Chipmunk with a Nut Needle Felting Kit by Charivna Mit V-146C

Felt the Chipmunk with a Nut, a needle felting kit by Charivna Mit: a striped chipmunk sitting up on its haunches nibbling a hazelnut, with a bushy tail.

A chipmunk can carry several nuts at once in its stretchy cheek pouches, and it stores enough food in its burrow to last the whole winter.

Why this kit: needle felting needs no sewing and no counting, only wool and a barbed needle, and Charivna Mit sorts the wool by color and adds a color scheme so you always know which shade goes where. With just 4 wool colors it is a quick, forgiving project for a first try. Czech Preciosa beads add the eyes and a little sparkle.

Kit includes: 4 colors of New Zealand wool, beads and Czech Preciosa beads, 1 color of Madeira floss, chenille wire, felting and embroidery needles, a color scheme and instructions. Made in Ukraine. Not included: a foam felting pad to work on and small scissors for trimming stray fibers.

How to felt it: pull off small tufts of wool, roll them loosely and jab them with the felting needle, turning the shape as you go so it firms up evenly. Build the body first, then the head, legs and colored details, following the color scheme. Then add the bead details, the embroidered details and the wire parts as the instructions show. Work on a foam pad, keep your fingers clear of the needle tip and store the needles safely after use.

Finished size: about 9.5×8 cm (3.7×3.1 in). Stand it on a shelf, desk or windowsill, or give it as a homemade gift for animal lovers, nature fans and friends; the kit itself is an easy present for teens and adults. Recommended for ages 14 and up; the felting needles are very sharp, so keep them away from young children.