Get ready to add a dash of holiday cheer to your crafting time with our Free Printable Articulated Elf Puppets! These adorable elves are Santa’s trusty helpers, and now they can be yours too—with a simple print, cut, and assemble process. We’ve created two charming elf designs, each available in both a colored version and a black-and-white version for coloring enthusiasts.
🎄 What’s Included?
- Two Colored Elf Puppets: Perfect for quick, festive fun—just print, cut, and assemble to bring your elves to life!
- Two Coloring Elf Puppets: Let your creativity shine by coloring these elves yourself. It’s a great activity for kids and adults alike!
✂️ Materials Needed
- Printable Elf Puppet templates (download links below)
- Cardstock or thick paper for durability
- Coloring materials: crayons, colored pencils, markers, or paints (for the coloring version)
- Scissors
- Brads/split pins to connect the joints
- Hole puncher or needle for creating holes for the brads
- Optional: Glue, glitter, cotton balls, and other decorative materials
📄 How to Download Our Elf paper Puppets
We’re thrilled to offer these charming paper doll puppets as a free gift to you and your family. It’s our way of sharing the wonders of the christmas season.
These printables are offered for your non-commercial personal use only. Mass-production of this printable is not permitted, even for non-profit purposes. Please do not upload these free paper puppets coloring page printables to other sites – instead, if you want to let people know about these freebies, post a link to this page. Pinning is okay as long as the pin links back to this page. Thanks!
All you need to do is add click on add to cart and the free printable coloring pages will be added to your shopping cart. When you are finished click on the orange cart menu at the top right of your page and follow the instructions on the screen. You will not be charged and the free pdf file will be available for you to download immediately and will also be emailed to your inbox.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Assembly Instructions
1. Print the Template
- Choose between the colored and coloring versions of the elf puppets and print them onto cardstock or thick paper for added sturdiness.
2. (For Coloring Versions) Color Your Elves
- Use your favorite coloring materials to bring the elves to life. Feel free to get creative with your color choices—these elves are yours to design!
3. Cut Out the Pieces
- Carefully cut along the lines to separate all parts of the elf’s body: head, torso, arms, legs, shoes, and hat.
4. Punch Holes for Joints
- Use a hole puncher or needle to create small holes at the designated spots on each piece where the joints will connect.
5. Assemble the Puppet
- Align the holes of connecting pieces and secure them together using brads/split pins. This will allow your elf’s limbs to move freely.
- Attach the arms to the torso.
- Attach the legs to the bottom of the torso.
- Add the head and hat for the finishing touches.
6. Decorate (Optional)
- Enhance your elf puppet by adding some extra decorations. Use glitter to make their hats sparkle, or add small cotton balls for a fluffy trim.
7. Make the Puppet Movable
- Make sure the arms are in the “down position” and that the thread runs straight across before knotting the other end.
- Repeat for the legs.
- Add a connecting piece of string between the arms and the legs – this mustn’t be too tight (the arms won’t move) or too loose (the legs won’t move). PS – this is our monkey puppet!
8. Enjoy Your Articulated Elf Puppet!
- Your elf puppet is now ready to help Santa with all the Christmas preparations! Use them in festive displays, for storytelling, or just as a fun holiday toy. If you want to extend the life of your paper toy then be sure to use a laminator before you connect the parts.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make any purchases after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) – at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials and content for you. Thank you!
I always print my printables directly onto 160 gsm cardstock using my Epson Ecotank Printer rather than regular paper, this way they are a little more durable and the pens do not bleed through to the other side. However, if you do not have a home printer then just pop to a library and use theirs. I am also a big fan of Colour Me Kids Skin Coloured Pencils as they are brilliant for adding different skin tones. I have specifically not gendered the elves.
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🎅 Festive Fun Ideas
- Elf Storytelling: Create your own Christmas stories with these articulated elf puppets as the main characters. They’re perfect for adding a playful element to holiday bedtime stories.
- Holiday Decorations: Hang your elf puppets on the tree, place them on your mantle, or use them as part of a festive table centerpiece.
- Gifts: Handcrafted elf puppets make thoughtful, personal gifts that family and friends will love.
- Educational Activities: Teach kids about Christmas traditions and the importance of helping others through imaginative play with their elf puppets.
🤶 Get the Whole Family Involved
This craft is a wonderful way to spend time together during the holiday season. Whether you’re coloring, cutting, or assembling, everyone can contribute to creating these delightful little elves. Younger children will enjoy coloring and moving the puppet parts, while older kids and adults can focus on the details.
📸 Share Your Creations
We would love to see how your elves turn out! Share your finished puppets on social media using the hashtag #MadHouseElfPuppets and tag us for a chance to be featured.
🎁 More Holiday Crafts to Explore
If you enjoyed making these elf puppets which are part of a wider set of Christmas puppets, check out more of our festive craft ideas to keep the holiday spirit alive:
Happy Crafting and Merry Christmas!
Don’t forget to share this post with friends and family to spread the holiday fun!