Tutorial: Tree House Elf

 

Micah was given some wooden train cars by a relative who outgrew his trains.  Some of the train cars had small holes in them that were meant to be seats for tiny passengers.  I didn't have to tell Micah what they were.  He tried to shove a couple of wooden people into each of the seats.  Because their bodies did not fit they traveled upside down with their heads crammed into the seat.  Fun ride, I'm sure.

Micah asked me if we could make little people that fit in the train seats and so we did.  I thought these guys were so cute, I had to share.  

Materials:

*wooden beads of different shapes and sizes (about 12mm or 1/2 inch)

*black acrylic paint

*wool felt in assorted colors (at least 20% wool)

Tools:

* hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

*pin with medium size head

*needle nose pliers (optional)

Step 1

Glue two beads together using your hot glue gun.  These beads will make the body and head of your elf.

 Hint: The bead used for the body should be shaped in such a way that it can hold up the head and stand on its own. 

Step 2

Paint on two eyes by dipping the head of your pin into black paint and dotting once onto your elf's head for each eye.  Let the paint dry before moving onto step three.

Step 3

 

 

 

Glue on small squares of wool felt to the head of your elf using your hot glue gun.  Let this cool.

 

Hint: I have tried this with art felt and the results are just not the same.  I highly recommend using wool felt. 

 

 

Step 4

 

Carefully rip the wool felt squares (from step 3) off of the elf's head in an upward direction, away from the head.  You can use your finger nails to do this, but after repeating this process several times I found it almost necessary to use needle nose pliers. 

Repeat these steps, gluing and ripping, until the hair is to your desired thickness and shape. 

And you're done.

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Note: Perhaps this project could be done faster by using wool roving for the hair.  I didn't have any on hand and used felt instead.