Flashback Friday: Making Your Elf Positionable

Hello There!

Today's Flashback Friday features a post that has gotten a ton of attention over the past couple of weeks. It was recently featured on two different websites, so I thought it was worth reposting! Our Elf has held up beautifully, and is working hard away this holiday season.

Making Your Elf On The Shelf Positionable

Hello!

Holidays came a bit early this year in our house due to some unusual circumstances with my husband being in vet school. We put the Christmas lights up outside last weekend when it was 50 degrees out (thankful we did it then, this weekend it's in the single digits!)

That means that when we pulled out the Christmas stuff, we also pulled out the Elf on the Shelf a bit early. Last year our daughter understood the "hide and seek" part but didn't really get the rest of the tradition. This year with a couple of days of reading the book, our daughter was pretty excited to see what her Elf would do.

I quickly found out, as many people have, that out of the box, your elf isn't going to be positionable. This is news to people new to the Elf that see all the crazy stuff that people have done with their elves.

You can make your elf positionable with just a dollar and a needle and thread. I also made some accessories with some material I had sitting around.

Materials:

Wire (I found mine in the arts and craft section of Wal-Mart...think the section with paint, styrofoam balls, project kits) $1.00

Scissors

Needles

Red Thread

Of course, a elf!

Directions:

1. Cut a small slit right at the wrists, top of the back of the thighs (I also put one in the main body, but I don't think you notice that). Make sure you put it on the back of the limbs so they aren't as noticeable.

2. Measure the wire to be a bit smaller than the section you're putting the wire in and cut (any set of sharp scissors will cut this type of wire)

3. Slip the wire in. Take care to go around the paper stuffing. You can do this by pushing it right up against the side of the fabric. Make sure you don't push the wire through the fabric.

4. Sew up the slit by hand with some red thread.

So far, I have made a skirt with some felt fabric and thread, ear muffs (some spare fur from a stocking, spare wire and hot glue) and hand warmer (also spare fur and hot glue).

Our elf has only been around for a couple of days, but so far has left a letter for our daughter, gotten dressed up with our daughter's hair things, sat in the fridge, listened to music with ear buds, told secrets with Goofy and had a camping trip with Barbie.

Sometimes you need a little help with super clear tape.

 

Show & Tell: Rustic Nativity Scene

Good Morning!


I first have to apologize. The posts are going to be Christmas heavy for a while because I went on a project blitz over Thanksgiving break. I think one of the worst parts about moving is trying to figure out what goes where and that's doubly true for Christmas decorating. Last year I finished in one day because I already had a place for everything and nails to match. Now, I'm still moving things around. I also didn't have much in the way of outside decorations. What I did have looked so small on our acreage.

I found a inspiration picture from Pinterest (Click here for the pin). It was a rustic nativity scene on pallet wood. I checked out Jodi Marie Pallet Designs. Etsy shop (Click here for her adorable shop) the pin is from since she is very reasonably priced (and her stuff is super cute!), but didn't find the nativity scene. Other neat stuff, but no nativity scene.

I decided to make my own. I didn't use rustic pallet wood since it's harder to find. I picked up some pre-cut cheap pine from Lowe's. The pre-cut section is my favorite part of Lowes, because I can put it in my car to haul home much easier. I happen to have navy blue paint out from a different project, so I used that as my backdrop. I first penciled the design on the wood free hand and then painted it in like it was a paint by numbers with some acrylic paint. I put a clear coat on top, but didn't make it too thick. I want the design to weather through the seasons.

I'm pretty happy with my little project. The entire thing took an evening and about $6.00, and now I have a fun addition to my front porch.

DIY Sunday: Real {Fake} Garland

Good Afternoon!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We were quite busy between my husband working/taking call and all the Christmas decorating. My husband is very strict no pre-Thanksgiving Christmas decorating. So, the day after Thankgiving is spent decorating and listening to Christmas music, not Christmas shopping. In fact, I haven't gotten anything bought in way of presents. I've made a handful of items and bought maybe 1 or 2 things. I'll have to get busy in the next couple of weeks with the items I'm making, and the few I'll be purchasing!

One thing I love about Christmas decorating is using natural elements. I love the smell of fresh cut pine; however, a real tree isn't practical right now with two dogs and two kids. But, most of all, I love real garland. Anytime I'm playing around on Pinterest, there is always a beautiful banister or entry that catches my attention, and it always features real garland. Real garland is outside of our budget, and realistically it makes more sense to have artificial so I can continue to use it year after year. So it was time for a little DIY!

This year I was looking at our pre-lit garland (which was sad and fake and only $5.00 after Christmas) and decided I needed to do something to jazz it up. After some searching on Pinterest, I found out places that sell real trees often have a pile of clippings that are free for the taking. There was some very convincing pictures of how much difference it makes to add some real cut needles to a fake garland. Free & Easy?! Sold.

I was at Lowe's buying tile for my back splash and decided to pop over to their Christmas tree shop. I asked the helpful employee about the magical tree clippings location, and she pointed me to a wagon full of branches. I took as much as I could carry while still looking like a sane person and was on my way.

I hung my fake garland on my door and banister. It was wimpy. I grabbed my floral wire, fresh clippings, and some ornaments and went to work. Now I already had the wire since I use it a ton during Christmas time. I had some of the ornaments (Also cheap after Christmas). I did buy some fake berries for $3.00 at Lowe's. I went with two different looks. Inside my house, I decided years ago to stick with traditional red and gold with a rustic feel.

The outside I decided to try something new using my husband's prized pheasant feathers. I decided a couple of years ago that if my husband was going to hunt every weekend, I may as well get something out of it. He had been saving the tail feathers ever since. Those pheasant feathers were added to the garland along with some chocolate brown and gold ornaments.

I'm very happy with the results. I have some left over clippings that I put in a old milk carton I already had with some Christmas lights to complete my look. What do you think? Not too bad for only a couple of dollars and an hour of work!

 

My new Nativity scene. More details to come on that later!