Strawberry Brooch – Handmade Felted Wool Accessory Inspired by strawberry fields

Strawberry Brooch Wool Felt Handmade Needle and Wet Felting

The other year when I was out picking strawberries I got tremendously inspired to make wearable straweberries and vines. It has taken me awhile to get around to actually making any strawberry items, but I’m happy to show you one that I did complete…. a strawberry brooch!

Strawberry Brooch Wool Felt Handmade Needle and Wet Felting

I combined wet felting and needle felting techniques to create it. It is made up of 100% soft merino wool + the pin and some thread that I used to stitch it together. It’s 3D art that can be worn on clothing, on a bag or purse, etc. This item can be found here in my etsy shop.

Needle Felting Update (3+ Years!)

Needle felting is something I have enjoyed since I first picked it up well over 3 years ago. Over this time I have made many things! One of the first things I ever made was a rabbit with real cat hair on the outside, followed by owls. I am continuing to make owls, snowmen, woolly worms, bees, mushrooms, custom cats, mice and more. It is a goal of mine to make more new needle felted characters this year. This last year I did some really neat projects so I feel the need to keep the ball rolling. I want to share with you a couple of the new snowmen I felted this month, as well as some of my all-time favorites. (New owls at the top of the post!)

Snowmen – January 2014
Needle Felt Snowman
Needle Felt Snowman
Needle Felt Snowman

Custom creation – July 2013
Custom Needle Felted Character

Woolly Worms – Spring 2013
Needle Felted Woolly Worms

Mushroom Cluster – Spring 2012 * Favorite
Needle Felted Red Amanita Mushroom Cluster

Sammy Cat with Real Cat Hair – June 2012 * Favorite
Needle Felted Cat Figure with Real Cat Hair and Wool

Owls – December 2012 * Favorite
Needle Felt Owls

I do have a walrus started 😉

Oak Leaf Handmade Out Of Copper

Copper Oak Leaf Incense Cone Burner Decoration
Copper Oak Leaf Incense Cone Burner Decoration     Copper Oak Leaf Incense Cone Burner Decoration

This sculpture of an oak leaf is designed to be decorative as-is or used as an incense cone burner. I made it by hand by cutting an oak leaf shape out of sheet copper, carefully bending the leaf a bit and then I soldered on a wire stem. Each time I make one they get a little better. I am looking forward to making more!

An Even Ten

Hollow Books
Custom order of 10 hollow book boxes for groomsmen!

Here is the awesome feedback I received about this set from the customer:

We are using these books as groomsmen gifts and know they will add the unique touch we were looking for. She really made an effort to seek out each book to connect with each of their personalities/interests. The books are beautifully crafted and overall a great idea. Her communication throughout the process was much appreciated–overall a great experience and purchase! 🙂

To see more information about my book sets check out this section of my Etsy shop.

Group Of Owls

I made up a group of owls in time for Christmas. Having so many around at once was a lot of fun. It is hard to choose a favorite!
Needle Felt Owls

New Handmade Felt Fashion Scarves

I have been very inspired lately! Here are a few of the beautiful new scarves I have created. Check their availability in the Scarf section of my Etsy shop.

Black Ruffle Scarf With Red Flowers Berries Leaves

Coffee Lovers Scarf – Silk hand dyed using coffee! Design of wool is of coffee beans and froth. Perfect gift for a java guzzler.
Coffee Scarf

Red Felt Flower Necklace     Orange Felt Flower Necklace

Scarves with adorable owls on them!
Owl Scarf
Felt Owl Scarf
Owl Scarf - Finished

Vampire bite!
Vampire Bite Scarf

And now, my favorites!
Black and White Nuno Felt Scarf - Handmade One Of A Kind Art Scarf!
Turquoise and Black Handmade Nuno Felt Scarf

Purple Berry Nuno Felt Scarf

Eee! I wish I could keep them all, sport them around town to the post office and back home! hehe. More are done but not yet photographed, a beautiful one is on my felting table right now and many more are on my to-do list. My goal is to make about 20 new scarves. I have so many designs in my head, I want to get them out. I know many will be going to people as gifts during the holidays so that is very motivational.. ’tis the season for scarves with a chill in the air!

