Homemade cardboard elf

Whether you're continuing a family tradition or introducing a brand new one, add an extra sprinkle of cheer to your Christmas this year, and make your little ones their very own elf!

This craft is perfect for five to seven year olds to get involved with, it's cheap and oh-so easy to make.

Have you heard of The Elf On the Shelf? We've got plenty of genius places to hide your new elf

You will need

• 50mm Polystyrene ball
• Skewer
• Pink and white paint
• Blue, black and red fine nib marker pens
• Brown felt
• Scissors
• Glue
• Red and white self adhesive felt
• Pencil
• Ruler
• 8cm Cardboard tube
• Red pipe cleaners
• Stapler

How to make your cardboard elf

1. Place the polystyrene ball on a skewer, and paint with a coat of pink paint. Leave to dry. Next, paint two white eyes on the pink ball and leave to dry.

Then draw in the middle of the eyes with blue and black pens, and add some eyelashes and eyebrows, plus a red nose and mouth.

2. Cut out some brown felt ‘hair' and stick to the top of the head with glue.

3. For the hat, draw and cut a semi-circle of red self adhesive felt. Peel off the backing paper, then roll into a cone and stick to top of head. Draw and cut a band of white self adhesive felt and stick around the base of the hat.

4. Measure and cut the red pipe cleaners into two 10cm long arms & two 20cm long legs. Cut out some white felt ‘mittens' and stick to the ends of each arm.

5. Take the cardboard tube and staple the arms to the top, and legs to the bottom. Measure and cut a piece of red self adhesive felt to stick around the tube, covering the staples.

6. Draw and cut a zig-zag strip of white felt and stick around the collar.

7. Glue the elf's head to his body, and leave to dry.

Craft: By Suzie Attaway