This is another open-ended craft kit sent to me by ArtTerro– this time it’s a needle-felting kit they’re calling “Paint with Wool.”
The Paint with Wool kit includes four 4X4 inch wool felt squares that are off-white, lots of strips of colorful wool roving, and 3 needle felting needles, and a basic instruction sheet. This kit is geared for ages 8 and up, but I tried it out on both my 9 year old son and my 5 year old daughter.
So, first a bit about needle felting. It’s the process of working together wool material using a long, thin barbed needle. (The point is…um, pointy, but you really can’t feel the barbs on the side.) By poking the needle up and down through the roving and the felt, the two are rather magically woven together to create a new fabric.
As an adult, I’ve been intrigued by both wet and needle felting, and was delighted by the prospect of children being able to take part, too!
I sat my kiddos down, explained the basic concept (which is outlined in the instruction sheet) and told them to have at it. Like the other ArtTerro kits I’ve reviewed so far (the Bead and Wire Kit and the Bubble Wand Kit,) the instructions basically give you a technique to try- not a project to complete. The idea of an “open-ended” kit is that your participants will use their own imagination and focus on enjoying the process of making, rather than focusing on getting a finished project “right.”
While I’m in LOVE with this idea, my son had some trouble. We went through 10 minutes of “Well, what do I MAKE?” before I suggested making something for his sister that got him started. My little one, however, knew just what she wanted to make and got right to work.
Now, part of needle felting is that the needle actually has to go through the roving and down into the felt to be successful. The directions state that you can place your work on an old mousepad or piece of carpet so that the needle can move freely through the material. However, all three of us were a little frustrated with how slowly the process was taking. Since we couldn’t poke the needle down far enough for the barbs to do their job efficiently, it was taking a lot of poking! I finally broke down and pulled out an old synthetic-bristle hairbrush and placed the felting on top of that. OH! It made a huge difference and the process went a lot more smoothly after that.
Here is a picture of my little one, working away:
Again, the kit states ages 8 and up- but with close supervision, I found it perfectly safe for my 5 year old. She did poke herself once, but it wasn’t even sharp enough to draw blood.She loved the idea of painting with wool and since our initial playtime with the kit, she’s made 2 more pieces!
Like the other ArtTerro kits I’ve reviewed, at $16.95 MSRP this one’s a great value. You get 3 needles, so you’ve got spares on hand or you can have multiple crafters working simultaneously. And you get 4 squares of felt, which translates into 4 projects for under $5.00 each. As a plus, you can always use these mini-masterpieces in other ways: coasters, stitch or felt them into a wall-hanging, or make doll house rugs. My little one has been playing with hers for weeks!
Also, while these kits are marketed for children, there really isn’t anything juvenile about them. I would gladly have purchased these kits when I worked at the camp for teens, the home for developmentally delayed adults, or the nursing home where I was the activity director. And if you’ve never read up on this company, you should- I love that they are committed to green practices, sustainability, and contributing to the planet. (It makes you just about as warm and fuzzy as the felting kit!)
Pros:
- great quality materials
- made in the USA
- open-ended for maximum creativity
- appropriate for folks 5 to 95
- abundance of materials in package
- nice, “green” packaging
- makes 4 projects for $16.95 USD- good value
Cons:
- can be slow-going with one needle (good opportunity to coach kids to be patient)
- you really need a brush or foam underneath, which is not included in the kit. (I’d love to see the a foam block included in the kit, and then maybe offer a “refills” pack with one extra needle and more squares/roving/yarn.)
- might be a challenge to “kick-start” ideas for what to make…
If you are considering purchasing Artterro Art Kits, I hope you’ll use CTD affiliate links:
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Amanda Marks says
That is really cool! My daughter would love that (I want to play with that too!)
Great review as always!
Manda 🙂
Barbara Moore says
Wow, the kit sounds awesome! I’d love to win it!
Hugs XX
Barbara
Joanna Longo says
I love needlefelting. Anything needle felted ROCKS!!
Melany Tenore says
Coincidentally I just posted about a wool felt class that I went to on my blog today! I saw your tweet and had to check it out! This is awesome – when I came home from my class my 6 yo son was all in to making something with me…but my supplies from the class were a little, um – dangerous to his wee fingers. We worked together but – this kit seems more his level. I’m glad to learn about this! Thanks!
Angela says
Well, count me in. I’ve wanted to get my feet wet, so to speak, with needle felting for awhile.
Wendy Fedan says
Wow, what a great product! I’ve always wanted to try felting – this seems like something I’d like to try out. A friend of mine used to do felting in her “off” time at work. Looked like fun!
Lisa Condreay says
I just started felting at the CHA in Rosemont. It was really neat how a little needle can create something so different.
Janice Ingleton says
I am fascinated by needlefelting, the first time I have seen it is on etsy, so I would love to win a kit just so I can have fun sharing this craft with my granddaughter (6 years) who would love it, she paints and creates almost everyday.
I see I also fit the age group of 5 to 95, so that is a plus LOL! You have done a great presentation with cute pics and explanation of the product. Cheers Janice
Sarah Forhan says
“I found it perfectly safe for my 5 year old. She did poke herself once, but it wasn’t even sharp enough to draw blood.” – Spoken like a true crafting mom! LOL, If you are not bleeding you are fine. My children are 7 and 8 and I think this would be the perfect craft for them! I will pass the giveaway info along to my readers. You mentioned it ends Friday, Sept 23. The 23rd is Thurs. Which day is it so I can let my readers know?
Jenny says
Sarah- thanks for catching my error! It’s FRIDAY that 24th…. Thanks for the comment and the giggle….from one crafting mom to another! ; )
Jenny says
Thanks, Janice! By the way, I have visited your Etsy shop and your quilling is AMAZING. I can only guess what you could do with felt! Such artistry….
Dhikrotul Izzah says
Wow so amazing! make children creative n let blow their imagination with this one ^^
hugs from Indonesia 😉
be smart n’ creative
m says
thanks
Thien-Kim Lam says
Wow, I never thought about teaching the kids how to needle felt. I love that everything is in one kit!
Casey says
It looks like BK had a great time with this, I bet Emma would too. I’m always looking for rainy day crafts to have around the house for us to do. Do you know if I can find this at Catan’s?
Renee J. says
This looks like soooo much fun! I want a chance to play. Thank you for the chance to win!!
Sharon McDowell says
What a wonderful way to teach children to craft with felt. Felt is a medium that we do not craft with much, if ever! Also, having the needles are a great way to get youngsters to begin sewing and have fun with sewing and not be afraid of it. Great kit all around!
Mandie W says
This looks so cool! MY super crafty 4 year old and I would LOVE to try this together! She loves watching “my craft shows” with me and we have seen needle felting on them. Thanks for the chance to win!
yumiko says
wow this really cool