What should felting creators offer on Patreon?

Felting creators offer three categories of exclusive content that YouTube tutorials cannot efficiently carry: (1) Wet felting process documentation — shrinkage rate by fiber type and agitation method (merino shrinks more than corriedale from the same agitation; rolling on a ribbed mat produces different directional shrinkage than rubbing by hand; bubble wrap agitation produces a coarser, more open surface texture than smooth-mat rolling); fulling stage assessment (pre-felt is the stage where fibers have begun to interlock but the surface is still fuzzy and the piece will not hold its shape under pulling — tested by the pinch test: pick up a small area of the piece and release, if the fibers come away with the pinch, the piece is not yet past pre-felt; full felt is when the surface is smooth and the piece holds its shape without deformation); fiber documentation (micron count for merino — 17–19 micron merino shrinks more aggressively and produces a denser, smoother felt than 21–23 micron; fiber from the same supplier but different dye lots can felt at different rates due to variation in fiber treatment). (2) Nuno felting documentation — pre-shrinking the fabric base before applying wool (woven fabrics shrink when wet and in contact with agitation, and if the fabric pre-shrinks during the felting process after the wool has already begun to bond with it, the dimensional change is uneven and produces puckering or distortion that was not planned; pre-shrink by soaking the fabric in hot water and agitating it separately before the nuno felting session begins, then measuring the dimension change to know the true pre-felted fabric size); wool percentage to fabric documentation (the ratio of wool weight to fabric area determines how much the fabric draws up during felting — more wool produces more draw-up and a more textured, three-dimensional surface; less wool produces a lighter texture with less dimensional change; document the grams per square centimeter of wool applied and the resulting draw-up percentage); fabric base selection (loosely woven or open-weave fabrics — silk chiffon, gauze, muslin — accept wool fiber through the weave structure and produce good bonding; tightly woven fabrics produce surface-only bonding where the wool sits on top of the fabric rather than penetrating the weave, which is a fundamentally different result). (3) Needle felting technique documentation — barb gauge selection by application (36-gauge triangular needles are coarser and move significant amounts of fiber quickly, appropriate for initial placement and structural work but too aggressive for surface refinement; 38-gauge is the standard for most needle felting work — adequate fiber-moving capacity with enough control for mid-detail work; 40-gauge is appropriate for fine detail and surface blending; 42-gauge and finer are for portrait detail work and the finest color gradations); depth calibration (the needle should penetrate approximately 60–70% of the backing material depth — enough to engage the wool fiber and drive it into the backing, but not so deep that the needle tip strikes the table or foam pad and dulls prematurely or breaks); backing material selection (high-density foam — 2-pound density or higher — holds the work firmly and dulls needles more slowly than low-density foam; the foam surface should be replaced when it becomes significantly compressed, as loose foam allows needle deflection and reduces control).

How does the Apple Tax affect felting creator Patreons?

Felting creator iOS rates by platform: YouTube wet felting and needle felting tutorials, 55–65% iOS — process-heavy felting content draws both mobile discovery viewers and desktop active learners. Instagram felting and fiber art accounts: 70–80% iOS — finished felted pieces and process shots are visually compelling and mobile-primary. TikTok needle felting content: 75–85% iOS — satisfying needle felting transformation videos perform well on TikTok with above-average iOS viewership. A felting creator at $400/month with 60% iOS faces approximately $72/month ($864/year) in Apple fees beginning November 1, 2026. At $500/month with 65% iOS: approximately $97/month ($1,170/year). Enable Patreon's web-only billing toggle before October 31, 2026. Update Instagram bio, YouTube channel page, and TikTok bio links to point to the Patreon web URL rather than the iOS app link.

What wet felting documentation is most valuable on Patreon?

The most valuable wet felting documentation on Patreon is the shrinkage rate calibration data for the specific fiber and agitation method used in each session. Shrinkage rate varies significantly by fiber type: fine merino wool (17–19 micron) typically shrinks 30–40% in linear dimension during a standard felting session; medium merino (21–23 micron) shrinks somewhat less, typically 25–35%; corriedale (28–32 micron) shrinks less aggressively, typically 20–30%. These percentages also vary by agitation method: rubbing agitation with hands produces directional shrinkage (more in the direction of rubbing); rolling on a ribbed mat produces primarily lateral shrinkage with less longitudinal shrinkage; bubble wrap agitation produces more isotropic shrinkage with a coarser, more open surface texture. For documentation: record the fiber type and supplier, the micron count if known, the agitation method and duration at each stage, the starting dimensions, and the final dimensions, including both the overall shrinkage percentage and whether any directional difference was observed. A patron working with the same fiber from the same supplier under the same agitation conditions can use this data to calculate their layout size for a target finished size. Without this documentation, the patron must estimate layout size from a general shrinkage rule of thumb that may differ significantly from the actual rate for their specific fiber and method. The fulling stage assessment is the other high-value documentation area: the creator's written description of what the piece felt like (tactilely and visually) at the pre-felt stage, the early-felt stage, and the full-felt stage — with the pinch test result at each transition — gives patrons a calibrated vocabulary for assessing their own work's progress without the guesswork that 'felt until it is done' produces.

How should nuno felting creators document the fabric-to-wool ratio for Patreon patrons?

