This is a project I’ve wanted to try for quite awhile, and these acorns were my first attempt at needle felting. (No, I do NOT need another hobby, but people do amazing things with wool, and I wanted to give the process a try). I’m using my acorns to decorate my mantle for fall. I don’t do a lot of fall decorating, but I do love the simplicity and ease of these little acorns. There are also plenty of oak trees around from which to collect acorn caps. (I gathered my caps in the north side Costco parking lot—there’s my secret).

You will need:

• wool roving in fall colors
• needle felting tool
• a piece of foam
• acorn caps
• hot glue

1. Pull off an acorn-sized chunk of wool roving and roll it between your hands to until it becomes a bit round. It will still be very loose, but the shape will get you started.
2. Using you needle felting tool, place your wool ball over the foam and start poking the heck out of it in a basic acorn shape. The shape is very simple: one end is a bit tapered and rounded; the other end should be flat to fit into the cap. (I found a three-needle pen tool works very well and makes quick work of the project). Using a felting needle locks the wool fibers together, you’ll notice the acorn becoming more firm and tight as you work.
3. Keep poking your acorn until you’re happy with the shape and the fibers are no longer loose.
4. Hot glue a cap on each acorn, and you’re done! I found that each acorn took about 10 minutes to felt, and it was an easy project to do while watching a movie. Unfortunately, this is not a project for young children as the felting tool is painfully sharp and pointy. (I found this out the hard way. Youch!)

There will likely be a few more needle felting projects in my future. I hope you’ll give it a try with me.

---

---