A Troupe of Elves

This is a blog post I've been waiting over six months to write. W-A-Y back in May of last year, I made 20 of these 3 inch elf ornaments. They have an armature of chenille stems (colored pipe cleaners) and a wooden ball for a head. Their hats, Onesies and collars made of craft felt. They have colorful pony beads for hands and feet. And a pompom at the tip of the hat. Their clothes were sewn directly onto their bodies. Their heads, hats, hands, and feet were glued in place.

I made a dozen or so of these elves back in 2000 and our family's had decades of fun posing them on the Christmas tree each year. Now that all our daughters are making their own lives and decorating their own homes, I thought it fitting that they each have their own set of elves and a spider to continue the mischief on their Christmas trees. (Plus I made a new set of five elves for my tree while I was at it).

These elves are always mischievous. Sometimes they ride the spiders or use the spiders' heads as soccer balls. Other times, they like to hang upside down from the branches.

or do yoga poses.

They never get tired of chasing each other.

Now and again, you'll find them in a story circle, giggling as they tell tales of Santa and life at the North Pole.

It was a hard secret for me to keep for months on end. But I'm glad I did. All three of our daughters got a kick out of finding their new little buddies on Christmas morning.