Sometimes I can find the costume pieces I need for my puppets in the toddler section of my local stores. All too often, I need something that doesn't look like it was made for a little kid.
I was looking for information on making felt hats, and ran into this website. I've already learned about more than I can apply in a year

.
http://www.costumes.org/Advice/costcraftsmanual/costpropsindex.htm(I found what I wanted for making felt hats, too!)