Felt Fur Hare Instructions

You will need:

A wet and windy afternoon

2 good friends

10gms of fleece and a little white or cream fleece

A felting needle (36 gauge or other) and plasters

A sponge (the sort you wash the car with)

2 black beads for eyes and some black thread

Needle felting is not difficult.  Basically you are carefully stabbing into wool fibres with a barbed needle.  The wool soon becomes matted and enables you to make your own felt sculpture.

When working, remember that as you stab at the wool, using your sponge as a cushion, the fleece will become firm and shrink.  If your hare is not as you want him to look, just add a little more fleece and stab away.

Lets get started.  The hare is made is made in 6 easy stages. 

1. Body.  Take 10gms of fleece (a handful approximately) and split it in half.   Put half to one side for later.  Roll the other half into a cone shape.  Lay the fleece onto the sponge and carefully stab through the fleece into the sponge.  Keep doing this and at the same time remember to turn the body.  Gradually you will feel the fleece become firm.  To enable the hare to stand you need to flatten the bottom of the cone.  You do this by carefully stabbing the bottom until it is firm.

The neck end of the cone should be left loose so the head can be added.  The body should be firm and keep its shape.

2. Head.  This is fiddlely so watch the fingers.  Take the remaining fleece and split into 4 little piles.

One of these piles will be the head.  Shape into a small cone (hare head like) and stab away.  
Continue stabbing all around until you have a firm head.

3. Ears.  Take another of the piles.  This is for the ears and tail.  You should be left with 2 piles for later. Split this fleece into two.  One half is for the ears so split into 2 and shape into long ear shapes on the sponge.  I do them side by side to gauge how they look - ie the same size!  Stab away, turning them carefully, leaving one end loose to attach to the head.  When they are firm it is time to neaten the edges.  This is done by putting the ear between two pieces of card.  Hold firmly and stab at the

edges, turning as necessary.  You should now have to cute ears.  With a little white fleece you can line the inside of his ears.  Just lay a few strands of white fleece on each ear and stab into place.

4. Tail.  Fold fleece into a tight ball and stab very carefully - this is when the plasters may be required.

In fact, it may be time for refreshment and a quick look at the others’ handiwork.  Don’t you always think other people’s work looks better than yours?

5. Legs.  Your last pile of fleece is for the legs.  Split into 4.  Roll 2 of these into a tight sausage shape to reach about three-quarters up the cone body shape.  Place on the sponge and needle and turn leaving one end loose for attachment.  When each leg is firm and round it is time to make the paw.

Carefully fold the finished end over and stab on the sponge to make the paw.  Add a little more wool if you want the pad to be bigger.  Now for the back haunches.  These are just two balls (not too round.  Stab away bringing the sides of the fleece to the middle as best you can until you have a good rounded shape.

6. Creating your hare. You join the pieces together by teasing the loose fleece around the head and stab carefully to blend the wool and form a complete and firm attachment.  Place the head in the position you want.  His front legs can be placed to one side so the hare is looking to the left or right.  Stab carefully the front legs through to the body so they don’t flap about.  The ears are attached in the same way.  Blending the loose fibres into the head.  The haunches are placed either at the base of the cone and the tail is attached at the back.  The hare would stand well.  If not, stab the bottom to reshape him.

Nearly there.  I was so excited when I made my first hare.  They really come to life when the eyes are sewn on.  Take double black thread and attach the eyes.  When secure extend the thread down to the nose area and make a Y shape for his mouth.  Secure the thread well.  Whiskers.  I used a little white fleece as I like the shaggy look.  We have used bristles from a pastry brush and a broom.  All are good.  If your animal is too shaggy he can be trimmed carefully for a sleeker model!