Cute Needle Felted Animal Friends: Adorable Cats, Dogs and Other Pets

Sachiko Susa

Tuttle Publishing (MARCH) Softcover $14.99 (96pp) 978-4-80531499-9

In Cute Needle Felted Animal Friends, Sachiko Susa demonstrates the simple techniques that lead to lifelike miniature dogs, cats, hamsters, and hedgehogs.

Needle felting, the art of fusing roving wool into shapes by poking it with a barbed needle, has become increasingly popular in the crafting world. This book, by master felter Sachiko Susa, takes readers from start to finish through crafting nine different breeds of dog, six breeds of cat, hamsters, and both regular and lop-eared rabbits.

The book begins with a gallery of appealing, well-presented photographs of each completed animal, followed by a guide to the tools and materials needed. Needle felting is economical, and materials aren’t hard to find. The book’s in-depth opening lesson teaches the necessary skills and methods, resulting in a Shibu Inu dog that’s nothing short of adorable. It is followed by instructions for the other individual projects. They are for animals in different poses, and there’s a wide choice of activities here. Details come by adding different shades of wool, and colors can be varied to match the crafter’s own pets.

Finished works measure roughly 3.5“-4“tall, and instructions include an exact-size color photograph for each animal, as well as exactsize templates for bodies, legs, heads, ears, and tongues. This eliminates guesswork and is especially helpful for getting legs correctly proportioned and shaped. The book’s written instructions are concise and complete. Laid out with the crafter in mind, the book measures 10“x 7.5“, so both illustrations and numbered instructions are easy to see. It is printed on high quality paper and is an appealing and durable crafting book.

Cute Needle Felted Animal Friends is visually inviting inside and out, full of fun projects created by an expert whose easy-to-follow instructions build confidence at every step.