Needle-Felted Heart Keychain

This needle-felted heart keychain is a fun little project for practicing how to shape and embellish wool roving. A heart-shaped cookie cutter makes it easy to create the basic shape, then a felting needle is used to add dimension, smooth the edges, and add decorative details.

If you’re new to needle felting, you may want to start with my Needle-Felted Heart Appliqué and Easy Needle Felting Photo Tutorial. This keychain uses the same basic technique but adds more wool to create a thicker, dimensional heart.

How to Make a Needle-Felted Heart Keychain

Materials

• Red wool roving
• Wool roving in accent colors for embellishing
• Felting needle or felting tool
• Foam felting pad
• Heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Key ring with chain
• Strong thread or twine
• Sewing needle

Note: I used a three-needle Clover felting tool to form the heart and a single felting needle to add the decorative details.

Safety note: Felting needles are very sharp. Always work over a felting pad, keep your fingers away from the path of the needle, and supervise children closely.

Needle Felt the Heart

1. Place the heart-shaped cookie cutter on your foam felting pad and loosely fill it with red wool roving.
2. Begin repeatedly poking the wool with your felting needle to compact the fibers. Work carefully around the entire heart, making sure the wool fills the curves and point of the cookie cutter. Avoid pushing the needle too deeply into the foam pad, which can cause the wool to become embedded in the foam.
3. Once the wool begins to hold its shape, carefully turn the cookie cutter and wool over and continue felting from the opposite side.
4. Add additional wool roving as needed to make the heart thicker and more dimensional. Continue felting from both sides until the wool holds together firmly.
5. Remove the heart from the cookie cutter. Continue working around the surface and edges with your felting needle to smooth the heart and round out its shape.
6. Leave the heart plain or use small amounts of contrasting wool roving to add decorative details. See my Easy Needle Felting Photo Tutorial for more help adding details with a single felting needle.

How to Assemble the Keychain

Thread a sharp sewing needle with strong thread or twine. Sew through the top of the felted heart and through the end of the keychain several times, making sure the attachment is secure. Knot the thread securely and hide the ends within the felted wool.

Try One of These Needle Felting Projects Next

• Needle-Felted Hedgehog Tutorial
• How to Make a Needle-Felted Owl {Photo Tutorial}
• Needle-Felted Leaf
• How to Make Wool Dryer Balls: Eliminate Chemicals & Save Money
• Needle-Felted Heart Applique
• See More Needle Felting Ideas