/ Sewing Gear / By Madeleine

Best Needles For Felt (How To Pick Them For Machine & Hand Sewing) 2023

The best needles for felt sewing (in my opinion) are:

Best needle for hand-sewing felt: embroidery needles
Best needle for machine sewing felt: a medium-sized needle 70/10 or 80/12
Best needles for kids: Plastic needles
Best needle for machine sewing multiple layers of felt together: a larger 90/14 needle
Best needles for felt embroidery: embroidery needles

If you want to go more in-depth, keep reading to find out the exact size and type of needle to suit your project. That’s how you get the best results as using the wrong needles can end up damaging the fabric.

I’ve been sewing since middle school and I’ve learned some interesting things about sewing felt fabric over the years, including what my favorite needles are.

Whether you’re learning how to stitch felt together by hand or how to sew on felt with a sewing machine, I’ve compiled the complete guide on the best needles for sewing felt.

Needles and Thread

Best Needles For Felt: A Beginner’s Guide

Table of Contents

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Best Needle For Hand Sewing Felt

The best needles for hand sewing felt are embroidery needles. Also known as crewel needles, these are the most popular needles for hand sewing and appliquéing felt.

Embroidery needles are similar to standard sewing needles but tend to have a larger oval eye that accommodates thicker threads.

This makes them a good fit for hand sewing with felt, as they can hold multiple strands of embroidery floss.

Embroidery needles also have a sharp tip, which is great for a neater finish on relatively thicker fabrics like felt.

Embroidery Needles

What’s The Best Needle Size For Hand Sewing Felt?

Generally, small to medium-sized embroidery needles work best for sewing felt by hand. For example, sizes 6 to 8 tend to work well for standard craft felt.

If you’re sewing more than 2 pieces of felt at once, you could try sizes 4 or 5.

Tip: Try to go for the smallest needle possible that can fit the thickness of your thread. Using smaller needles reduces the chance of damaging and creating holes in the sheets of felt for sewing.

Can You Use A Sewing Needle For Felt?

Yes, you can use standard sewing needles for hand sewing felt. Just like embroidery needles, their sharp points make it easy to learn how to felt by hand without damaging it.

Use the finest hand sewing needles for sewing more delicate stitches. Finer needles are also great for sewing details like beads on felt.

Best Needle For Machine Sewing On Felt

For machine sewing with felt projects, medium-sized needles work well. I recommend using 70/10 or 80/12 needles – they’re perfect for felt.

When you’re sewing more than two layers of felt at one time, you might consider using larger 90/14 needles. This may also apply if you’re working with felt made from denser wool.

Pair with a standard sewing foot to work on your felt project (if you need to buy one make sure you get one that’s compatible with your machine).

Tip: Always test on a scrap piece of felt first to make sure the needle size is suitable for your project. Doing this will also help you figure out the right stitch length and type before you start sewing your actual project.

Why Is It Important To Pick The Right Needle For Sewing Felt?

It’s important to pick the right hand sewing needle and machine needles for felt so you can get the best project results.

Felt is quite a thick fabric. Needles with fine sharp points like embroidery needles and sewing needles are great to ensure the needles pass through the fabric easily and produce a neat finish.

I always say: go with the smallest possible needle size that can fit your thread and is comfortable for you to sew with.

Why? The main reason is that when you use needles that are too large for your project, you may create holes in the fabric and end up damaging it. This applies to both hand sewing needles and machine needles for felt.

Now that you know how to pick the best needle size for hand sewing felt and machine sewing felt, you’re one step closer to producing the best results you can – yes, even if you’re just starting out. 🙂

Hand Sewing Needles

Are Needles For Felt Different To Sewing Needles?

Yes, The best needles for sewing felt (embroidery needles) are different to sewing needles.

Embroidery needles have a larger and oval eye (the place on the needle where you thread the thread through).

This makes them perfect for using thicker embroidery thread (which I recommend when sewing felt).

They are similar to sewing needles in that they both have fine, sharp tips.

Plastic Needles For Felt Sewing: Do They Work?

Yes, plastic needles can work with felt!

Plastic needles have a blunt point, making them a popular choice for teaching little ones to sew.

Although a sharp point is better when sewing felt, plastic needles are a decent kid-friendly alternative and can be used to pierce and sew the fabric safely.

Just keep in mind the results may not be as neat, but if your priority is teaching your kids sewing skills rather than creating perfect results, then plastic needles work well.

Sewing With Felt: Tips

Using felt for sewing is a great beginner-friendly option that’s perfect for both hand stitching and machine sewing.

Felt is easy to cut and doesn’t fray. You can use basic, beginner-friendly stitches to work with felt. Craft felt sheets are pretty budget-friendly and can be easily found in most craft shops (especially if you buy acrylic blends rather than wool blends).

If you’re keen to learn how to sew felt onto fabric, check out my ultimate felt sewing guide to learn all the basics on how to sew with felt.

Best Needles For Felt FAQ

What Needles Are Best For Felt Embroidery?

Small to medium embroidery needles are best for felt embroidery by hand. If you’re using a sewing machine, go with a medium needle 70/10 or 80/12.

You can use a larger needle for thicker felt, but be careful as using too large a needle could create holes in the fabric.

Are Felting Needles Different From Sewing Needles?

Yes, Felting needles are different from sewing needles. Felting needles feature tiny barbs on the tip, unlike sewing needles which have smooth shafts. Felting needles are also usually thicker and longer.

Felting needles are used for a separate technique called “felting”, which condenses wool fiber into the desired shapes.

These are the felting needles I’ve used as a beginner felter. Once I get more experienced I’ll invest in better quality ones.

What Happens If You Use The Wrong Sewing Needle?

When you use the wrong sewing needle, you might damage your machine’s timing and/or your fabric, shred the thread, and destroy your bobbin hook.

It’s important to make sure you’re using the right type of needles and the appropriate size for your projects.

Felt Projects and Embroidery Thread

Best Needles For Felt: Wrap Up

I hope you’ve found that picking the best needles for felt is not as complicated as it sounds!

The closer you can get to the right needle for your felt project the better it will turn out, which is why It’s important to try to use the right machine sewing and hand sewing needle sizes for your felt projects.

Generally, small to medium embroidery needles are suitable for hand sewing felt projects. Medium 70/10 or 80/12 needles work best for sewing with felt on a sewing machine.

Ready to get crafty? Put your needles to work with fun felt animal tutorials!