As many people know, now and then Santa enlists the help of elves to make an extra-large delivery. It is not widely known, though, that elves hate getting their cute little outfits dirty swooshing down chimneys. And, unfortunately, doorknobs are just too darn high for them to reach - until now. Follow our directions, and, in a twinkle of St. Nick's eye, you and your kids can provide elves with an alternate means of access to your house or apartment.
Materials
- 14- by 26-inch piece of sturdy cardboard or Fome-Cor
- Gift wrap
- Tape
- Scissors
- 6- by 6-inch piece of cardboard
- 24 bumpy green pipe cleaners
- 1-inch-wide yellow ribbon (about 21 inches long)
- Small bell
- Tacky glue
- Juice bottle cap
- Cork
- Paper fastener
- 7- by 10-inch piece of cardboard
- Dark green washcloth or 12- by 12-inch piece of kitchen towel
- Small cloth poinsettia flower (optional)
- 3- by 7-inch card stock or poster board
- Marker
- Fun-Tak (reusable adhesive)
- Button (optional)
Instructions
16-inch piece of string (optional)
1. Cover the 14- by 26-inch cardboard with gift wrap, and tape it down in back.
2. Cut a wreath shape out of the 6- by 6-inch square of cardboard. Wrap pipe cleaners, saving one for the hanger, tightly around it to form a wreath.
3. Attach the ribbon by threading it through one of the pipe cleaners at the bottom of the wreath. Thread the bell onto the ribbon, knot the ribbon and then tie the ribbon into a bow.
4. Make the doorknob by gluing the small plastic cap to the bottom of the cork. Glue the cork to the right side of the door.
5. Create a "nail" out of a paper fastener by pushing it through the door at the point where you want to hang the wreath. Secure by opening the fastener wings against the back of the door. Make a loop out of a small piece of pipe cleaner and attach it to the back of the wreath. Hang the wreath on the fastener.
6. To make the doormat, cover the 7- by 10-inch cardboard with a washcloth or part of a towel and glue or tape the ends down in back. We also glued a small cloth flower in one corner for decoration.
7. With the card stock and marker, make an Elves Only sign to hang above door. (Careful with the spelling. If it reads, "Elvis," we cannot guarantee the results.)
8. Attach the door to the wall and the mat to the floor with removable Fun-Tak. We also used Fun-Tak to stick a button to the wall above the door. Then we taped a string to the back of the sign and hung it up on the button. If you prefer, simply Fun-Tak the sign to the wall.
Crafts
