Sweet & Simple Needle Felted Animals: A Step-By-Step Visual Guide

Sweet & Simple Needle Felted Animals by Sachiko Susa is a beautifully complete guide to learning how to needle felt little critters. The photography is large, clear, and focused, and the instructions are broken down so even a beginner like me knows precisely how to go about creating these animals. The best part, by far, is the fact that there are true-to-scale photos in the book of the various parts of the animal, so while you are working on your own version of the animals you can check to make sure you have the size and shape right simply by holding it up to the corresponding part in the book. Pure genius, if you ask me; I wish more beginner crafting books used this method to help novice crafters.

The instructions, while a bit stilted, are perfectly clear, and the book strives to maintain simplicity not only in the techniques used but also in the equipment and recommendations. And for those who are already comfortable with the techniques, these animal bases are adorable and ready for your own flair and improvisation. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a gateway into needle felting, and even advanced felters will find plenty of inspiration and tips in these pages.