Three children stand side by side and hold up handmade felted animal figures in their hands, smiling and displaying the colorful, small creations in a classroom setting.

Hooked on Felting: How Anglerfish Sparked STEAM Creativity with Stacey Klimkosky

Hooked on Felting: How Anglerfish Sparked STEAM Creativity with Stacey Klimkosky

17 Jun, 2025
Three children stand side by side and hold up handmade felted animal figures in their hands, smiling and displaying the colorful, small creations in a classroom setting.

In December 2024, TASAA hosted a virtual, wool needle felting workshop in which participants created an anglerfish from a kit that was provided. We hoped it would inspire participants to use needle felting in their classrooms as a way to inject a little STEAM into their lessons. Using observational skills, students can learn to construct a 3D model of anything they can imagine. The supplies are low cost, and the activity is versatile and easy to incorporate in any grade-level.

A Zoom call with over 20 people, each smiling and holding up a small, colorful object towards their camera. Most participants appear in home settings, and everyone looks happy and engaged.

To our delight, alumni shared pics of their creations on our private Facebook page, and some teachers took it a step further and introduced needle felting in their classrooms.

 

A collage of needle-felted animal figures, including birds and creatures, displayed on blue backgrounds with the text "Calling all felters! Share your story!" at the top. Credits for creators are listed at the bottom.

Alum Stacey Klimkosky (TAS, 2009) told us that “felting has become a popular after school activity program at Truro Central School (MA). We are almost finished with our second 6 week session.  Each time, we started with a group project (a sea turtle and a rabbit), then students went freestyle-first drawing a design and then bringing it to life in three dimensions. We have a strong contingent of boys who are enjoying the camaraderie and inventing creatures.”

A person holds a small, handmade felted bunny with colorful decorations on its body, above a light gray surface next to a blank sheet of white paper.
A person in a blue fleece holds two needle-felted wool figures: a gray bunny with pink ears and a white ghost with black eyes and mouth. Bright classroom decorations and art are visible in the background.
A hand holds a gray felted bunny with a yellow eye mask and yellow sword, displayed on a white foam base. The background shows a classroom with chairs, posters, and educational materials.

We hope to offer another needle felting webinar in the months to come! In the meantime, if you have felting success stories to share, please let us know!

Photo Credits: Stacey Klimkosky and TASAA