10 Easy Felt Crafts for Beginners (Using Scraps You Already Have)

Most crafters have a pile of left over felt sitting in a craft drawer somewhere. Leftover from projects you probably completed years ago! Felt is one of the materials that’s not needed in every project and its so easily forgotten about.

The good news? Felt is perfect for beginners. It doesn’t fray, it’s easy to cut, and you can glue or sew it without much stress. So what exactly can be made with felt. Lets talk about it.

In this post I’m sharing 10 easy felt crafts that use what you already have. Most of them can be finished in under an hour.

If you’re not sure which felt to use, I wrote a full guide here: The Best Felt for Crafts (Beginner to Advanced Guide).

What You’ll Need

You probably already have most of this:

Felt sheets or scraps (any colour or type works)
Sharp scissors
Glue (hot glue, fabric glue, or a strong craft glue like E6000)
Optional extras: needle and thread or embroidery floss, buttons, magnets, keyring findings, a little stuffing, ribbon, just extra bits and bobs.

That’s it. No sewing machine or fancy equipment required for any of these.

1. Felt Bookmarks

Simple, useful, and perfect for using up long scraps.

How to make it: Cut a rectangle about 5–6 cm wide and 15–18 cm long. Round the corners if you like. Glue or sew or tie a length of ribbon or embroidery floss to the top as a tassel. You can add a small felt shapes (heart, star, flower) or embroidery onto the felt. So many tutorials are available for this DIY. Check out this super easy one i found

Time: 10–15 minutes Great for: Gifts, reading nooks, using up long thin scraps

2. Felt Coasters

These are so easy and look surprisingly polished.

How to make it: Cut circles, squares, or simple flower/plant shapes (about 10 cm across). For thicker coasters, glue two layers together. You can leave them plain or add a smaller shape on top in a contrasting colours.

Tip: If you want them more durable, use a wool-blend felt or add a thin layer of cork or cardboard between the felt layers.

Time: 15–20 minutes Great for: Everyday use or gift giving

3. Felt Magnets

These are addictive. Once you make one, you’ll want a whole set.

How to make it: Cut small shapes (hearts, stars, animals, initials, flowers — whatever you like). Glue a small magnet to the back. Let it dry fully before sticking it on the fridge. Check out this easy to follow tutorial I found on how to make these very cute cupcake felt magnets.

Tip: Use strong magnets so they actually hold notes or photos.

Time: 10 minutes each Great for: Using tiny scraps, kids’ crafts, fridge décor

4. Felt Hair Clips

A lovely way to use small leftover pieces.

How to make it: Cut simple shapes or small flowers. Glue them onto plain metal snap clips or alligator clips. You can layer a couple of shapes or add a tiny button in the centre. Add embroidery too for smaller details and to secure the felt in place more.

Tip: Hot glue works well here too if you don’t want to hand stitch, but let it cool completely before wearing.

Time: 10–15 minutes Great for: Gifts, craft fairs, using up pretty scraps

5. Felt Keychains

Quick, useful, and perfect for leftovers.

How to make it: Cut a shape (litterally anything you can think of). If you want it thicker, glue two layers together. Punch a small hole at the top (or use a hole punch if the felt is thin) and attach a metal keyring. You can embroider on it to add details or add stuffing to make it less flat.

Check out this tutorial on how to make this cute donut felt keyring. It looks hard to make but is so easy.

Time: 15–20 minutes Great for: Personalised gifts or bag charms

6. Felt Flowers

These look more complicated than they are.

How to make it: Cut several petal shapes in different sizes. Layer them from largest to smallest and glue in the centre. Add a small circle or button in the middle. You can leave them flat or gently curve the petals for a more 3D look. There are a load of different tutorials on this one. But a lot of the tutorials out there are more advanced. So if you are looking for a simple tutorial ideal for beginners. Follow this one.

Time: 20–30 minutes Great for: Décor

7. Felt Cup Cozies / Drink Sleeves

Practical and cosy.

How to make it: Cut a rectangle that wraps around your favorite takeaway cup (measure first). Add a little overlap. You can leave it as a simple wrap and secure with a button and loop of elastic or ribbon, or sew/glue the ends to make a sleeve. Decorate it with buttons or other felt pieces, or better yet make a picture. This tutorial is a felt cozy sleeve made to look like a cute bear!

Time: 20 minutes Great for: Everyday use and handmade gifts

8. Mini Felt Pouch or Coin Purse

A tiny project that feels proper.

How to make it: Cut a long shape (rectangle or simple rounded pouch shape). Glue or sew around the edges, leaving the top open and so it can fold over. Add a button and a small felt loop, or a snap, for a closure. You can slip a tiny bit of stuffing in if you want a padded look, but it’s not necessary.

Time: 25–40 minutes Great for: Using larger scraps and practising basic sewing or gluing

9. Felt Ornaments or Gift Tags

These work all year round, not just for Christmas.

How to make it: Cut simple shapes. Glue two layers together for strength if needed. Add a loop of ribbon or string at the top. You can embroider a name, year, or small design, or keep them plain and pretty.

Time: 10–20 minutes Great for: Gift wrapping, tree décor, or just hanging around the house

10. Simple Felt Play Piece (Felt Food)

Keep this one really simple so it doesn’t turn into a huge project.

How to make it: Follow the pattern given in this YouTube video to make your very own felt sandwich. This is seriously such a fun DIY to make and its even more fun for kids to play with. They will actually get hours of fun out of it.

Time: 30–45 minutes Great for: Kids, gifting

Quick Tips for Working with Felt

Sharp scissors make a big difference. Blunt ones will chew the edges and just make things way more difficult than they need to be.
Hot glue is fast, but fabric glue or E6000 gives a cleaner, longer-lasting finish for items that get handled a lot.
Hand sewing around the edges makes it look so much more rustic. It takes longer but in my opinion looks better then gluing. So if you have the time and patience try hand sewing
If your felt is very thin or stretchy, glue it to a piece of stiff interfacing or cardboard first.
Sort your scraps by colour and size — it makes future projects much faster.
Craft felt is fine for most of these. If you want something that looks and feels nicer, a wool blend is worth it (more on that in my felt guide).

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of felt is best for these projects? Any felt works. Craft felt is perfectly fine for beginners and kids. Wool or wool-blend felt looks and feels nicer if you’re making gifts or selling items.

Can kids make these? Yes, with help. The magnets, bookmarks, and simple shapes are especially good for children. Supervise glue and small pieces.

Do I need to sew? No. Every project on this list can be made with glue only. Sewing is optional if you enjoy it. and have the patience for it.

Will the edges look messy? Felt doesn’t fray, so clean cuts look neat. Take your time with the scissors and you’ll be fine. And sharp scissors make a huge difference

Can I wash these? Most of them are spot-clean only, especially if you’ve used glue. Wool felt holds up better to gentle washing than cheap craft felt. If you hand stitch the pieces most items would be fine of a gentle cycle.

Final Thoughts

Felt is such a versatile material. Start with whatever scraps you already have and try one or two of these projects. They’re low-pressure, satisfying, and a great way to use up materials that would otherwise just be sitting in a drawer.

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Happy crafting!