It is all about the design process..

My new online course “The Art of Felting” is built on four main pillars of creating a wall hanging: inspiration, the design process, felting techniques & felting process, and the finishing touches & installation of your artwork.

The first step is always the inspiration. It is vital to find your main theme, focus point and the "meaning" behind your artwork. This narrows down the direction of your creative journey. You can read more about the importance of inspiration in my last blog post here.

The Design Process – where ideas begin to take shape

In the next stage of The Art of Felting, we explore one of my favourite parts of the creative journey — the design process. It’s the moment when an idea starts to take form, when colours, textures and emotions find their voice and place in the world.

This is often the most playful stage, because you can explore endless possibilities for your final design. This stage opens so many doors, but at the same time, it teaches you to close some doors as well to make sure that you end up with the best design idea for your inspiration.

What makes textile art different from painting or drawing is that you cannot easily make major changes once you begin the making process. To successfully create a wall hanging or tapestry, you need a clear plan. Yes, you can still play with details, materials and finishing touches, but the felting or weaving process is ultimately guided by your design decisions. Once you begin felting, for example, you cannot add new layers or make significant changes.

Of course, some artists prefer to begin creating something without a design. This approach requires strong intuition, quick decision-making and a willingness to follow wherever the process leads. It can be exciting and experimental, and sometimes this freedom results in fresh, unexpected ideas. But it can also be more time-consuming and can lead to mistakes — which is perfectly human.

While playful experimentation keeps our artistic soul alive, I always recommend trying this approach only when you have enough time, materials and energy to embrace the unpredictability.

"Design Process Exercise" helps you to make a finished design for your wall hanging. In this stage, you can slowly start thinking about the materials as well.

Why design matters

The design process is not only about the final piece — it’s about translating your inspirational ideas into something tangible. It helps you understand your vision, test possibilities and ensure that you are happy with all the key aspects of your artwork before you begin making.

Before any wool is laid out, this quiet thinking time helps transform inspiration into something deeply personal. This is the time to ask - what feeling do I want to express? What story am I telling through this piece?

Following a finished design supports intentional decision-making and builds confidence. It gives you a clear direction so you don’t constantly question your next steps during the making process.

One of the most often asked questions to me is how long time does it takes to create a wall hanging. And most people think about the felting process, not everything else happening before the felting.

The truth is, the felting part is probably the fastest step in this whole process of creating a wall hanging.

It is always quicker and easier to work with a strong theme and design for your work. This is the reason to take more time now to cover all the necessary steps and aspects to succeed.

How I guide students through this stage

In the course, I guide my students through an exercise that begins with gathering inspiration — photos, sketches, small samples — and ends with a clear visual plan for their felted wall hanging.

In this stage, my students follow a design exercise, where we explore composition, proportions, colour choices, details, format, size and different hanging options.

This system is something I’ve developed over many years as a textile artist, and it can be applied to any craft or art project — weaving, stitching, painting on silk and more.

At first, it may feel time-consuming, but the more thought you put into designing, the smoother and faster the making process becomes.

My students often discover that this step is far more essential than they expected. It opens up possibilities, prevents mistakes, and creates clarity and direction for their final piece. They also learn that one small adjustment in these aspects (composition, proportions, formats, etc) can completely change the mood, feel and impact of the artwork.

What I love most is watching how this process brings clarity. Often, students start with a vague idea, and by the end, they see a theme emerging — maybe a memory, a landscape, or a mood that wants to come alive through wool and felt.

Try it yourself

If you’d like to try this approach, choose one photo or idea that caught your eye recently.

Ask yourself: What drew me to it — the colour, the texture, the feeling? That’s the beginning of your design story.

Then ask: How can I play with this idea? Which composition, proportions, colours, details and formats work best for this particular idea? How would I finish and install it as a wall hanging?

Instead of simply copying the photo, you can transform it into a much more intentional artwork with the best composition, colours and size for your chosen space.

Start slowly and concentrate on a few aspects at a time, but try to choose the most important ones to focus on.

Join me in February

If you’re curious to explore the full design process step by step, this is one of the core lessons inside The Art of Felting — where we turn inspiration into beautiful felted wall hangings.

The next course begins in February 2026, and you'll have the opportunity to go through this entire creative process with me. If you’d like to save your spot, you can join the waiting list here.

I look forward to helping you transform your ideas into beautiful, professional textile artworks.

Happy designing,

Reena