Elves on Shelves



Meet Edna. Edna Elfling.
She was made with a wooden head glued atop a
wine cork body that says
"I'll dance with you 'till the cows come home",
so I left the front of her coffee filter gown open.

When I was a kid, you could always find a set of little elves at Grandmama's, tucked in here and there around the house. They were inexpensive little items sold at the local five and dime. Martha Stewart's Christmas issue had an article on them this year.

I never bought any of them for myself. I just wasn't impressed. But now I wish I had bought a few. They were actually quite charming. Made in Germany and later, Japan, they were inexpensive and easily collected.


 

Close-up of Edna's painted face

Now I'd like to introduce my own little creations, Edna, Ernest and of course, Santa Elf. A single red napkin was used in the creation of the elve's hats, clothes and other accessories.  Pipe cleaners covered in some of the coffee filter or napkin make great arms. Their feet were made from leftover heavy paper from the packages, cut in shape, and then covered with glue and more napkin. A string of pearls around her neck and a single pearl atop atop each shoe completes Edna's outfit.

Basic instructions:

1. Paint the head and body a base color. I used a soft off-white.

2. Paint on the face. Thin the cheek paint down to watercolor consistancy. Leave room above the eyebrows for hair to be glued on.

3. You can use tiny wiggle eyes for eyes, if you'd like (see the Santa).

4. Using a thick Tacky Glue, glue on the necklace, securing it in the back with a tiny strip of coffee filter or whatever matches the clothing you're going to make (Edna's was later covered with cotton hair).

5. Cover arms (wire, twigs, pipe cleaners, etc.) with whatever you are using for the jacket or top. Or you can just leave pipe cleaners or twigs uncovered. 

6. Attach arms. I wrapped pipe cleaners around the body and glued.

7. Cut cloth, coffee filters, napkins or paper and glue onto the body at this point.

8. Make a double foot shape and cover to match the clothes, or paint.

9. Sign it so your family and friends will know it is handmade, and glue to the base.

Elves on Shelves:
Ernest and Santa carry little trees decorated with tiny seed beads.
Santa is made of a wooden ball on top of a gold painted pinecone.
Ernest's pants and buttons were painted right on his combination wooden head/body.
Hair is cotton. Hat trim is cotton batting.

You can put just about anything on your tiny little friends.
Recycled wine corks, small pine cones or large bells make good bodies for round wooden heads.
You can also find one-piece heads and bodies like the ones in the photo on the right.
This is a great time to recycle coffee filters, cloth,
old Christmas cards (cut out faces or small figures),
bottle caps (for hats), old charms and broken toys, jewelry or ornaments.
You can make your own accordions by folding gum or
candy wrapers together and gluing heavy paper on each end.



Look who's editing this post as we speak!

The elves want you to know that they are very simple to make. They want to be a part of your Christmas tradition, too. Have fun!

I hope to make some paper mache mushrooms and a little cardboard cottage for them to play around. If I get them done, I'll be sure to photograph as I go, and post it on Tarpaper Submarine in a few days!