On Making a Vintage Look-Alike Elf Decoration

Among my favorite decorations that belonged to my grandma is this Santa and last year I got to thinking how easy it'd be to make an elf to go with him, which inspired this tutorial.

To make your elf you will need:

• A large satin ball ornament (remove the string ahead of time)
• A smaller sized ball ornament
• White and black paint
• A piece of cardboard (a little wider than your ornament)
• A black, a white, and a green pipe cleaner (or one matching whatever color ball you are using)
• Black ribbon or bias tape
• Gold paper (I used the inside of an envelope flap)
• A small piece of felt
• A glue gun

Optional 

• Glitter
• A small pom pom
• Sequins
• A small bottlebrush tree

Instructions

1. Cut the black pipe cleaner in half and shape into feet as pictured below. Make sure you have the loop at the center!

2. Cut a circle out of the cardboard piece that is large enough to fit the feet (I used a peanut butter jar lid). Paint it white and while it's still wet sprinkle it with glitter.

 3. While the base is drying, take the loop in feet piece and using the hot glue attach it over what is normally the top of the ornament. 

4. Take ribbon and wrap around the circumference of ornament to make the belt. Trim edges if they overlap.

5. Cut a square of gold paper that matches the width of the ribbon for the buckle and glue at center (great way to cover the open edges!).

6. Once base is dry, glue the ornament, making sure to get glue on the feet too, to the base. 

7. Glue smaller ornament to top for the head.

8. Form arms of the desired length from your colored pipe cleaner (I recommend folding them over) and glue to sides.

9. Cut out piece of felt to roll into hat, gluing it along the back. Glue to head and then glue pompom to top.

10. Glue white pipe cleaner around base of hat for trim.  

11. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the neck for a scarf, twisting it to keep it in place.

12. Paint on a face and decorate by adding sequin buttons, a small tree, or anything else you can think of!  

If you like this tutorial, here are other past Christmas Tutorials:

  On Making a Vintage Look-Alike Snowman Ornament

  On Fun Ideas For Making Christmas Cards

  On Making a Vintage Fabric Scrap Christmas Tree Ornament

  On Making a Vintage Fabric Scrap Lollipop Ornaments

  On Making Pom-Pom Reindeer and Polar Bear Ornaments

🎄♥🎄