Wrap it Up

By: Debra Quartermain for Styrofoam Brand Foam

The gleeful gift wrap elf is a great way to decorate any gift and bring some fun to it.

Materials:

STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:
- Balls: one 2"; two 1-1/2"
- Block, scrap
- Cubes, three 3"
- Eggs: 3"; 2-1/2"
Wool roving: natural; green; pink; dark red
Flannel fabrics: green dot; green stripe; blue dot
White faux fur trim, 3/4" x 1/6 yd.
Holiday-print ribbon, 1-1/2" x 2 yds.
Pink pom pom, 2"
White snowflake brads, two
White jingle bells, 1/2", two
Wooden dowel, 1/4"
Serrated knife
Candle stub or paraffin
Pencil
Ruler
Wooden toothpicks
Cotton balls, two
Scissors
Felting needle
Extra-long sewing needle and green thread
Craft knife or small handsaw
Fabric glue

Steps:

Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut thin slice from narrow end of large foam egg for body. Cut thin slice from one side of 2" foam ball for head. Cut small foam egg in half, then in half again for feet. Cut one foam cube in half. Gently flatten 1-1/2" foam balls against work surface for mittens.
Loosely wrap feet and mitten foam pieces with green wool roving. Follow manufacturer's instructions to needlefelt wool to foam surface.
Wrap body with pink wool and needlefelt. Note: If any areas of foam are thin, add more wool. Wrap head with natural wool and needlefelt.
Cut 3-1/2" x 9" green dot fabric piece for arms and 5" x 8" green dot piece for hat. Cut two 2" x 4" green stripe fabric pieces for legs.
Fold hat in half, right sides together, and glue seam. Tie one end shut with thread and turn hat right side out. Gently stuff hat with cotton balls and place on head; do not glue hat yet.
Use pencil to lightly draw smile. Remove hat. Pull thin strip of pink roving and needlefelt smile to face. Needlefelt red nose centered above smile. Glue hat onto head. Glue fur trim around bottom of hat; trim excess. Glue pom pom to tip of hat.
Fold under 1/2" on each short end of arm fabric; glue seam. Overlap long edges and glue seam. Tie thread around center and glue mittens into open ends of arms.
Glue and insert toothpick halfway into bottom of head; glue head to body. Glue arms center to back of body. Glue and insert snowflake brads into front of body.
Cut two 4" dowel lengths and wrap with striped fabric pieces cut in Step 4; glue seams. Glue and insert dowel ends 1/2" into top of feet. Glue bells to tips of feet. Glue and insert legs into bottom of body, being sure elf stands up straight.
Glue one half of foam cube cut in Step 1 to one end of one remaining foam cube, creating a 3" x 3" x 4-1/2" present; let dry. Wrap big gift and remaining cube with different fabrics. Glue ribbons horizontally around packages. Glue packages together.
Glue and insert toothpicks 1/2" into bottom of feet. Place elf on top of upper package; do not glue elf to make storage easier. Glue ribbon loosely draped into mittens; run one end down through horizontal ribbons to bottom. Trim excess ribbon.