-needle felting-

Needle Felting Supplies — Starter Materials

needle felting supplies

I often describe needle felting as the ideal craft– it has a quick learning curve, requires minimal supplies and can be done almost anywhere.  For this post, I want to go into the minimal supply aspect and talk about the three things that you’ll need to start needle felting.

  1. Wool
  2. Needle felting needles
  3. Felting pad

WOOL

Lots of different types of wool will work for needle felting, but some types felt quicker than others, which ultimately means less stabbing time for you.  My go-to wool is Corriedale (or a Corriedale blend). These fibers are thicker and springier, qualities that allow the fibers to tangle more easily than a thinner, softer wool like Merino.  But if you happen to have Merino wool lying around the house, you can still use it for needle felting– it will just take you a little longer to form the shape that you want.  To save $ on supplies, I first create a “core” of white wool (less expensive) that I then cover with dyed wool (more expensive).

Here is a great sampler pack of dyed Corriedale wool for under $40, and here is a pound of white carded wool from an Etsy seller for under $20.

FELTING NEEDLES

To get started, all you need are a few size 38 gauge felting needles.  You can purchase them online here  (4-pack) or here (bulk-QTY 30).

You may also want to consider the Clover Pen Tool.  The pen holds three felting needles at the same time, which can moves your project along at a faster pace.  But you wouldn’t want to use the pen tool for finer detail work.

FOAM PAD

And lastly, you will need a surface that will be able to standup against the sharp needle felting needles but also doesn’t break the needles.  Most people, including me, use a foam pad.  Something like this would provide a great work surface.

 

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kitty litters for small spaces – the hidden litter box roundup

hidden litter box

Kitties are the best.  Kitty litters are the worst.  But fortunately, lots of great hidden litter boxes have hit the market in the past few years.  Some are actually affordable and some are what I would consider aspirational 😉 Here are some of my finds. And if you’re interested in making your own hideaway litter box, check out this Kitty Hack post.

hidden cat litter box
Way Basics Eco Friendly Cat Litter Box

And this photo shows what’s going on behind the scenes:

hidden cat litter box

The Way Basics Eco Friendly Cat Litter Box is currently listed under $100 and comes with a lifetime warranty. It’s made from zBoard, a patented sustainable material that the manufacturer is billing as a better, eco-friendly, non-toxic alternative to particle board and MDF. Interesting.  At time of this post, the list price is $89.99.

hidden cat litter box
Philociety solid wood litter box

Sweet and simple. Besides looking good and having a minimal footprint, this hidden litter box from Philociety seems like it’s made to last.  It’s constructed from thick solid natural wood. The manufacturer says the wood is treated with an odor and moisture resistant paint inside and out to minimize traditional litter box smell.  And where does the cat enter to use the litter? There is a side opening, as shown in this product photo.

side entry to the Philociety Solid Natural Wood Cat Litter Box
side entry to the Philociety Solid Natural Wood Cat Litter Box

 

hidden cat litter box side table
hidden cat litter box side table from Black Velvet Pets

Made by a husband and wife team in Estonia, this hidden litter box side table is constructed from humidity-proof birch plywood and finished with high-quality oil wax. This option is a bit pricier than the other roundup items, but I love that it’s made by a small independent business with adorable Facebook pics like this one:)

hidden cat litter box
hidden cat litter box by Petsfit

This photo cracks me up! The cat in this photo looks like he’s not quite finished with the restroom… Anyhow, the current list price on Amazon is $108.99, which is steep for a litter box but not so bad if you think of it as a side table with a hidden bonus feature 😉

And lastly, for those with a more generous budget, there is the Modular Cabinet Set from Modernist Cat.

hidden cat litter box from Modernist Cat
hidden cat litter box from Modernist Cat

This stylish hidden litter box was inspired by the design and function of classic mid 20th century storage credenzas. The entrance shape (rectangle or circle) and side (left or right) are customizable as are the door colors.

hidden litter box

hidden litter box door color options

While you’re here, you may also want to check out my post on cozy cat caves!

felt cat caves

-diy-

baby gates & playards for apartment living

I went to town researching possible playard options for our small 1.5 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn.  Like most city dwellers, we are very short on space. I spend way too much time thinking about purchases that will take up a notable amount of floorspace…like a playpen. In the end, we decided to donate a 4′ x 6′ corner kitchen area to the childproofing cause.  I bought a gated play-pen to enclose the area and covered the wood floor with a Land of Nod rug.  Here are some photos of little Wolfie playing with his beloved “MULA” stacking rings in his new digs.

baby gate enclosure playard
Wolfie in his new playard!
play-pen playard area
4 ft x 6 ft play space

Loving the baby crib mirror that we transferred to the play-pen!

baby crib mirror in play-pen
repurposing the baby crib mirror…