The stories I had told had captivated them – and now they couldn’t get enough. The kids were begging me for their own peg doll Christmas elves and gnomes.
Wooden Peg Doll Gnomes and Christmas Elves
His eyes were big as saucers as we sat down in his bed and I continued with his good night story.
“The gnomes and Christmas elves had lived in the forest for hundreds of years. Every winter, right before the first snow fell, they did the same thing they had done the year before, and the year before that.”
“The gnomes and elves never changed their routine. This year was going to be JUST like last year. The gnomes and elves packed up their homes, their tiny little gnome and elf homes and prepared to move in with humans for the winter.”
“The gnomes and elves didn’t so much wait for an invitation from the humans. They invited themselves. Every year they moved to the same house, and if for some reason the family that lived in the house had moved, well then the elves moved WITH them. The elves grew rather attached to “their” families throughout the years, while the humans remained clueless…”
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Jansen and Jonah were both hanging on my every word. Their eyes filled with wonderment and magical thoughts of elves and winter.
Wooden peg doll #Gnomes and #ChristmasElves, fun and adorable #DIYproject and #craft. Click To TweetIt’s my hope, that our kids feel the magic and excitement of Christmas. In Denmark at Christmas time, it is said that little mischievous elves come out and play tricks on people. Much like the “Elf on the Shelf”, although the Danish elves aren’t quite as disciplined about daily mischief as the American ones – much to the parents’ relief.
I plan on using these adorable winter elves around the house, in addition to our Elf on the Shelf… simply because, there is no such thing as “too much magic” when it comes to childhood.
I had so much fun making the four elves. I encourage you to put your own touches on yours – perhaps even make them look like family members by changing their hair color and using different sizes. The possibilities are endless.
Materials Needed to Make Wooden Peg Doll Gnomes & Christmas Elves:
Peg dolls from Woodpeckers@ on Amazon
Acrylic craft paint (I prefer flat finish, not glossy finish for the peg dolls)
Scissors
Needle and thread
Step by Step Instructions on How to Make Wooden Peg Doll Gnomes & Christmas Elves:
Tip: I painted all four dolls at the same time, so they looked uniform and I didn’t have to keep cleaning paint brushes.
- Paint the face, about half of the head, light pink.
- Mix two colors to paint the hair.
- I used a light orange and a yellow for the blonde elves and two dark brown colors for the brunette elves.
- I put two drops of each color and didn’t mix them thoroughly, but rather made sure to get a mix of both colors on the paint brush. This gives texture and depth when you paint the hair.
- One girl has pig tails and the other an “Elsa” inspired braid. Have fun with the hair styles.
- Paint the top half the color of the shirt and the bottom half the color of the skirt/ pants.
- Once the paint has dried (which it does quickly), paint a belt around the torso.
- Using a toothpick, paint the eyes (black), cheeks (bright pink) and mouth (small red heart).
- Add buttons and smaller details on the clothes with either a toothpick or using the Sharpie oil paint pen.
- Hat: Fold a piece of felt in half, cut a cone-shape and sew it by hand along the edge.
- Use a contrasting thread color.
- Finding the right hat size is trial and error until you find the look you prefer.
- Scarf: Cut a 1/3” strip of felt. Adjust the length of the scarf and trim accordingly.
- Cut three fringes in each end of the scarf.
- Wrap the scarf around the elf’s neck and attach with a small dot of glue where the ends overlap.
I finished the kids’ story time with two attentive little boys glued to my side. They had more questions than I was willing to answer, simply because I wanted to leave some magic for them to discover as we enter elf-season.
Throughout my childhood, I looked forward to winter, simply so I could imagine the elves and their entertaining mischief.
This is the book that I read cover to cover every winter: “Gnomes Deluxe Collector’s Edition.”
I have SO much fun crafting with products from Woodpeckers®. Check out these projects – they are sure to inspire you!
Wooden Heart Wall Decorations for Every Season
- I have been very impressed with the wood products I have bought from Woodpeckers® through Amazon.
- Their products lend themselves perfectly to crafts and DIY projects.
- The wood shapes are uniform and without blemishes.
- Their customer service is wonderful with personal attention to each customer.
- They even send you an adorable ebook for inspiration when you purchase their peg dolls.
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