Our elf has started making a Christmas mat. He is weaving paper instead of wool, which is probably easier with those little mitten hands! 🧶
Green strips pass over and under the red base to make a cheerful checkerboard pattern. A few spare strips show that he has left some of the work for the morning.
This easy elf idea introduces a familiar paper craft with a festive colour choice. The finished mat can sit under a toy cup, become a decoration or go into a homemade card.
What you’ll need:
- One official Elf on the Shelf doll (paid link)
- Red and green sheets from an assorted craft-paper pack (paid link)
- Scissors
- A little craft glue
- A closed book to support your elf
- Paper for the weaving note
- Optional small toy cup for the finished mat
Setup:
Fold the red paper in half and cut parallel slits from the fold, stopping before the outer edge so the sheet stays connected. Unfold it, then cut green paper into strips about the same width as the red sections. Weave one green strip over and under the red sections, then start the next strip the opposite way to build the alternating pattern. Keep the strips close together and use a little glue at the outer edges when the mat is finished. For the elf scene, leave one strip partly threaded and a few spare strips beside the work. Sit your elf against the closed book and add “Weaving a Christmas mat” on the note. Finish the remaining weaving together in the morning.
Make it cheaply:
Use any two colours of scrap paper, or colour plain paper with red and green pencils before cutting it. An old magazine gives a patchwork version of the same craft. You do not need a weaving kit, yarn or a loom. Make the strips wider for a simpler first mat, with fewer pieces for little hands to thread.
Try the paper snowflake class or the cardboard shoelace club for another elf scene.
