Christmas Display!

At school I created Santa's Workshop in our display table.  I like to try and bring in a little bit of magic and wonder for the children, and I often see them sitting there looking at the elves, talking about it with their friends, or trying to find their names on Santa's Good List.

All the elves were made using my favourite book, Forest Fairy Crafts. Do visit the website and check out the book, it is amazing, the instructions are clear, patterns are included and teaches both adults and children how to make these wonderful little elves and Christmas fairies, as well as others such as leprechauns, angels, witches, wizards, mermaids, and flower fairies.

The 'Toy Maker', the 'Jewellery Maker', and the fixer of 'Broken Toys'.

Signs were written on a piece of white card and affixed to a small wooden block using blu-tac. I drew around the edge of each sign with a red marker pen.  I tried to find little things that might be used such as a tiny sewing set, a spool of cotton, some random beads, and a few little toys.

The tables are made using a small wooden block and held up with miniature wooden spools.

The Lists

Santa's Good List and Naughty List are up on the wall.  I used sheets of scrapbooking paper to decorate the walls.  

Every child on the class is on the good list... but not all of them have a tick next to them to show they have been checked twice!

On the Naughty List is: Donald; Hillary; The Big Bad Wolf; The Witch; Goldilocks; and Maui.

The Mailing Station

The Mailbox was made from an empty toothpaste box, cut to size, taped shut and covered in white paper. I used red and black marker pens to add the detail.  

I cut a slit at the bottom and pushed a small block through, which enables it to stand up.

I made tiny envelopes out of paper, and wrote tiny notes to Santa, saying things such as: 

"Dear Santa, can I please have a hors"

"For Christmas I want lollies"

"Dear Santa I would lik a Barbie."

"Dear Santa. Mummy says I've been naughty but I've been really really good.  I only pulled my sisters hair because she was mean to me.  I didn't say bad words, Jack said it first.  I didnt push my sister off her bike she just fell off all by herself. I made my bed today.  Mummy got angry because I weed in it.  And my bed was still wet.  Can I please have a new bed.  And a swing and a new bike.  And a new sister.  You can give my sister to someone else.  I love you Santa."

Some of the letters and envelopes have children's names written on them.

The elves also write to children on behalf of Santa:

"Dear Gabby.  New Zealand will be the first country we go to on Christmas Eve. My reindeer will be tired and thirsty.  Could you please leave a bucket of water out for them to drink when we reach your house.  I hope you will be asleep.  Love Santa." 

When the toys are ready, they are sent to the Wrapping Station to be carefully wrapped up.  

The wrapping station has a selection of wrapping paper, an empty sellotape spool, some curling ribbon, bows, and of course a small pair of scissors!  The table shows a small toy ready for wrapping, and small toys are scattered about that are waiting to be wrapped up.

Once the toys are wrapped, they are loaded onto the miniature wheelbarrow and taken to the Loading Station, where they are put into sacks and loaded onto Santa's sleigh.

 The loading station is a busy place, with tins, parcels, and boxes waiting to be loaded.

The sack is just a circular piece of felt, with stitches tacked around the edge, pulled together and tied off.  I put a bit of stuffing into the sack to give it some shape, and a few little boxes pushed into it that are sticking out of the top.

To finish off, I scattered a few miniature pom-poms about, added some tinsel, and some sparkly gold thread