When kids first enter the world of crafts, we usually start them off with basic materials like craft paper, cardboard, or popsicle sticks. But once they have mastered those, where do you go next? If you are looking for a material that is colorful, forgiving, and incredibly versatile, it is time to introduce felt.
We absolutely love crafting with felt. It is soft to the touch, doesn’t fray when you cut it, and comes in every color imaginable. Whether you have a budding fashionista who wants to make accessories or a creative storyteller who needs puppets, felt is the perfect medium.
Gather all your leftover scraps because we have lined up 40 amazing felt crafts for kids. From adorable plushies to practical pencil toppers, this guide covers everything you need to know to get started.
Why Felt is the Perfect Craft Material for Kids
Before we dive into the projects, let’s talk about why felt is a superstar in the crafting world. Unlike woven fabrics that unravel and require hemming, felt is a non-woven textile. This means you can cut it into any shape—no matter how intricate—and the edges will stay crisp and clean.
This “no-fray” quality makes it the safest and least frustrating fabric for children to work with. It bridges the gap between simple paper crafts and more complex sewing projects, helping children develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and patience.
Essential Tips for Crafting with Felt
To ensure your crafting session is a success, here are some pro-tips to keep in mind before you buy your supplies.
1. Choose the Right Type of Felt
- Acrylic/Craft Felt: This is the synthetic felt you find in most dollar stores. It is cheap, comes in bright colors, and is stiff. It’s perfect for kids’ crafts that don’t need to last forever.
- Wool Blend Felt: A mix of wool and rayon. It is softer, more durable, and feels luxurious. If you want your craft to be a keepsake (like a Christmas ornament), invest in this.
- 100% Wool Felt: The highest quality. It is thick and water-resistant but can be expensive. Save this for special projects.
2. The Glue Dilemma
Gluing felt can be tricky because the fibers absorb liquid glue.
- For Kids: Use Tacky Glue or specialized Felt Glue. It is thicker than regular white school glue and grabs the fibers better.
- For Adults/Supervision: A Hot Glue Gun (low temp) works best. It bonds instantly, preventing the “sliding” that happens with wet glue.
3. Cutting and Sewing
- Scissors: Felt dulls paper scissors quickly. Keep a separate pair of sharp scissors just for fabric and felt.
- Thread: Use Embroidery Floss rather than regular sewing thread. It is thicker, comes in vibrant colors, and creates a nice decorative stitch that stands out against the fuzzy texture of the felt.
- Stuffing: If you are making plushies, you don’t always need to buy polyester fiberfill. You can chop up your leftover felt scraps into tiny pieces and use them as stuffing!
Section 1: Adorable Felt Plushies & Pocket Pals
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of felt is likely a cute, squishy plushie. These are great for beginners learning to sew.
1. The “Pocket” Monster: Cut two U-shapes. Sew them together with a blanket stitch, leaving the top open. Stuff it, sew it shut, and add big googly eyes and crazy teeth. 2. Felt Minions: Everyone loves Minions! Customize yellow pill-shaped felt pieces with denim blue overalls and one (or two) big gray eyes. 3. Ladybug Companions: Cut red circles and sew them onto black ovals. These bright bugs are cheerful desk companions for homework time. 4. Classic Teddy Bear: A simple silhouette of a bear sewn with brown felt. Use a lighter tan for the snout and belly. 5. Barnyard Animals: Create a set of pigs, cows, and chickens. These can be used for “Old MacDonald” sing-alongs. 6. Woodland Creatures: Foxes and raccoons are popular. Use orange and gray felt and layer the facial features for a 3D effect. 7. Emoji Pillows: Cut large yellow circles and let the kids choose their facial expressions—heart eyes, sunglasses, or a big grin. 8. Felt Dinosaurs: Spiky Stegosauruses or long-necked Brachiosauruses are easy to draw and cut out. 9. Sea Life Set: Starfish, whales, and octopuses. The shapes are simple and great for toddlers to practice cutting. 10. “Ugly Dolls” Style: Let the kids draw a weird shape, cut it out, and add mismatched eyes. Perfection is not the goal here—character is!
