Props do the work of an idea
The hard part of a visiting elf is thinking of something for it to be doing. A prop solves it instantly: an elf with skis is skiing down the stairs, an elf with a suitcase is going somewhere, an elf with a tiny newspaper is reading. The scene writes itself once the object exists.
The two blank signs are the most useful items on the sheets. An elf holding a sign that says anything you like covers a night where you have no other idea.
Cutting and folding
Print on 160gsm to 200gsm card. Solid lines are cut lines, dashed lines are folds, and the shaded tabs are glue. The sledge, the suitcase, the ladder and the frames all fold into three dimensional objects; the rest are flat.
Score the folds with a dry ballpoint and a ruler before folding. Card this thick cracks if you fold it without scoring, especially across the grain.
Scale
Everything is drawn for an elf of roughly 25cm to 30cm, which is the usual size. There is a scale control if yours is smaller or larger, and it is worth measuring rather than guessing, because a sledge that is slightly too small looks more wrong than one that is obviously a joke.
Questions
- What props are included?
- Fourteen items: a sledge, skis, a suitcase, a sleeping bag, two blank signs, a tiny newspaper, bunting, a ladder, a parcel, a mug, a plate of food and two picture frames.
- What card should I print on?
- 160gsm to 200gsm. Score the fold lines with a dry ballpoint and a ruler first, because card this thick cracks if folded without scoring.
- What size elf do the props fit?
- Drawn for an elf of about 25cm to 30cm. There is a scale control for a smaller or larger one, and it is worth measuring rather than guessing.
- Which prop is most useful?
- The two blank signs. An elf holding a sign saying anything you like covers any night when you have run out of ideas.