One of the first things we learned how to make when we decided to try our hand at needle felting was a sleek, simple ball. We worked very hard at learning how to make a perfectly rounded sphere before moving on to other shapes that we could either start from scratch or build our spheres into, but we will admit that we ended up with a large collection of little, brightly colored felted balls that we didn’t really have a specific use for. Naturally, we couldn’t help wondering whether there might be unique crafting ideas out there that we could turn our felted balls into, just to make sure we really make use of our supplies and skills!
Just in case you’re as interested as we were in creating fun, creative DIY projects out of simple felted balls, here are 15 of the best designs we’ve come across so far.
1. Felt ball garland
Are you looking at all of the differently coloured felt balls you’ve created thus far and need to find a cool DIY project for and thinking about how there’s actually something really appealing about the simplicity of the way they look right now, if only you could find a better way to display them? Then we think perhaps we’ve already found the perfect project for you, right out of the gate! A Baby on Board guides you step by step through the process of stringing your felt balls together with thin, nearly invisible thread to really harness the beauty of that minimalism.
2. Felt ball and wooden spool trees
Have you always been a fan of cute, almost abstract looking decor pieces that the viewer knows are supposed to look like something natural but that they can see are homemade using upcycled things and neat crafting techniques? In that case, we have a strong feeling you’re going to adore the way Hometalk created colourful trees from ribbon, wooden spools, felted balls, and thin wooden dowels.
3. Chain, ribbon, and felt ball necklace
Have you actually been looking at your smallish felted balls and thinking about how the size you’ve made them is quite similar to the size of the average wooden bead you’ve come across in crafting stores? Well, why not make jewelry using these soft, homemade alternatives that are already in your possession (and therefore cheaper) as chunky beads instead? We love the way Polka Dot Chair strung their felted balls together, adding jewelry chain and even a ribbon tied in a bow to make a cute necklace.
4. DIY wool felt ball coasters
Perhaps you have a rather large collection of felted balls that are very small indeed, so you’re just not sure that any of the ideas we’ve shown you so far will quite work for you, even though you can appreciate them? Then here’s a project that actually calls for littler balls, which we feel like you might get along with a little better! Check out how Inspired By Charm made some kitschy, unique decorative coasters using their tiny felted balls arranged in an array of great colours.
5. DIY Autumn posies
Were you actually quite enamoured with the idea of using your round felted spheres as a way to represent plants and greenery, because you love the way that they sort of resemble an illustration if you do so, but you don’t have quite enough to bunch together to make the trees? Well, you could always make yourself some more… or you could take a better look at how Eryn With A Y used single felt balls on wire “stems” to make a glass vase full of posies! We love their autumn inspired colour scheme but we also think this project would look quite cute in just about any shade combination you choose.
6. Velvet pom poms pillow
Have you got a throw pillow at home that you love the feeling of because it’s very comfortable indeed, but you can’t help but notice that it’s a little bit plain? Well, it’s certainly not worth getting rid of, but that doesn’t mean you can’t amp its style and appearance up a little bit! That’s where your felt spheres come in to save the day once more. Check out how Go Haus Go used theirs to create a brightly colours, super fun looking trim all the way around the edges of their throw pillows.
7. DIY felt ball wreath
If we’re being fully honest with you, seasonal wreath making is actually one of our very favourite categories of DIY project because it’s just so much more diverse than we always think until we start scrolling through our options once more! We’re sure it’ll come as no surprise to you, then, that we were quite excited indeed to come across this super cute felt ball door wreath design outlined step by step on The Magic Onions.
8. DIY felt ball acorns
Have you always been the kind of DIY enthusiast who adores nothing more than creating mixed media projects, where you take something that’s quite common in the world of crafting and combine it with something else a little more unconventional to create something new? Then we have a feeling you’ll be just about as excited as we were to take a look at how Catch My Party made adorable decorative acorns using their little felted balls and actual acorn tops that have been given a light glazing of shimmer paint.
9. Felt ball flower and spring grass centre piece
Just because summer is slowing coming to an end and fall winds are starting to pick up a little bit doesn’t mean you can’t bookmark certain tutorials and ideas for future holidays and seasons, right? That’s why we’ve made sure to hit “save” on this lovely tutorial from Tater Tots and Jello that teaches you how to use your little needle felted balls to create a spring-like faux grass centre piece with little rounded “blossoms” dotted throughout.
10. Denim and wool felt ball hair clips
If you’re going to transform these adorable little crafted things that you’re not sure you have another use for into something you can actually use, would you rather combine them with something else you’re trying to find a project for, just to really drive home the whole concept of upcycling? Well, if you’ve got some old jeans lying around, and perhaps some plain hair clips you’re not using because they don’t look very exciting, then you’ve got everything you need to make these adorable denim and felted wool barrettes outlined step by step on My Cakies if you add the felted balls you already made into the mix!
11. DIY felt ball floor rug
Did we perhaps really catch your attention when we showed you the adorable miniature felt ball table coasters earlier on our list, but you actually liked the shape, appearance, and aesthetic of them so much that you can’t help wishing there was a way for you to make a much bigger version? Then we have a feeling you’d much prefer to make yourself a version of this fantastic felt ball floor mat outlined in detail on Catherine and Grace instead! Of course, you’ll need felted balls that are a little bit bigger than what the coasters called for if you don’t want it to take you years to make.
12. Rainbow pussy willow decor
Just in case you’re still feeling totally intrigued by the idea of using your colourful felt balls to make yourself some kind of crafty tribute to the plants you’d find in the park outside your house, here’s another idea from Betz White that shows you how to combine them with actual outdoor elements collected from the grass! They attached their balls to thin, fallen tree branches in order to make them look like pussy willows standing in a vase, only in a much more eclectic colour scheme that the real thing (although you could use natural wool that hasn’t been dyed in order to make something a little more authentic looking).
13. Felt ball mobile
Do you have quite a large collection of felt balls in all different colours and sizes and you want to create something that even your youngest kids can enjoy? Well, if you’re an expectant parent who has been trying to get as crafty as possible in the process of preparing for your new bundle of joy to arrive, then we think maybe this adorable felted ball hanging mobile might be the best choice for you! Get the full step by step instructions for making one of your own on My Sparkle.
14. Felt ball and marbled stone bracelet
Did we actually really catch your attention when we started talking about using felted balls as beads and making jewelry pieces out of them but you’ve always liked including a bit of striking contrast in your personal style, so you’re not sure an entirely felted piece is really something you’d wear a lot? In that case, we think perhaps you’d get along a little better with something like this bangle from Rosie Pink, which alternates felted wool balls with marbled beads, just to keep things interesting.
15. Felt ball hanging curtain
Now that you’ve come to the end of our list, are you actually still finding yourself thinking about the very first idea we showed you, where they turned their felt wool balls into a garland… but you’re kind of still convinced that you can do even more with that garland than just creating a singular string? Then we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Danielle Lempp made several of those garlands and hung them from a branch to create a soft, woolly version of a classic beaded curtain. We think it looks fantastic hanging in their doorway!
