Mischievous Elf

Make a cute little bookshelf elf.

Level: Easy

Time involved: Half to one hour

Materials:

• Four green chenille pipe cleaners
• Two 1 x 1 inch wood flower pots
• One bead head
• Eight 1/2 x 1/2 inch wooden spools
• Eight green wooden beads

1. Form a loop at the top of two pipe cleaners by twisting the ends together. Thread the pipe cleaners with the loop on top through the bottom of one wooden flowerpot and then through the bead head. The wooden pot will form a hat on the head. Thread a green bead onto the pipe cleaners to form a neck.

2. Twist a second pipe cleaner around the two pipe cleaners below the bead to form two arms. Thread a small spool, a bead, and another small spool onto each arm. Twist the remainder of the pipe cleaner to form hands that will hold the spools and beads in place.

3. Thread the two pipe-cleaner legs through a wooden pot that is upside down to form the body. Thread a large wooden bead onto the pipe cleaners to sit inside the pot. Separate the pipe cleaner legs and thread a bead, a small spool, another bead, and another small spool onto the individual pipe cleaners to form the legs. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaners into a boot shape as shown.

4. Form another green pipe cleaner into a four-leaf clover with a 3-inch stem. Thread the stem into the spool at the end of one of the arms to make the leprechaun hold the shamrock.

5. Have a contest with your kids to come up with the perfect name for your elf. You might want to hide him and award a prize to the child who finds him.