Nuno felting fabric-to-wool ratio documentation requires recording both the starting wool weight per fabric area and the resulting dimensional change (draw-up percentage) after the completed felting session, because the ratio and the draw-up together tell the patron what starting dimensions to use for a target finished size. Wool application documentation: record the wool weight in grams and the fabric area in square centimeters to produce a grams-per-square-centimeter figure. A light application of 0.5–1.0 g/cm² produces subtle texture and modest draw-up (15–25%); a medium application of 1.5–2.0 g/cm² produces significant texture and draw-up (25–40%); a heavy application of 2.5+ g/cm² produces dramatic three-dimensional texture and substantial draw-up (35–50% or more). The fabric weave structure interacts with the wool ratio: loosely woven silk chiffon with 0.8 g/cm² of fine merino produces a different draw-up than the same wool weight on tightly woven silk charmeuse, because the chiffon allows wool fiber to penetrate the weave while the charmeuse holds fiber at the surface only. Document the specific fabric type and weave structure alongside the wool weight and application density, so patrons can calibrate their own application for their specific fabric. Pre-shrinkage documentation: record the fabric's pre-felting dimensions (after pre-shrinking the fabric in hot water before the nuno felting session begins), the wool layout dimensions and weight, and the final post-felting dimensions. The difference between post-felting dimensions and pre-felted fabric dimensions gives the draw-up percentage attributable to the felting process and the wool application — which is the figure patrons need to plan their starting fabric size for a target finished garment or piece size.

Explainers · 2026-06-25 · ~1,200 words

Patreon for felting creators: tiers, wet felting documentation, needle felting technique, nuno felting mechanics, iOS rates, and the Apple Tax in 2026

Felting creator Patreons retain when they deliver the calibration data the tutorial cannot carry: the shrinkage rate by fiber type and agitation method that makes wet felting layout planning possible, the wool percentage to fabric documentation that makes nuno felting draw-up predictable, and the barb gauge and depth calibration that makes needle felting results controllable. The felting audience is Instagram and YouTube-primary with above-average iOS rates — Apple Tax exposure is significant beginning November 1, 2026.

Creator types and tier structure

Wet felting and sculptural felting creators

Tier structure: Felt Fan ($5–8/month, process posts, finished piece documentation with fiber and agitation notes, Discord), Shrinkage Notes ($12–20/month, monthly documentation post covering fiber type and source, micron count if available, agitation method and duration, starting dimensions, final dimensions, shrinkage percentage, and fulling stage observations), Workshop Access ($25–45/month, patron-exclusive extended documentation of a complete wet felting session including layout planning rationale, stage-by-stage assessment notes, and how the finished piece compared to the planned dimensions).

Wet felting documentation is valuable because shrinkage rate is not fixed — it varies by fiber type, fiber supplier, micron count, agitation method, temperature, and the creator's specific technique. A patron who relies on a general 30% shrinkage rule and uses a different fiber from a different supplier with a different agitation method may get 20% or 45% actual shrinkage. The creator's documented shrinkage data for specific fiber and method combinations is the calibration tool that makes layout planning accurate rather than approximate.

Nuno felting and wearable fiber artists

Tier structure: Nuno Access ($8–12/month, pattern releases and fabric selection guides for monthly nuno projects, Discord), Process Notes ($15–25/month, full documentation for each project covering fabric type and pre-shrinkage result, wool weight and application density per fabric area, agitation sequence, and final draw-up percentage), Critique ($30–50/month capped 6–8, monthly critique of patron nuno felting work with submission protocol covering fabric type, wool weight used, starting dimensions, and finished dimensions).

Nuno felting documentation at the wool-per-area and draw-up level is the highest-value exclusive for nuno educators, because the ratio and the fabric base together determine the dimensional change — and misjudging the draw-up is the primary reason patron nuno projects turn out too small or too short. A creator who consistently documents starting wool density and resulting draw-up for each fabric-fiber combination teaches patrons to predict and plan for their specific project rather than adjusting their approach by trial and error.

Needle felting and fiber art portrait creators

Tier structure: Pattern Access ($6–10/month, pattern templates and color guides for each monthly needle felting release, Discord), Technique Notes ($12–20/month, documentation covering wool roving selection by color blending character, barb gauge selection per detail level, depth calibration notes, backing material observations, and stage-by-stage photographs of each piece), Critique ($25–40/month capped 8–10, monthly critique of patron work with submission protocol covering needle gauge used, wool types, and the specific aspect of color blending or detail the patron is working to improve).

Needle felting barb gauge documentation matters because many patrons learn on a single gauge needle and apply it to all work, producing uneven results: 36-gauge on fine detail work is too aggressive and moves fiber past the target area; 42-gauge on initial fiber placement is too slow and does not build enough structural density. A creator who documents which gauge is appropriate for each phase of the work — initial placement and structure with 36, mid-detail shaping with 38, surface refinement and color blending with 40–42 — gives patrons a working protocol rather than a single-tool approach.

Apple Tax for felting creator audiences

Felting creator iOS rates: YouTube wet felting and needle felting tutorials, 55–65% iOS. Instagram fiber art and finished felting piece accounts: 70–80% iOS. TikTok needle felting transformation content: 75–85% iOS. A creator at $400/month with 60% iOS faces approximately $72/month ($864/year) beginning November 1, 2026. At $500/month with 65% iOS: approximately $97/month ($1,170/year).

Enable Patreon's web-only billing toggle before October 31, 2026. Update Instagram bio, YouTube channel page links, and TikTok bio to the Patreon web URL. Verify the complete subscription path from an iOS device before November 1 — patrons who subscribe via the Patreon website on an iPhone do not generate iOS-billed subscriptions.

KeepTier is a self-hosted membership page for creators who want 100% of their tier revenue and zero Apple tax. Plans start at $9/month.