• Intermediate Skill-Building

    Get a comprehensive review of needle felting basics. Advance those skills by learning more about creating wire armatures, facial features, using locks for hair, as well as making articulated hands, blending colors, and adding realism to your project.

  • Individually Paced

    Start and stop as you need to and easily pick up where you left off. The workshop is broken into 4 segments including nearly 7 hours of how-to videos, instructional PDFs, and close-up photos to ensure comprehensive learning and creative experience.

  • Detailed Embellishment

    Add more enhancements and fine details to your project. Craft tiny pieces of beaded jewelry, a shell bra, and mount your mermaid on driftwood for a more dramatic effect. You may even want to place something in your mermaid’s fully-articulated hands!

STEP-BY-STEP MERMAID WORKSHOP

Four Segments

SEGMENT 1
We’ll review the basics of needle felting and make your mermaid’s head. Each facial feature has its own video allowing you to easily start, stop, and pick up where you left off.

SEGMENT 2
Learn how to make and use an armature for your mermaid’s the body. This includes surface design and my unique method for making fully-articulated hands that can actually hold objects.

SEGMENT 3
Bring the head and body together and learn how to add little touches to the neck for a more realistic effect.

SEGMENT 4
This segment is all about embellishment, including beading jewelry for your mermaid, creating a shell bra, and mounting him or her on driftwood.

PLUS...
Students have access to several PDFs with up-close photos of making an armature as well as creating the hands – two of the trickier elements of the workshop.
An additional PDF listing sources for materials is included.
PURCHASE ONLINE WORKSHOP

PROJECT KITS & ONE-ON-ONE SESSION

Eliminate the guesswork and gather everything you need for your project. Collect your own materials and supplies by shopping with a comprehensive list or purchase a preassembled kit to be shipped to your door.

Need some individualized help? Add on a special one-on-one session with Kristen!

HEAD

6 Videos / 1 hr 57 min

  • Video 1: Mermaid Basics
    We’ll cover all the basics in Video 1 for your mermaid project, including : Materials needed for your project, How wool felts, how felting needles work, and the right way to use a felting needle.

  • Video 2: Ball
    Make the correct starting shape for the head with core wool and add merino flesh tone “skin.”

  • Video 3: Nose
    Choose your preferred shape and size for this very important feature.

  • Video 4: Mouth
    Shape the inner mouth, teeth, lips, and chin on your mermaid’s face.

  • Video 5: Eyes
    Add the eye whites, irises, pupils, and a bit of spark.

  • Video 6: Last Things
    Finish up your mermaid’s face and head by giving him or her defined cheeks, ears, and nostrils.

BODY

7 Videos / 3 hrs 5 min

  • Video 7: Armatures
    Learn the basic form of a mermaid armature, including how to properly connect wires and make your armature the correct proportion to the head. A helpful armature-making PDF is included with this lesson.

  • Video 8: Body
    Fill out the body form with core wool to give your project structure.

  • Video 9: Tail
    Further define the tail of your mermaid with merino adding color and surface design.

  • Video 10: Upper Body
    Mermaid or merman, there are features to consider and create.

  • Video 11: Hands
    Gauge the correct size and make fully-articulated hands that can bend and hold whatever you’d like. A fingertip-wrapping PDF is included with this lesson.

  • Video 12: Attach the Hands
    Add wire connection to the arms and fill out the arms and shoulders.

  • Video 13: Finish the Body
    Make a final check to ensure everything looks the way you’d like.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

2 Videos / 45 min

  • Video 14: Attach the Head
    Add the head to the head wire, smooth out the neck, and add neck definition to your mermaid.

  • Video 15: Hair
    Learn how to properly use wool locks to design your mermaid’s hairdo.

EXTRAS

1 Video / 47 min

  • Video 16: Finishing Touches
    Create a shell bra and add beading, a waist belt, a ring, and a necklace. Finally, mount your mermaid!

Kristen Walsh

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

I am a full-time artist, teacher, and author. I am living my best life when I'm involved in creative things and helping others find their creative “spark.” After 20+ years of teaching, this “spark” is something I know ALL of us have. For my own felting, I use needle felting and wet felting techniques to create serious and not-so-serious works. I have taught, won awards, and been exhibited all over the U.S.
JOIN ME ON THE INSIDE!