How to Clean Needle Felted Figurines and Wash Felted Soft Sculptures and Wool Toys?

The needle felted figurines are delicate sculptures and should be handled gently. But that doesn't mean that they are not suitable for play or even.. traveling, like the #SnowmanOnTheRoad, am I right?

If the felted ornament is firm and tight the risk of damaging is much lower. In fact, the needle felted sculptures make wonderful toys for children over 3 years old. With good care and love, the felted figurines can last for many years.

How to clean them if they get dirty? How to clean the dust from the felted decorations? Keep in mind that the wool tends to shrink when it is exposed to moisture and liquids. Have you ever had a cool wool sweater that you’ve tried to wash with the rest of the laundry? If yes, you know what I mean – it shrinks and loses its shape.

The same thing might happen to the felted figurines, so follow these tips to avoid the risks of damaging them:

-          Do Not Wash the felted toys in a washing machine

-          Do Not Put them in the drier

-          Do Not Wash them with hot water

-          Do Not Use harsh detergents for washing

-          Do Not Rub, pull or squeeze them tightly 

-          Do Not Place them in the freezer

How to wash and dry the needle felted sculptures?

The things you’ll need:

1.      A bowl with fresh filtered cold water

2.      The felted toys and figurines you want to clean

3.      Paper towel or a soft clean cloth

4.      A place where you can leave the felted decorations and toys to air dry, away from direct sunlight

Follow the steps:

- take a clean bowl and fill it with filtered cold water (not icy). The wool would shrink more if you use warm water, so opt for the cold.

- dip the felted ornament into the water and gently squeeze it a few times

- Avoid rubbing and pulling the felted figurine

- Use special detergent for wool, like Woolite. Be sure to rinse the felted ornament a few times to wash out the detergent completely.

- Wrap the decorations in a paper towel or a soft clean cloth to soak up the water

- Leave the toy at ventilated room to air dry. You can place it on a paper towel and leave it for a few days.

More tips for washing felted toys:

1.      Lemon water
If you prefer to use only natural cleaning methods, squeeze half of fresh lemon in the water that use for washing.

2.      Vinegar
The vinegar is great for thorough washing of felted toys because it works as a disinfectant and it also removes any unpleasant odors. Use 1/2 part vinegar to 1 part water. Dump the felted toy for less than 5 minutes in the water and leave it to air dry.

Those are my tips for cleaning and washing of felted soft sculptures and toys. If you have any suggestions or more ideas of how to keep your cute figurines nice and fresh for a very long time, please leave a comment or send me a message. I’ll love to hear from you. 

Looking for a Fun and Easy Hobby? 7 Reasons Why Needle Felting is Awesome

If you are reading this, you are probably already fascinated by the needle felting. It is my favorite hobby and I am beyond happy that I've discovered it. 

7 reasons why needle felting is Awesome

1      It is really inexpensive (Keep reading to see what tools and materials you need.)

2.      It doesn't take a lot of space. My current projects, materials and tools fit in a small box.

3.      It is not messy. I love it that you can create projects without using glue, paint and etc.

4.      You can practice it everywhere. The supplies and the materials are so light and easy to pack, that you can actually pack them in your luggage and practice your hobby everywhere.

5.      The projects with needle felting are really really versatile. You can create so many figurines, toys, decorations, paintings, accessories and etc, that you will never get bored with this hobby. 

6.     Natural  materials. When the wool is supplied from a quality source, the obtaining of the material does not harm the sheep. You can always check more information for the suppliers and choose those who taking the best care for the animals in the farms.

7.      The materials are easy-to-store and they don't go bad for years.

           Why do I like needle felting?

Now, let’s move on to the needed supplies. There are two things you need to start – wool and a special needle felting needle. 


The third supply is a sponge or a soft piece of foam that will serve as a pillow to protect the surface you are working on.

The wool for needle felting – the wool for needle felting must be raw and fluffy. You can’t use the wool knit, because it was already processed and won’t work as well. The perfect wool for needle felting is soft and clean. There are many different types of wool depending on the type of sheep, the quality of the wool and etc. My advice is, when you first start with needle felting, choose some cheaper types of wool to see if you like it. I usually like to buy wool from different suppliers to find what works the best for me. 

-          A needle – you need a special needle felting needle. It is thin and sharp with special blades that kind of knot the fibers of the wool. There different shapes of the blades, like star, triangle and etc and needles with different gauge. 

There is no rule which one will work the best for you. I like the 36 gauge triangle needle. They are very cheap and you can find them in the local craft stores or order them online. Keep in mind that the needles are thin, so don’t use too much pressure, or they will bend and even break. If you want to finish the projects faster, you can use some tools that work with a few needles at the same time.

-          A foam or a sponge – Use some kind of soft material to lay on the working surface. In this way you’ll protect the surfaces from scratching with the needle and you’ll feel more comfortable while working.

How to start needle felting?

1.      Take a small piece of wool and make a little ball with your fingers.

2.      Start poking the ball with the needle (gently) from different angles and sides.

3.      You’ll notice that the ball is becoming firmer and firmer from the poking. This is how you start creating shapes. Use your imagination to create (sculpt) the shapes you want with the needle. If you want to add more volume to the figurine, just grab more wool, put it in the place where you want to enlarge it and poke the wool with the already felted part. In this way you will attach it easily without glue.