It Fabric: Felt!

Remember using felt in grade school craft projects? Well, felt is all grown up and it's making a comeback in home decor. We're seeing it emerge in placemats, rugs, art, and other accessories. Smaller companies and designers, including Etcetera Media, FilzFelt, Lene Frantzen, and FUZ are utilizing felt to create innovative products and unique home decor that is easy on your budget and the earth. So why is felt suddenly so popular?

I asked FilzFelt co-owner Traci Roloff. "Wool felt has been around forever," says Traci, "however designers are doing new and fresh things with it now. It's eco-friendly, recyclable and renewable plus its texture and vibrant colors make it modern, inherently beautiful and give it a permanence that we're attracted to." Chris Grimley of Etcetera Media agrees. "Felt, for us, is pliable and structural. Being monolithic, it is easily cut to precision and does not deteriorate," he says.

It also costs less to make than other fabrics, and the savings are transferred to folks like me and you. In the current economy, we expect to see more felt products popping up and being snapped up!

Quick Tip: You can use leftovers from your kids' craft projects to make some quick-and-easy square coasters!