Activity:
Make a Scandinavian Christmas Gnome
This Christmas gnome hails from Scandinavia. Nisse is a mischievous Scandinavian gnome who watches over domestic animals. Norwegian children leave a bowl of porridge out for the Christmas gnome on Christmas Eve, just as American children leave cookies and milk for Santa. He is easily crafted from Play-Doh, construction paper and fiberfill. If you make him small enough, you can hang him on your tree. Don't forget to leave treats for your personal in-home Christmas gnome!
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What You Need:
- Line drawings of Nisse
- Play-Doh, any color
- Polyester fiberfill
- Red construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue-stick or tape
- Pen
- 2 small beads (optional)
- Warning: supervise younger children with scissors use!
What You Do:
- First have your child make the basic shapes. Nisse is made of a rectangle for the body, a ball for the head, two small circles for the feet and four skinny strips for the arms and legs. Your Nisse can be any size you like.
- Attach the head to the body.
- To make the hat, draw a shape that looks like 1/3 of a pie on your red paper. Size it to fit your Nisse's head.
- Encourage your child to cut out the hat, and form it into a cone. Tape or glue the ends to form the hat.
- Nisse's beard is a big triangle that comes down to his knees. Shape polyester fiberfill into a triangle.
- Now have your child push the fiberfill just far enough into the head and body to make it stick.
- Attach the feet to the legs.
- Invite your child to attach the arms and legs to the body. Pose the arms however you wish.
- Push Nisse's hat into the head slightly to make it stick.
- Direct your child to make eyes with a pen point, and add beads.
- Hang Nisse on your tree or place him around the house.
