Just in time for the holidays, preschoolers, kindergartners, and older kids will enjoy making this cute DIY Paper Cup Elf craft. Minimal, inexpensive supplies make it the perfect handmade Christmas ornament for home, the classroom, or for community holiday programs, such as library storytime. Kids will enjoy painting or coloring our free printable template, or they can choose to trace the shapes onto vibrant cardstock. It’s so easy and fun!

So grab your paper cups, wiggly eyes, and glue, then follow along with our helpful step-by-step directions and video tutorial so you can make this craft with your kids to celebrate Christmas!

Related: Paper Cup Christmas Tree

Paper Cup Elf Craft

It’s hard to believe that there are just two weeks until Christmas! I haven’t even started my holiday baking or shopping! Still plenty of time, right?

Yeah, you’ve got a great point. I better get on that…fast! 😜

In the meantime, I’ll just be over here on the floor with my kids, crafting a few jolly paper cup elf ornaments to hide around the house. Not only are they adorable, but they are oh so easy! And you know how I’m all about easy crafts these days.

Craft Supplies Needed for Elf Craft

Paper Cup Elf Directions

1. Download the free printable Paper Cup Elf Template. Print the template on white cardstock, then cut out the shapes with scissors. Alternatively, kids could paint the template or color it with crayons.

Related: Paper Cup Santa Craft

2. If you are not choosing to paint or color the template, use a white colored pencil to trace the shapes onto cardstock. Cut out the shapes with scissors.

Very young children may become impatient with the tracing and cutting. You may wish to ask parent volunteers to help cut out some of the more intricate pieces, such as the collar, hat, and hair.

3. Hot glue two wiggly eyes to the elf’s face, then draw a nose and a smile on the face of your elf with a black pen. We used a single hole punch to create tiny pink circles for the elf’s cheeks.

4. Use Glue Dots or a glue stick to piece together your elf and attach the pieces to the paper cup. Top off the hat with a holly sticker and a miniature jingle bell! Kids will love shaking their ornament to hear the bell ring!

5. Punch two small holes in the top of the paper cup with a nail or wooden skewer. Next, feed the ends of a gold tinsel pipe cleaner through the holes to make an ornament loop. Twist the pipe cleaner inside of the paper cup to secure it.

Note: We purchased our paper cups from The Dollar Tree, but you can also find them on Amazon or your local party supply store.

6. Your Paper Cup Elf is complete and ready to hang on your Christmas tree. If desired, write your child’s name and the year on the paper cup with a gold Sharpie marker.

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Paper Cup Elf

Just in time for Christmas, kids will enjoy making this cute Paper Cup Elf craft! Minimal, inexpensive supplies make it the perfect mess-free handmade Christmas ornament for home, the classroom, or for community holiday programs.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

Paper Cup Elf Template
Green paper cups
Gold glitter paper
Colored cardstock
Wiggly eyes
Holly stickers
Mini jingle bells
Black pen
Glue Dots or glue stick
Colored pencil (white)

Tools

Scissors
Single hole punch

Instructions

Download the free printable Paper Cup Elf Template. Print the template on white cardstock, then cut out the shapes with scissors.
Use a white colored pencil to trace the shapes onto cardstock.
Draw a nose and a smile on the face of your elf with a black pen. We used a standard hole punch to create tiny pink circles for the elf’s cheeks.
Use Glue Dots or a glue stick to piece together your elf. Top off the hat with a tiny piece of holly and a jolly jingle bell!
Punch two small holes in the top of the paper cup. Next, string a gold pipe cleaner through the holes to make an ornament loop. Twist the pipe cleaner inside of the paper cup to secure it.
Your Paper Cup Elf is complete and ready to hang on your Christmas tree. If desired, write your child’s name and the year on the paper cup with a gold Sharpie marker.

Notes

When you are printing this template, be sure to have “actual size” checked in your printer menu.

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