“What Inspires You?”

I answered a forum discussion on Etsy today with this..

“I find that I am most inspired right after I finish making one thing.. I want to make more, a different way, a different color! or even something completely different. Not being able to do one thing that’s on my mind because of being busy with others is really powerful. Other than that, inspiration comes from “everywhere” and also right out of thin air.. sometimes I’ll be doing something unrelated and all of the sudden I’ll “see” things clear as day that I should make.”

What inspires you?

Needle Felted Mouse Handmade Out Of Wool and Cat Hair

Just yesterday I finished this totally custom needle felted mouse that I made out of wool and domestic cat hair. He was made with love..
Needle Felted Mouse with Cat Hair and Wool ~ Handmade by Ginger Halverson

Needle Felted Mouse with Cat Hair and Wool ~ Handmade by Ginger Halverson

Ben, Get Off That Hen : A poem by yours truly, the non-poet.
Little mouse ran out of the house, to find his brother Ben.
When he reached the yard he laughed so hard.
Ben was riding a hen!

Needle Felted Mouse with Cat Hair and Wool ~ Handmade by Ginger Halverson   Needle Felted Mouse with Cat Hair and Wool ~ Handmade by Ginger Halverson

Needle Felted Mouse with Cat Hair and Wool ~ Handmade by Ginger Halverson

Isn’t he CUTE? I’m totally in love with him and will miss him. He belongs to a gal in Colorado who mailed me hair that she brushed off of her own cat over the spring months. It’s so awesome to see this one of a kind mouse outside of my mind’s eye and share it with others.

There are many steps to creating something like this, and, as you can see, at some stages it looks really odd and makes ya wonder if it really will end up cute. The finishing stages when I stitch on the eyes and felt on the other facial features (making it come alive!) is my most favorite part.

Washing Cat Hair Before Felting   Felt Mouse w/ Cat Hair ~ In Progress

These are the steps I took to create this one of a kind cutie:

  • I cleaned the cat hair thoroughly but carefully
  • felted a mouse shaped form out of core wool
  • wet felted a tail and ears out of colored wool
  • covered the wool form with the gal’s cat hair
  • attached the ears and tail
  • stitched on glass bead ‘eyes’
  • stitched his little hands together
  • felted a little nose and smiling mouse mouth

Needle Felted Mouse with Cat Hair and Wool ~ Handmade by Ginger Halverson

I put hours into creations like this and I feel that it’s a wonderful way to spend my time. If you’re interested in a custom mouse or other animal for yourself or a loved one, check out this Etsy listing I made using this mouse as my example.

Needle Felted Kitty Cat Figure!

Meet Sammy. Sam. Samson. Sambert! He is a soft orange cream and white cat that spends his days charming one of my dearest friends. His BFF is a yarn ball, he is a fan of tuna fish, and he is scared of bubbles. He is an indoor cat with big dreams.
Jackie & Sammy     Sammy

Since Sammy is so gosh darn adorable and loved (and also getting up there in years) I requested a bunch of his hair. My friend brushed and brushed all winter long (he loves it) and saved up enough hair for me to make this needle felted kitty cat figure:
Needle Felted Cat Figure with Real Cat Hair and Wool

Needle Felted Cat Figure with Real Cat Hair and Wool

It is made of sheep wool for the inside/shape of the cat and then it is covered with real cat hair. The tail is all cat hair. The white detail on his chest is white wool since I didn’t have all white cat hair. It was created by a process called needle felting — small barbed needles are pushed into the wool countless times which essentially weave the fibers together.

Here it is before I added the white details to his chest:
Needle felt cat with real cat hair - in progress

Photogenic!
Needle Felted Cat - Real Cat Hair and Wool
Believe it or not, this was my first needle felted cat! I’m sure he’ll be cherished for years by my friend. Oh, he is also Sammy approved!