Sooner or later, though, we hope you'll treat yourself to a stack of plant-dyed wool felt. It's a wonderful material: soft and woolly in your fingers, and a bit thicker and stiffer than acrylic felt. The colors, from flowers, leaves, and barks, seem as effortlessly color-coordinated as the natural world.

Through catalogs, wool felt runs from about $3 to $4 for one small (about 8-inch-square) sheet. Packs of assorted colors are also available, and although the price may seem high, one pack is enough to make many small projects. If you have a Waldorf School store near you, it may sell wool stacks. Wool felt and, in some cases, feltwork books are also available from the catalog and Web sources below. Ask for plant-dyed felt that's at least 50 percent wool.

Creative Hands: (888) 889-4409
Earthsong Fibers: (800) 473-5350 or www.earthsongfibers.com
A Child's Dream Come True: (800) 359-2906 or www.achildsdream.com
Home Again: (888) 666-0721 or www.home-again.com