Borbala Arvai

Borbala is a visual artist/performer who has worked in several mediums and many theatrical projects over the years. Here she will be sharing her passion for needle felting. She fell in love with this art form in 2007. Since then she has created many unique wool art dolls and figures with this technique, combining natural fibers with recycled material or found objects in nature, such as pinecones, acorns, or seaweed.

She opened her Etsy store “BoriDolls Creations” in 2009, where she offers custom soft sculptures, felted toys (including dolls, animals and imaginary creatures), jewelry, art cards, and children’s books.

She received her MA in Visual Communication/Graphic Design from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest, Hungary in 2000. Before she discovered needle felting, she worked as a freelance graphic designer, dancer/performer in theater groups and as a makeup artist for film and television.

Borbala was born in Hungary but currently lives in Ojai, CA with her family.

Workshops & Presentations

  • Needle Felted Leaf Necklace and Patch Workshop

    75 min | Altar of Earth

    "The leaf is the symbol of the Earth Realm. Leaf is a firm guardian for health and wellness, for supporting sustainable, organic, local food systems, for healthy expressions of play, and for teaching ways of regenerative living"

    In the Leaf Felting Workshop Borbala will provide different colored and shaped felt leaves and a large variety of wool colors. She will be sharing the basics of needle felting and how to add colors to the flat surface with the felting needle, so you can create your own unique felted leaf. When finished, the leaf can be adorned with beads and worn as a necklace or used as a patch. The workshop is for ages 8 and up. All materials and supplies will be provided.

  • Needle Felted Magic Mushroom Workshop

    60 min | Dome of the Space Wanderer

    "There is a world beyond ours, a world that is far away, nearby, and invisible. And there is where God lives, where the dead live, the spirits and the saints, a world where everything has already happened and everything is known. That world talks. The sacred mushroom takes me by the hand and brings me to the world where everything is known. It is they, the sacred mushrooms, that speak in a way I can understand... " Mazatec shaman

    In the Needle Felted Magic Mushroom Workshop Borbala will be sharing the basics of needle felting, how to use the different kind of wools and how to create your own magic mushroom with vibrant colors. You will also learn how to attach hemp cord and wooden beads and create a necklace. The workshop is recommended for ages 8 and up. All materials and supplies will be provided.