One of the most basic and essential raw materials used in making Channapatna toys is wood. The artisan requires a special kind of wood to make these toys. The wood used in this craft should be light in weight, closely grained and easy to work with. A particular kind of tree called Alamara, which is naturally found in abundance in this geographical area, is used for making toys. The wood from this tree is suitable for toy making as it is easy to cut, process and finish. Apart from wood the artisan also use lacquer of different colorsto paint the toys.