Section 2: School Supplies & Stationery
Make going back to school fun with custom gear that no one else in class will have.
11. Ladybug Pencil Toppers: Sew two small felt circles together (leaving a hole for the pencil) and decorate to look like a ladybug. 12. Heart Pencil Toppers: A simple heart shape fits perfectly on the end of a pencil. 13. Troll-Inspired Toppers: Use bright faux fur or teased wool felt for the hair to recreate the look of those classic troll dolls. 14. Minion Pencil Toppers: Similar to the plushies but sized down to fit a pencil top. 15. Flower Bookmarks: Cut a long strip of green felt for the stem and glue a colorful daisy or tulip on top. 16. Cactus Bookmarks: Green felt cacti with pink flower accents. These make lovely gifts for teachers. 17. Pizza Slice Bookmark: Cut a triangle of “crust” colored felt and layer on cheese and pepperoni. It looks delicious marking your page! 18. Corner Bookmarks: Cut a square, fold it into a triangle, and sew two sides. It slips right onto the corner of the page. 19. Unicorn Pouch: A no-sew project! Fold a large sheet of felt like an envelope and use hot glue to seal the edges. Decorate with a gold felt horn. 20. Monster Pencil Case: Use a zipper (glue or sew it in) and add sharp felt teeth along the zipper opening so the monster “eats” the pencils.
Section 3: Pretend Play Food
Felt food is expensive to buy but incredibly cheap to make. Plus, it’s quiet when dropped!
21. Spaghetti and Meatballs: Use cream-colored yarn or thin strips of felt for pasta, and brown felt balls for meatballs. This is a great mixed-media project. 22. Fried Eggs: A wonky white shape with a bright yellow circle sewn in the middle. 23. Sandwich Station: Cut square slices of “bread,” “cheese,” “lettuce,” and “ham.” Kids can stack them to make their own lunch. 24. Felt Donuts: Cut two donuts shapes, sew the center and outside, and stuff lightly. Decorate with “sprinkles” made from tiny snippets of scrap felt. 25. Pizza Party: Create a large tan circle for the crust and separate toppings (mushrooms, peppers, pepperoni) that kids can arrange themselves. 26. Fruit Salad: Slices of watermelon, kiwi, and oranges. The detail comes from layering different colored shapes. 27. Ravioli: Cut squares using pinking shears (zigzag scissors) for that authentic pasta look and stuff with cotton. 28. Sushi Rolls: Roll strips of white felt (rice) around colored strips (fish/veggies) and wrap in black felt (nori). 29. Tea Bags: Cute little squares with a string and a tag—perfect for a teddy bear tea party. 30. Fortune Cookies: Circles of tan felt folded and glued in a specific way to mimic the shape of a fortune cookie. You can even slip a paper fortune inside!
Section 4: Wearables & Home Decor
Felt isn’t just for toys; it can be used to make beautiful items for the home or to wear.
31. Red Poppy Brooch: Perfect for Remembrance Day or Memorial Day. Layer red petals with a black center. 32. Spring Flowers Bouquet: Wrap felt around pipe cleaners to create a bouquet that never wilts. 33. Unicorn Headbands: Wrap a headband in felt and add ears and a horn. 34. Superhero Masks: Soft felt is comfortable against a child’s face. Add an elastic band, and you have an instant costume. 35. Geometric Coasters: Cut hexagons or circles in thick wool felt. They are absorbent and protect your table. 36. Seasonal Garlands: Cut out shapes (hearts for Valentine’s, ghosts for Halloween, leaves for Autumn) and string them up. 37. Christmas Ornaments: Decorate flat shapes with sequins or beads for sparkle. 38. Hair Bows: Pinch a rectangle of felt in the middle and wrap a small strip around it. Glue to a hair clip. 39. Coin Purse: A small semi-circle pouch with a button closure. 40. Cord Organizers: A small strip of felt with a snap button or velcro to keep headphone cords from tangling.
Conclusion
Crafting with felt is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. It is low-mess, high-reward, and suitable for crafters of all ages. Whether you are sewing a complex plushie or just gluing shapes together for a collage, the tactile nature of felt makes the process relaxing and enjoyable.