Process in Action

Needle felting is a fun craft that involves poking and stabbing wool repeatedly. This poking condenses the wool eventually shaping the wool into anything you can imagine.

a close up of a hand poking a needle in and out of wool needle felting a green monster

 

All the Things You Can Felt!

You can start with one of our themed kits like our sushi kit, then move on to felting a mask or Halloween costume , spider, or even a space baby mobile!

Teachers can felt with their class with the help of our bulk classroom felting kits. These kits come with free lesson plans and a free felting course!

2 sugar skulls masks with ribbons to tie the ends. The left mask is white with purple and pink accents and the mask on the right is point. The masks are on a wooden deck with autumn leaves surrounding them and the photo is shot from overhead.

A Space themed baby mobile made of wool through the needle felting process. A rocket is surrounded by planets and clouds

Buy Your Felting Mat and get felting today!

 

 

 

 

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