If you have a wool allergy or if you follow a vegan lifestyle then you may be wondering if needle felting without animal products is a possibility. We certainly don't want anyone feeling left out whenever we post content related to needle felting. Lucky for you, there are a number of vegan alternatives that can be used for needle felting so you can join in on the fun!
Needle Felting without Animal Products: Natural Alternatives
Plant-based fibers offer an exciting alternative to wool products because they are sustainable to produce, biodegradable and 100% cruelty free. Often times, these fibers will actually felt faster than animal fibers and they're not any more difficult to work with. So don't view them as second rate!
Today we'll be talking about the exciting possibilities of Egyptian Cotton, Hemp, and Flax. Each of these fibers has a unique sheen and texture. Combining them together will breathe new life into your needle felted animals and add unique depth to your needle felted landscapes.
One quick note before we dive in, all of the plant-based fibers that Living Dreams offers are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certified, which means they have been tested for harmful substances. You can read more about oeko-tex certification here
Egyptian Cotton
Cotton is soft and shiny. It is so smooth that you may think you would have trouble felting it, but that is not the case. The short fibers are especially well suited to reproducing the look and feel of animal fur. Living Dreams carries only the best Egyptian Cotton.
The name doesn’t just refer to the place where this special cotton is grown (although it is grown in Egypt on the banks of the Nile). The name is also a gold standard of excellence that can only be applied to this exceptional cotton varietal!
Hemp
Hemp fiber is made from cannabis plants. It was actually the earliest plant to ever be cultivated for fiber. It is very strong and durable. Hemp is one of the quickest felting plant-based fibers. The fibers can quickly become quite dense and compact, so it is well-suited to sculptural needle felting.
Flax (Also Known as Linen)
Flax fiber, made from the stem of the flax plant, is one of the oldest fibers available. You may know it better by its more common name, Linen. It has long been prized for its durability and breathability. When you felt with flax fibers, it is recommended to have all the fibers running in the same direction so that they can connect more securely with each other.
It is more coarse than cotton but finer than hemp. So you might just find that Goldilocks "just right" fit with Flax for your next needle felting endeavor. The other nice thing about flax is that it takes dye beautifully.
