How to… make Christmas Elves (from Pine Cones or Gumnuts)
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I love Autumn and I love Christmas! And I love that the two come together… Today I have our “Christmas Elf Babies” – some from Australia and some from our local park. I know we still in October, but I collected some gumnuts from Australia MONTHS ago and recently my son found some mini pine cones in our local park. And I knew a craft I had to make. Some of you may have seen the gumnut octopuses and although I made those in honour of my Australian friends… I did want today’s craft to be for everyone. So you get to choose: Christmas Ornamental Elf Babies made from gumnuts or pine cones!
Materials: A wooden bead, a gumnut/ mini pine cone, felt scraps, ribbon scraps, hot glue gun or wood glue, brush & paint
If you are using wood glue.. there is a certain amount of “sitting there and holding the bits until dries” to do.. that is what is so amazing about hot glue guns – everything sets so quickly!
1) Cut a triangle of felt and a felt flower (easiest way, is to cut a circle, then nip it 8 times & round the “nipped parts into petals”)
2) Cut a length of ribbon, a little hole in the two pieces of felt – in triangle – cut the hole close ish to the long side of the trianle, in the circle, cut it at the centre. Thread and tie a knot. Then using a hot glue gun, glue the triangle on, the bead to the flower the flower to the gum nut. Add a little extra glue to help the petals face down a little. Add a ribbon around the centre of the gumnut.
3) Paint on eyes and mouth. Don’t use a pen, as the ink will run into the grain of the wooden bead. A biro MAY work.. test first!
4) Make lots of elf babies. These are our Australian elf babies.
5) For the pine cone elf babies, do exactly the same, just use a mini pine cone. I flatened it a bit frist to help the bead nestle nicely.
It was my first go with the hot glue gun.. so you can see the glue a little.. but all in all I am in love with my new babies!
Here is last year’s Christmas Felt Ornament if you fancy more ideas:
And click here for lots more Christmas craft ideas for young and old, for baking, for decorating, for sending and for giving.
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Love all the gumnuts that are creeping in! Fantastic!
Love it, they are truly fabulous, I’m definitely going to try these with all the for cones I’ve collected this autumn.
We love gumnuts too
and we have SO many pine cones in our house…..
They are beautiful!! You are so clever Maggy!
Oh you are sweet Emma.. they are very simple to make……
They do look simple to make and aren’t they just charming?
Wow! They look so wonderful! Perfect to hang on the Christmas tree
Love them!
Those are so precious!
Ah! These are very cute indeed! Looks like a What?Wednesday idea to me… right I’m off to find pinecones!
Thank you for inspiring me yet again!!!!
You know… I was thinking the same Annie….
all these comments saying simple!
I look at them and think never in a million years, followed by, how much shall I offer the lovely Maggie to make them for me because I really want some!!!
Jane x
They are so cute!
Thank you very much for the tutorial.:)
These are adorable, thank you! Might have to sneak a few on the Christmas Tree too.
p.s glue gun love
Aaah lovely and yes, we love glue guns!!!
These are so adorable. They would make great present toppers and would look adorable hanging off a bag too. I’d love for you to share these at my linky party if you have a chance. http://www.momontimeout.com/2011/10/taking-timeout-thursday-link-party-no-1.html
Done!
These are just adorable! Wish we had some gum nuts around here! thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!
Making me wish for some gum nuts
Thank you so much for sharing at Taking A Timeout Thursday!
- Trish @ Mom On Timeout
Super cute!
These are amazing! Love them!! Thank you for linking up!
They are gorgeous!! Can I use them as a Thrifty Christmas guest post? x
Ooh yes please!
These are DARLING! I’m linking to these in a Christmas Elf Crafts post in my Christmas Book Countdown series.
Aaah thank you!!
Just love these, so cute!! Do you have any idea where I can get gumnuts in the UK?
Argh, I confess, no you can’t get them here.. partly why I made the small “pinecone” versions ones too. I totally agree that the gumnut ones are 100% cute. I brought the gumnuts back from a holiday! Sorry!
Hi there,
Please could you email me about an online magazine feature that I would like you to be part of. We think this project is absolutely wonderful!
Many thanks!
Rae x
Have emailed!