Discover the easy craft of needle felting and make kawaii-style gifts in this beginner's guide. With step-by-step instructions, readers will be able to make 20 cute lucky charms from around the world, from the Swedish Dala Horse to the Japanese Maneki-neko Cat, to the Irish Shamrock and more, all designed to bring good luck to the recipient.

Dear Reader, You can’t begin to imagine how happy it makes me to be writing these lines, the culmination of a love affair with a material and a technique whose origins are lost in history. I discovered them quite by chance a few years ago and they have profoundly transformed my creativity. However, it is also the fruit of a great deal of perseverance in terms of sharing my enthusiasm and passing on my deep conviction that wool – in carded form – is, and must be, one of the materials of the future in creative hobby crafts. In the step-by-step projects and tips that follow, I hope to help you discover just how much this soft, comforting material can be used to bring the fruits of imagination to life, as long as you understand the mechanical process of felting and grasp the limited range of techniques required to master it. I chose the theme of good-luck charms and talismans because I know that people often want to make a small gift for someone they love, but lack the time or budget to embark on something more complicated. It is a universal subject that takes you across the world, and says so much about our humanity and its thirst for happiness, even in these troubled times. This book contains some quick and easy projects, suitable even for absolute beginners. However, there are also some more elaborate options, because if there is one thing I know for sure, it is that very soon, just like me, you won’t be able to put your felting needles down again! Several artists and creators that I admire have kindly offered me one of their lucky-charm or talisman designs to bring to life in 3D. I am infinitely grateful to them. Who could resist anything so cute? I hope you enjoy making these talismans as much as I have enjoyed creating them for you. Now, needles at the ready!