I have talked a few times (here and here) about my buddy Alice, who makes miniature needle felted dogs. Her work can be seen on her etsy shop. A while back, Alice told me she was putting her knowledge into a booklet. Her plan was to create an instruction manual that could lead anyone, no matter how unfamiliar with needle felting, through the process of making their own miniature dog.
When Alice asked if I would be her guinea pig to see if I could learn to make a dog from her instructions, I’ll admit it — I was intimidated. But I shouldn’t have been. Her instructions were well written and there were lots of pictures. I was surprised that making my dog basically involved stabbing the project until it took shape. And then stabbing it some more. Not as dainty a process as I thought it would be. I especially enjoyed making making his nose from clay (as taught by the manual) and making sure my miniature Miles was anatomically correct (my own stylistic addition). You can see a few pics of my process here. And of course, the finished product is well documented above.
Alice is now selling the instructions on her etsy shop as a downloadable/printable PDF. This is a great ‘after hours’ project, or gift for anyone who enjoys hands on activities.