christmas grass head elf

Try growing some of your Christmas decorations one year by using a little grass seed to give this cute elf some festive green hair. If you want to create a whole family of Santa’s little helpers, just cut some other tubes slightly smaller to make junior elves.

You will need

• ✿ scissors
• ✿ green, red, black, and white paper
• ✿ toilet roll inner tube
• ✿ glue stick
• ✿ black pen

• 

• ✿ green card
• ✿ sticky tape
• ✿ small red pompom
• ✿ white (PVA) glue
• ✿ absorbent cotton (cotton wool)
• ✿ small round yogurt pot (to fit in the top of the toilet roll tube)
• ✿ grass seed

Step 1

Cut out a piece of the green paper so that it is the same height as the toilet roll inner tube and wide enough to wrap around it. Glue the piece of paper to the tube using the glue stick.

Step 2

To make the elf’s smart pants, cut out a piece of the red paper so that it is half the height of the inner tube. Glue the red pants to the tube with the glue stick. Cut out a strip of black paper to make the belt and glue this around the elf’s tummy where the pieces of red and green paper join.

Step 3

Using the template, cut out the elf’s arms from the green paper and two gloves from the red paper to keep your elf’s hands warm. Use the glue stick to fix the gloves to the elf’s hands.

Step 4

Attach the arms to the tube with the glue stick. Use the black pen to draw on some buttons and to add a line to form the elf’s pants.

Step 5

Using the template, cut out the shape of the elf’s face from the white paper and carefully draw on his features with the black pen. When you are happy with the elf’s face, put a little glue on the back and stick it carefully to the tube.

Step 6

Using the template, cut out the elf’s feet from the green card, fold the template so that the elf’s feet will sit flat, and then stick the top section to the inside of the tube using the sticky tape.

Step 7

You will want your Christmas elf to look as smart as possible, so give him a decorative belt buckle by sticking on the red pompom with the white (PVA) glue.

Step 8

Put some absorbent cotton (cotton wool) in the yogurt pot until it nearly reaches the rim, firming it down as you go, and then dampen it with some water.

Step 9

Carefully sprinkle some grass seed over the top of the absorbent cotton (cotton wool) . You only need to add enough to cover the surface.

Step 10

Slide the yogurt pot into the top of the tube and leave your elf on a sunny windowsill. Make sure the absorbent cotton (cotton wool) stays damp and the green hair will begin to grow in a few days.

Try this... You could use other small seeds, such as mustard or cress, to make different hairstyles for your little elves.